Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture is a famous hot spring known as one of the "Three Great Skin-beautifying Hot Springs in Japan." Located in this hot spring town, HOTEL SAKURA URESHINO(hereinafter referred to as Hotel Sakura) is a must-stay hotel where you can forget the fatigue of everyday life.
We will show you how to have a happy time at Hotel Sakura and in Ureshino.
Foot bath tour
Ureshino is 70 minutes by express train, 2 hours by bus, and 90 minutes by car from Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The tall building of Hotel Sakura, located in the center of town, can be seen from anywhere and serves as a landmark when walking around the city.
Hotel Sakura is characterised by the fact that everything is large and spacious. The guest rooms are also spacious, with the Japanese-Western style rooms with beds on tatami mats and the suite rooms on the upper floors being very popular.
At the back of the lobby there is a lounge called "Ochanoma" where you can relax in the dirt floor while drinking free-flowing Ureshino tea or coffee.
After taking a break in the lounge, go for a walk.
Being a hot spring town, there are several foot bath areas around the hotel. It is a place of relaxation for locals and tourists where you can enjoy a foot bath from morning until late at night.
At Yushuku Hiroba, a one-minute walk from the hotel, you can enjoy a unique foot bath experience where your feet are enveloped in hot spring mist.
High-quality Ureshino tea sweets
Another local specialty alongside the hot springs is Ureshino tea.
This is a gamayokucha tea with a strong flavor and aroma, which has won both the Grand Prize and the Region of Origin Award at the National Tea Tasting Exhibition for the past two years in a row.
As you walk through the town, you'll find tea farms here and there that will let you sample their proud Ureshino tea. Each store has its own original products, so you can have fun searching for your favorite sencha, hojicha, or black tea.
There are also plenty of sweets made with Ureshino tea. Cafes and confectionery shops offer a variety of Japanese and Western sweets made with sencha and hojicha, all of which are of the highest quality. You'll be amazed by the deliciousness of any shop you drop by.
Hot spring on the highest floor in Ureshino
Once you return to Hotel Sakura, the highlight is the hot springs.
The Large Public Bath on the top floor (10th floor) is the highest hot spring in Ureshino Onsen town, and in addition to a large indoor bath, it is equipped with three open-air baths: a large open-air bath, a small open-air bath, and a tub bath.
The water contains a lot of sodium, and is slimy, so as its name "beautiful skin bath" suggests, it gently envelops the skin. The water is not too hot, so you can stay in it for as long as you like, which enhances the comfort.
Relax your body and mind while looking out over the town of Ureshino and the distant mountain ridges.
The hotel's signature dinner buffet
After the hot springs, another fun thing to do is have a meal.
Unlike hot spring inns where dinner is delivered to your room, at Hotel Sakura you can eat at your own pace in the restaurant, buffet style, where you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like between 5pm and 9pm.
What's more, there is an all-you-can-drink option for drinks, including alcohol, with a wide selection available, including several types of beer, sake from Saga Prefecture, and highballs from Kagoshima.
In addition to the recommended Saga beef roast beef and fresh sashimi, the store is packed with dishes made with local ingredients, including shabu-shabu, tempura, meat and fish dishes, side dishes, and dago soup.
They also offer fried foods, curries, and sweets that children love, making them a great choice for family trips with three generations.
After enjoying the hot springs, you can change into your favorite yukata and eat and drink to your heart's content...this is the ultimate "happiness" you can experience at Hotel Sakura.
A morning unique to Ureshino
If you can get up early the next morning, head to the Large Public Bath, which opens at 6am. It's great to enjoy the fresh air as you bathe in the open-air bath.
We also recommend taking a walk around the hotel. The view from Onsen Bridge, which is just a short walk away and spans Ureshino Onsen Park, is quite nice.
The breakfast buffet offers a variety of dishes unique to Ureshino.
First up is the hot spring tofu. The tofu, ordered from the local Fukuda Tofu Shop, is boiled in Ureshino's hot spring water, giving it a melting texture. There are several famous hot spring tofu restaurants in the city, but the tofu served at Hotel Sakura is no less impressive.
Enjoy a lineup that will make you feel happy from the morning, including Ariake seaweed and grilled fish, locally produced ham and sausages, and the chef's special pickles, all grilled on the spot.
Hotel staff's recommended spots
Finally, here are some recommendations for Ureshino from the staff at Hotel Sakura.
Happy Tea Exchange Center "Chaoshiru"
If you want to know more about Ureshino tea and taste it, this is the place to go. It's about a 5-minute drive from Hotel Sakura, or you can also get there by Rental Bike a bicycle from the hotel. You can purchase award-winning tea leaves and Ureshino tea sweets from each store, and enjoy a pot of Ureshino tea at the cafe. Depending on the season, you can also experience picking tea leaves and roasting them in a pot (advance reservations required).
Todoroki Falls
Sandan no Taki waterfall is located near Chaosil. The surrounding area is a park, and it is nice to take a walk along the Shiota River. In spring, cherry blossoms bloom all over the park.
Tateiwa Observatory
It's about a 15-minute drive from the hot spring town. The view of the hot spring town and tea fields from the observation deck is exceptional, and in the distance you can see the Ariake Sea and Mt. Taradake.
The four seasons of Ureshino
Cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in June, fireworks in summer, autumn leaves, and in winter, Ureshino's seasonal feature, the Ureshino Atataka Festival (lanterns and lanterns are lit up all over the city). In every season of Ureshino, there is hot springs and more to enjoy.
