Around 7:00 PM, I arrived at Kushiro Airport. It was really cold outside. I hurriedly headed to my car and drove off towards the Naumann Onsen in Churui. I had a hamburger and cabbage roll stew at Haneda Airport, so I was thinking of having convenience store bread for dinner, but ended up deciding to eat at the restaurant here before bathing. I entered the restaurant at 7:30 PM and quickly secured a table before they announced it was the last order. My decision to eat here was the right one. This time, I ordered the "Chicken Teppanyaki," which is a spicy sauce made with drooling chicken. I was looking forward to the chicken breast meat from Nakasatsunai. The dish was served in just 10 minutes. There were three fairly large pieces of chicken on a hot iron plate. I poured the accompanying sauce over them, but since I heard it was quite spicy, I decided to be cautious and only put a little bit on the edges. Despite being breast meat, it wasn't too chewy, and the mild flavor of the meat went well with the spicy sauce. Each piece had quite a satisfying amount, and the white rice that complemented it was quickly disappearing. I wished there were more vegetables underneath, and stir-fried bean sprouts with this sauce would be a good idea. If I lived locally, I would definitely want to pair this with beer. I finished the meal thinking about how I could recreate something similar at home. The whole experience was like "the journey is not over until you get home," and I safely made it back home around 9:30 PM.

The temperature was high during the previous day, making it very hot, but in the morning it was quite cold. It wasn't cold enough to turn on the heating, but it was a bit uncomfortable without long sleeves. I had to check out early because I had another event, so I had breakfast at 7 o'clock. It was a semi-buffet style breakfast, with the main dishes already prepared. I decided to have rice, miso soup, curry, raw egg, and yogurt jelly. The vegetable salad had lily roots in it, which was a nice touch. The simmered dish had a light seasoning, allowing the natural flavors of the vegetables to shine through. I was very satisfied with the well-prepared breakfast. I thought the curry might be from a can, but after tasting it, I realized it was delicious. I also had a TKG (raw egg over rice) made with local eggs, which was rich and tasty. It seems to be a popular spot in the winter for skiing, but I would love to visit this town again if I have the chance. After checking out, I headed towards the Kofuku Station in Obihiro.

Originally, we thought about having a BBQ at the campsite, but since it was a new place for us and we didn't know our way around, my wife decided to eat at the restaurant attached to the hotel. The restaurant was run by a private operator in town and offered mainly set meals at very affordable prices. So, we could even have drinks here. I chose the tuna set meal, which came with a generous amount of tuna, rice, and miso soup for only 1000 yen. It was a great deal, even better than what you see on TV. My wife opted for the local specialty, deep-fried lily root set meal. My son ordered the chicken nanban. The portions were quite large, as is common in rural areas. My son couldn't finish his chicken, and I found the tuna very satisfying. The tuna was fresh despite being in the mountains. The crispy lily root tempura was also delicious. We ended up eating too much. Afterward, we went back to our tent and enjoyed some sake. It was a great meal.

The evaluation for the evening (without meals) is as follows: [Evening] Overall 3.7, Food/Taste - , Service 3.6, Atmosphere 4.0, Value for Money 3.5, Alcohol/Drinks - I had heard good things about the hot springs and food at this inn, so I had been wanting to check it out for a while. Finally, I was able to stay there. About two weeks ago, I made a reservation through a travel agency's website for a plan that included one night with breakfast for 14,600 yen per person (including tax, excluding hot spring tax). At the time of booking, the check-in time was not confirmed, so I chose the plan with breakfast included. I checked in around 6:10 PM (finally able to check in at a decent time) and checked out at around 7:55 AM. The inn is located on the outskirts of the southeast of Churui city, along National Route 236. It is a facility within "Michi-no-Eki Churui." The inn is surrounded by meadows and hills, with a pleasant environment. In the distance, the remaining snow on the Hidaka Mountains could be seen. The building is stylish with exposed concrete, resembling a museum at first glance. In the center, there is a two-story accommodation building (with 17 rooms), a single-story bathing facility on the left (north side), and a single-story restaurant building on the right (south side) called "Kyori Churui." There was a parking lot for about 40-50 cars in front of the building. The interior of the inn is also neat and stylish. However, the shop in front of the front desk and the bathing facility (which also accepts day visitors) had a more casual atmosphere. The inn is non-smoking, but there is a smoking room next to the entrance. The staff are all friendly and polite. The staff at the dining area, in particular, were very pleasant. It seemed like the inn was almost fully booked on that day, with many families among the guests. They also accept day visitors for bathing from 5 AM to 8 PM and 11 PM to 11 PM, so there were always guests around the front desk. [Guest Room] I was assigned to a Western-style room on the first floor. It consisted of a bedroom, washroom, and shower toilet. The bedroom was about 10 tatami mats in size, with two large beds, a sofa, chairs, a table, a heater, a TV, an empty refrigerator, etc. It was clean and comfortable. [Bath] There are separate large communal baths for men and women, which are switched at midnight. Both were spacious, consisting of multiple indoor baths, outdoor baths, and saunas. The outdoor baths were also stylish, although they lacked a traditional atmosphere, they had a sense of openness. As mentioned earlier, they accept day visitors for bathing for a long time, so there were quite a few guests in the bathing area. The bathing area was fine, but the changing room was small. It may be better to improve the arrangement of the lockers. The hot spring seemed to be a circulated one, colorless and transparent, with a strong slippery feeling, leaving the skin moisturized and smooth after bathing. I really liked this hot spring. [Breakfast] I had breakfast at the restaurant "Kyori Churui" along with other guests. It was bright, open, and had a casual atmosphere. There were several table seats and sunken kotatsu-style seats. Our meal time was from 7:00 AM to 7:35 AM. On the table, there were various side dishes (grilled mackerel, grilled chicken, sausages, thick omelet, hamburger, hijiki seaweed, lily bulb, cabbage salad, pumpkin salad, canned peach, shredded yam, simmered vegetables, etc.) lined up (some were warm), in addition to rice, miso soup, curry, raw egg, seasoned seaweed, yogurt, coffee, etc., which we could freely enjoy. It was quite a generous and voluminous spread. Local ingredients were used, which left a good impression. The vegetables like lily bulbs and pumpkin were particularly good. Also, the fluffy and shiny rice was delicious. I ended up having four servings by topping them with raw egg and curry. The inn was as good as expected. Next time, I would like to stay with dinner included during the off-season.

The hotel next to Churui Michi no Eki has a modern and designer look that stands out. I stayed there for one night with two meals included. The parking lot, reserved for hotel guests, was right in front of the hotel. The hot spring, available to the public, was fantastic with its pH 9.5 mineral-rich water. The dinner experience was enjoyable, although the pace of the meal service was a bit rushed. The food was satisfying overall, with standout dishes like the mixed sashimi and the braised pork with lily root cream. The steak was tender and delicious, while the tomato compote dessert could have been a bit sweeter. Despite the rushed service, I had a pleasant dining experience.

My business in Obihiro took longer than expected, and I got on the Obihiro Kawashi IC just before 6:00 pm. Since I have to start work early the next morning, I wanted to take a bath, have a meal, and return home. I bought my favorite Genghis Khan in Sarabetsu and headed to Churui. So, I decided to take a bath at Nauman Onsen first. When I saw the words "bathing & mud pork stew set" on the ticket machine, I hesitated for a while. In the end, I bought it. It was 1,400 yen, which is 300 yen cheaper than buying separately. I shaved my beard in the hot spring, feeling refreshed, and headed to the restaurant. It was quite crowded with hotel guests. The customers at the next table were watching a tablet while eating. The food was served in about 10 minutes. The amount of stew itself was normal, but each piece was quite large. Maybe they reduced the fat for me (laughs). However, the stew was wonderfully tender, and although the taste was a bit light, it went well with white rice. The side dishes like chawanmushi and small dishes were also excellent. I often separate day trips to hot springs and meals, but when I have something like this, I think I will reconsider that idea.

10/16 Tokachi Nauman Onsen Arco 236 The amount of meat was quite generous. The hamburger set meal and the speciality of Churui, yurine (lily root) set meal were both delicious. I would definitely consider coming back here. It might be nice to enjoy a meal after soaking in the hot springs. Thank you for the meal.

I went there for the first time (^ー^) There was a set menu with hot springs which was a great deal!! It was delicious (*≧∀≦*)

The dinner set has the best cost performance!

I stayed at Hotel Alco 236 on a room-only basis. I didn't use the hotel restaurant, instead I had dinner elsewhere and bought breakfast at a nearby roadside station where "Paopao" bread was on sale for 80 yen. The snack in the picture is the hotel's original snack provided in the room, which tasted like regular sweet shortbread. The "Paopao" bread was soft and delicious. The only expenses incurred were for the accommodation fee.

I wonder how many years it has been since I last visited this place? I didn't go into the hot springs, just came for a meal. I was in the mood for meat, so I ordered the hamburger set meal (^O^). It was delicious the last time I came, so I ended up ordering it again (^^; It was big, fluffy, and you eat it with grated ponzu sauce (^-^*) I also got to see the illumination halfway through, so it was nice... 2/11 visited again. Today, I had a meal here again while taking a bath in the hot springs. This time, I ordered the ramen and gyoza set meal (˶ˆ⚪︎ˆ˵) The flyer looked luxurious, so I couldn't help but order it. It was filling and satisfying♪ The ramen was a light salt ramen with a tonkotsu flavor. The gyoza was also delicious✧‧˚... 3/18 I came back again after attending a memorial service. Today, I had the seafood chirashi donburi (˶ˆ⚪︎ˆ˵) It was so luxurious that I had to take a picture✧‧˚ The only regret was that I was tired and ended up eating four pieces of bread, so I couldn't finish it all! I'll have to come back for a rematch someday‎|•'-'•)و✧