Matuya Sensen

“A Totally Japanese Experience”

We arrived by train at Awara-Onsen station. From there we took a taxi to the hotel which took about 15 minutes. There is also a hotel shuttle bus which runs a scheduled service. Apparently it is also possible to call and arrange a pick-up, but as we did not speak Japanese, we took a taxi. We arrive… more

We arrived by train at Awara-Onsen station. From there we took a taxi to the hotel which took about 15 minutes. There is also a hotel shuttle bus which runs a scheduled service. Apparently it is also possible to call and arrange a pick-up, but as we did not speak Japanese, we took a taxi. We arrived at the hotel about 1pm but it was not possible to check-in until 3pm. So we left our bags and took a taxi to Tojinbo on the coast. The taxi to Tojinbo took about 20 minutes and cost 4,200 Yen. The sightseeing boat to view the cliffs cost 1,400 Yen each. A boat departed every few minutes. Very worthwhile. The cliffs are not massive but interesting to see. There is also a tower on the top of the cliffs which provides good views. The cost to ascend the tower was 500 Yen each. One reason that check-in takes place at 3pm is that the staff greet the visitors. A lady dressed in kimono took us to our room, made us a cup of tea and explained the features of the room. There was good AC, good Wi-Fi and a TV (which we did not turn on), The room was quiet and large. Our room also had a kitchen area, bath/shower room and separate lavatory. Of course the onson is the main reason that most people go to the hotel/resort. On the weekend that we stayed, it was a holiday weekend and there were many groups of people who went to the onson together. So it was busy and lively at times. The onson is divided into male and female sections. If there are facilities for couples to share an onson, we did not find that. It would be worthwhile when selecting a hotel for a couples weekend, to make sure that private onsons were available. Some hotels have them in each bedroom. On the second day we took the hotel shuttle bus to Awara-Onsen railway station and from there took a bus to Maruoka Castle. We bought a daily bus pass which cost 1,000 Yen each. There was also a festival taking place in the town. The stairs to the castle are steep, and to climb to the upper levels of the castle the staircase is more like a ladder. (Not for people who are not so steady on their feet)!! We ate in 2 different restaurants in the hotel as we stayed 2 nights. The food and service in both was excellent. The staff explained to us what each dish was and we tried everything. They could not have been more attentive and helpful. An evening entertainment was provided at extra cost. It was a kind of Las Vegas show. The gentlemen (sorry ladies) put on a great show. This was enhanced by members of the audience who had possibly drunk a little more alcohol than was good for them, spontaneously joining in with the performance. We also had a 60 minute in-room massage. This cost 6,000 Yen each. Also note that Kanazawa is less than 1 hour away by train. An interesting city with a fantastic castle and gardens. Well worth spending a day there!! In summary, we loved our 2 nights at Matsuya Sensen. The staff could not have been kinder or more attentive. I think that we were the only western people staying there and not too familiar with the Japanese way of doing things. The staff were very patient with us. When we left, several staff came to wave-off the bus with their handkerchiefs. Thank you staff of Matsuya Sensen, If we are ever in the region again, we hope to see you again!!

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