Today, I visited a customer in Asahikawa for sales. After finishing work, I went to a hot spring that I haven't been to in a while. Today was half-price day, so the bathing fee was only 250 yen. Lucky me! I soaked in all the baths to relieve my work fatigue. Feeling refreshed! Then I went to the shop and saw they had "twisted rice cakes." I bought them with the spare change I had. Back in my car, I couldn't resist and ate them right away. The balance of the aroma of black beans and the right amount of sweet bean paste was perfect. The elegant sweetness, chewy texture, and good mouthfeel made me finish them all before getting home. It may not be a well-known product, but I recommend it!

I visited for the post-meeting social gathering. The fee was 5,000 yen for all-you-can-drink banquet dishes. The food was well-balanced, especially the steak main dish was very delicious. Since it was a day trip banquet, I couldn't use the hot springs so I can't comment on that, but I was satisfied with the meal alone.

I stayed for 2 nights with 2 meals included. On the first day, dinner and breakfast were provided. On the second day, only breakfast. Since the place is not close to the sea, the sashimi was not that great. However, the sautéed marlin was thick and delicious. The pork was tender and tasty as well. The hamburger-like dish on the second day was also delicious, although it was unclear if it was actually a hamburger. The fish in white sauce was interesting too. For breakfast, there was a buffet. This area is known for its rice production and the dishes were delicious, but the rice was incredibly tasty. It was like Yumepirika rice 100% (laughs). I would be satisfied with just the rice and some salt. Also, both days they served grapes as dessert. They were small and at first, I thought they were blueberries. These grapes were extremely delicious. The flavor was intense and the balance between sweetness and acidity was amazing. I wonder if they are grapes grown in Hokkaido? I really liked them. The hot springs were also fantastic! I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

I visited the restaurant again this month for a post-meeting social gathering. The fee was 5,000 yen, which included all-you-can-drink banquet dishes. The main dishes, especially the beef steak and grilled cod, were delicious. I was satisfied with the quality and quantity.

Popular dish: Broccoli Napolitan

Saitama's Chichibu Betsu-cho has a hot spring facility. They offer day trips and have outdoor baths. They have the Golden Bath and the Silk Bath which change daily. It's a popular spot for people from the Rain Dragon County to visit in the morning. It's great to have a high-quality hot spring facility in a depopulated area.

Last night, I drank in Togeshi and today, being Saturday, I am heading to Sapporo from Togeshi. It's quite convenient to go to Sapporo from Togeshi. I used to base myself in Asahikawa, but it took over 3 hours to get there, so I couldn't visit many places. However, in Togeshi, I can visit 4-5 places easily. The only concern is that there aren't many options in Togeshi, so I wonder how long this will last. There aren't suitable towns other than Togeshi. On my way to Sapporo from Fukagawa Michi-no-Eki, I plan to stop at a hot spring. Today, I chose Chippu Yu & Yu in Chikubetsu. This facility is quite large and relatively new. The hot spring is a sodium spring, not too strong but warms you up nicely. The open-air baths have three tubs, one with milky white water. The large bath is quite hot and enjoyable. The sauna is unusually hot at 96 degrees. I refrained from having milk and instead bought mushrooms from the shop. I tried the "Mushroom Carbonara" and it was delicious. The mushrooms were not very noticeable though. The next day, I had miso soup with mushrooms. It was a late meal prepared by my wife. She also sent me a message to cook soba with mushrooms, grated yam, daikon radish, seaweed, and green onions. Although it sounded delicious, I was too lazy to cook the soba. When my wife came back and saw that I didn't cook it, she was upset. I had already eaten other food and didn't have the energy to cook the soba. I ended up feeling like a lazy old man.