May 1, 2023 (Monday) 12:00. Second day of Golden Week homecoming. My dad really liked this mushroom ramen that we first tried last year during Obon, so we went back to have it again! When we placed our order, we were told that we could add roasted garlic as a topping, so of course we added it! We had the local Abetsu special mushroom ramen (miso) for 1,000 yen plus the roasted garlic topping for 100 yen. It was filled with sautéed Abetsu mushrooms including shiitake, enoki, shimeji, wood ear, wakame, green onions, and menma. The light and delicious hot miso soup was infused with the aroma and umami of the mushrooms. It was so delicious! The chewy and tasty Asahikawa noodles mixed with the mushrooms were incredibly delicious! And after eating the spring flavor of Hokkaido, the roasted garlic, I felt full of energy! After that, we went on a drive around Iwanai Lake and visited the cute sheep in Shibetsu.

After skiing, we went to "Kyowa Onsen" because the nearby hot springs were crowded. It's a bit secluded and the building isn't anything special, but it fits the rustic atmosphere well. It's not that far in, this is my second time here. Was it a carbonated spring? I remember there were several baths, but only the smallest one is the actual hot spring. Be careful not to make a mistake. When it's crowded, you might end up not being able to soak in the hot spring and just leave. If someone forcefully enters when you're alone in the bath, make sure to protect your lower body. This time it wasn't crowded, so I went in twice. You can drink the hot spring water. I don't usually drink hot spring water, but when it says it's good for arteriosclerosis, I feel like I have to drink it. Cups are provided, but I'm a bit neurotic, so I drink it with my hands. "Aren't your hands dirty?" That's true, but I don't want to die because of my dirty hands, right? Getting healthy in the hot spring and then dying would be a good way to go, I think. There's nothing more annoying in the facility than the rusty taste of the water. The strong and weak showers are not my favorite, so I'm happy, but there is a limit. It hurt, so I used a towel to protect myself, ending up with a ragged cloth. Your skin will have holes and a bloody life awaits you. When I moved the chair and bucket, I found soap left behind, so I rinsed it off with the neighboring shower. It wasn't as strong as I thought. It was like playing Russian roulette. Please don't try it out, as it's not allowed. It's strictly a Russian roulette. Milk was served, one bottle for two people? How stingy. A rustic hot spring, followed by milk. I became too healthy.

I visited on Sunday evening and first soaked in the hot springs before enjoying the mushroom ramen. It was a miso ramen made with plenty of locally sourced mushrooms. In addition to maitake mushrooms, there were butter-fried shiitake and enoki mushrooms on top. The soup was rich with the flavor of mushrooms, and I also ordered some rice to go with it. It was delicious. I bought some maitake mushrooms as a souvenir.

I arrived close to noon. I was looking forward to enjoying a small hot spring lunch. After paying the entrance fee of 500 yen and enjoying the carbonated spring, I headed to the small cafeteria. It was quiet and empty. I ordered the mushroom ramen, spicy mushroom rice bowl, and a shiso juice. The mushroom ramen only came in miso flavor. Since we were the only customers, the food came quickly. The ramen was filled with shiitake, enoki, and maitake mushrooms, with a rich broth and chewy noodles. The spicy mushroom rice bowl was not too spicy and easy to eat, with shiitake, enoki, maitake, and stir-fried pork belly. But the real highlight was the shiso juice. Make sure to try it!

Around noon in Aibetsu Town. I was planning to buy a bento at the convenience store and have lunch at the Aibetsu Dam parking lot. However, when I saw a sign for Kyowa Onsen that I was interested in, I suddenly turned on my blinker (^^; They had towels available, so I decided to take a bath if I had time! I parked my car and entered. I was undecided about what to eat, but the woman at the front desk recommended, "I recommend this seasonal limited dish," so I ordered the spicy mushroom bowl with wild garlic. I might have been a bit flustered because I was busy, but I got served before the customers who came later, which annoyed me a bit... I couldn't make it to the bath (lol). After waiting for about 10 minutes, the bowl arrived. I don't have much time, so I'll just eat it without taking too many photos! For Hokkaido residents, the dish with wild garlic needs no explanation, right? It's delicious and a classic. I wonder if they have other seasonal menu items? Next time, I'll come back to also take a bath!

The spicy mushroom rice bowl is delicious.

Mushroom Ramen and Mushroom Bowl Located in Kinoko no Sato, Abira Town, so they use mushrooms. The mushroom ramen is miso-based, and the mushroom bowl has Gochujang in it (not spicy).

This place is more focused on the bath than the food, so it's good if you're going to the bath.

Visit date: June 10th (Sunday) It was really a long time since I last visited Kyowa Onsen. I've been quite busy and haven't been able to take my parents to the hot springs since New Year's Day. In the rest area, there is a new menu available! It's written as a seasonal limited edition, so I ordered it right away. I stuck to my usual shoyu ramen and fried rice, while I pushed the new menu onto my third son. Visually, it looks like a spicy rice bowl with a hot spring egg on top! My son said it was delicious. I wonder how many more times I can come to the hot springs with my parents. Being healthy is truly a blessing. Thank you for the meal.

Visit date January 1st (Monday) - New Year's Day has become a regular event, and I have been coming to Kyouwa Onsen for the past few years. This year, I bought sushi and snacks at Maruetsu Nagayama store for lunch and headed out. It's definitely New Year's Day - the place is packed with customers. Luckily, there was still some space in the rest area, so lucky me. After soaking in the hot spring, drinking, eating, and relaxing, it was already night. As usual, we will have dinner at the restaurant here. My wife and father had mushroom ramen, my mother had spicy mushroom rice bowl, my second son had stamina fried rice, and I had the usual soy sauce ramen... Thank you to the landlady and the staff for always warmly welcoming us. Thank you for the meal.

On October 8th, the middle day of the 3-day weekend, I visited Kyowa Onsen in Aibetsu-cho with my parents, wife, and son! We visit this hot spring about once a month, so we are familiar with the landlady and staff. Although the facilities are not new, they are well-maintained. The hot spring baths are small, but soaking in them and then using the 100 yen massage machine afterwards is pure bliss. The highlight is the restaurant or cafeteria here... Where else can you find soy sauce ramen for 590 yen? It's reasonably priced and quite tasty. They even offer a service to bring your food to the rest area if you ask. My parents recommend the spicy rice bowl, but I have never tried it (I stick to the forbidden combination of soy sauce ramen and fried rice)... (^^)v

Now, it's time for the hot springs. Today we visited Aibetsu and went to "Kyowa Onsen," which is located near the shop where we bought mochi in the morning. Maro-chan, a playful character known for causing cherry blossom petals to fall like snow, is a regular at the mochi shop, so it's no surprise that he frequents this hot spring as well. Upon entering, the hot spring didn't seem too old-fashioned. There was a sauna on the left as soon as you entered, but I didn't feel like using it today. The hot spring water, rumored to be carbonated due to high carbon dioxide content, was actually clear when I saw it. The large bath and the smaller tub next to it were constantly bubbling, creating a bubble bath effect. However, it turns out that it's not a natural hot spring but rather artificially created with bubbles. There was a small tub at the far end that had reddish-brown water, which turned out to be a cold spring. It couldn't accommodate more than one person, and the water was not heated but supplemented with hot water. While soaking in this tub, I witnessed an unusual sight - a hairy bald man practicing yoga in the corner. It was quite a scene, but I tried not to pay too much attention to it. Suddenly, another bald man caught my eye as he got down on all fours with his backside facing me. It was a shocking and uncomfortable moment, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Despite this unexpected incident, I managed to enjoy the rest of my time in the hot spring, savoring the black beans my wife had cooked and ending the day with a refreshing beer from the local store.

Hot spring hopping... We trekked through the rice fields to reach Kyowa Onsen in Aibetsu! It feels like we're in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rice fields. It's quite far away. The shibazakura at the entrance is beautiful. I wanted to visit because I heard they have a natural carbonated spring. It's like natural sparkling water, just like Perrier. When I tried it, it was indeed carbonated! Amazing! The power of nature is incredible. Since it's a cold spring, they mix it with hot water to create the hot spring, so the baths are smaller than usual. A rare carbonated spring! I'm glad I came here. When in Aibetsu, you have to try the mushrooms! After soaking in the bath, I got hungry and had mushroom ramen at the dining area. It's filled with plenty of mushrooms and the noodles are plentiful! It's quite heavy... The noodles are thin, similar to Asahikawa ramen, and the taste is good. They also have other dishes like rice bowls.

Visited today with my three sons, wife, parents, and mother-in-law while on a family trip. We went to Aibetsu Kyouwa Onsen and had a great time. The hot spring is small and the facilities are not fancy, but the warm and friendly service from the hostess and staff really made us feel at ease. My parents and mother-in-law loved the hot spring and have been coming here for day trips recently. After soaking in the hot spring, we had a meal at the restaurant before heading home. The restaurant here offers delicious food at a reasonable price, which is a pleasant surprise. My son mentioned that the soy sauce ramen here is better than most ramen shops. It comes with a light soup, richly flavored chashu, and menma for only 550 yen. The mushroom ramen (miso flavor) with plenty of local mushrooms is also delicious, and the spicy rice bowl is a favorite of my parents. We shared the fried rice in the photo, and it was perfectly cooked and very tasty.

This is a lodging facility located in the town of Aibetsu, which is said to account for 75% of mushroom cultivation in Hokkaido. They cultivate five types of mushrooms year-round: enoki, maitake, nameko, shiitake, and shimeji, allowing guests to enjoy mushroom dishes throughout the year. The mushroom course menu is carefully crafted to offer a variety of flavors, ensuring that guests do not get tired of mushroom-centered dishes. The facility itself gives off a rustic vibe, situated in a rural area on the outskirts. The rooms are named after mushrooms like maitake, enoki, matsutake, which adds an interesting touch. The menu includes dishes such as simmered shiitake, fried maitake, grilled matsutake, and mushroom gratin. The dishes are creatively prepared, incorporating ingredients like plum, tofu, and yuzu to keep the flavors interesting. The hot spring bath is separated by gender and features a single source bath along with regular baths. The spring water is a simple carbon dioxide cold mineral spring, and guests can relax in the source bath which is kept at a comfortable temperature. The lodging offers a simple breakfast with freshly grilled salmon, and the service may be a bit rough around the edges, but overall, it was a pleasant stay. The one-night stay with the mushroom course costs 10,500 yen.

I visited the town of Aibetsu in Hokkaido. Aibetsu is known for being the top producer of mushrooms in Hokkaido, and they have been promoting the town as the "Mushroom Town". Mushroom production in this town started in 1972 when two farmers began cultivating enoki mushrooms. Currently, they produce four types of mushrooms: enoki, maitake, shiitake, and nameko. I stayed at a hot spring inn in the town called Kyowa Onsen. One of the highlights of Kyowa Onsen is the 11-course meal made with Aibetsu's specialty mushrooms. The hot spring water is carbonated, which adds to the appeal. The rooms are traditional Japanese style, each named after a different mushroom such as enoki, maitake, shiitake, and nameko. There is also one Western-style room named "Mushroom", which is quite amusing. After soaking in the bath (more on that later), I enjoyed the mushroom course meal in my room. The menu was presented on a tray, and the dishes were as follows: Appetizer: Stir-fried shiitake mushrooms Appetizer: Maitake salad, Shiitake with white sauce, Grilled shimeji mushrooms, Enoki with plum dressing, Nameko with yuzu Sashimi: Sashimi made with shiitake mushrooms Simmered dish: Dobin mushi (steamed dish) with a mix of mushrooms Grilled dish: Mushroom gratin Palate cleanser: Matsutake mushrooms tempura Fried dish: Tempura of maitake, shiitake, and enoki mushrooms Main dish: Mushroom rice The dishes were all mushroom-based and each had a unique and surprising flavor. The stir-fried shiitake mushrooms looked like burdock root stir-fry but had a different texture. The sashimi made with shiitake mushrooms was surprisingly delicious, and the steamed dish with a mix of mushrooms was a delightful surprise. The mushroom gratin served in a mushroom-shaped dish was as expected, and the tempura of various mushrooms was crispy and flavorful. The meal ended with a delicious mushroom rice dish. Overall, the experience of dining on a variety of mushroom dishes was both surprising and satisfying.

Hot springs are the best. They warm you up. Depending on the day, the water can be clear or cloudy... It feels alive and enjoyable. You can even drink the carbonated water. In the past, children used to put sugar in it and drink it... The changing rooms are facing each other for men and women, so you can catch a glimpse of each other for a moment when leaving. That's something that needs improvement. There is a dining area where even non-staying guests can eat after bathing. They offer dishes like mushroom rice bowl, soup curry, and set meals. The menu is limited and the portion sizes are small, so men might find it lacking. The shop sells local products like garlic and beans. They even had edible chrysanthemum flowers. I bought some and made a vinegar dish at home. It was delicious.