My postponed birthday trip took place at a hotel. Overall, there were no special ingredients, but I was generally satisfied. However, I felt that there were many filling foods like wheat gluten and potatoes. The most impressive dish was the potato aged for 540 days. It had a sweetness like fruit and was a potato experience like no other. However, due to the hotel buffet in the morning and curry for lunch, I started feeling very full and uncomfortable. I should have left more room in my stomach. On a side note, the hot springs in Noboribetsu were truly amazing.

Enjoying a beautiful garden while having dinner is nice. Room service is good, but this is also nice. At the end of the trip, soaking in a relaxing hot spring is happiness to the max. The last sweet corn rice was delicious, but I was too full to have seconds, which was disappointing. The dinner was wonderful with various details like foamy soy sauce.

One of my favorite inns in Hokkaido is Takinoya in Noboribetsu Onsen. I would like to introduce a 1 night, 2 day stay at Takinoya, recommended by Five Penguins. I have stayed there 3 times, and this is my experience from a summer stay at Takinoya. The room categories at Takinoya are varied, but if you are traveling from afar, it's best to reserve a room with an open-air bath. It's important to note that Takinoya has 30 rooms, which is quite unique in Noboribetsu Onsen where large-scale inns are common. It's a small luxury inn and popular among repeat guests, so it's recommended to make reservations early. Especially the rooms with open-air baths tend to fill up quickly. The check-in time at Takinoya is 2:00 PM, which is earlier than most inns. Take advantage of this and try to arrive by 2:00 PM. The inn has separate large baths for men and women. The Takasago and Chien baths on the 2nd basement floor feature sulfur and radium springs, as well as a stone bath and spacious outdoor baths. The Sky Open-Air Bath, Unnoi no Yu on the 5th floor, has salt springs for men and iron springs for women. Surrounded by lush greenery, it offers a sense of liberation. The room I stayed in was Room 208, Tamadare. It has a source-flowing open-air bath and a dining room. It's remarkably quiet, making you feel like you're in the deep mountains rather than a hot spring town. I ended up taking a bath three times before dinner! Takinoya pays attention to every detail, from the hairdryer's strong airflow to the continuous shower in the bath. They provide plenty of ice water and fresh tea cups after meals. Dinner is served in the room. The inn offers a unique feature of having a Japanese cuisine chef and a French chef working together. The kaiseki meal features Hokkaido ingredients, starting with appetizers, followed by a choice of roast Tokachi beef or a platter of hair crab. I chose the Tokachi beef, which paired perfectly with the summer corn sauce. The main course was followed by the specialty "Potato Cake," made from aged sweet potatoes. It was delicious! The meal continued with grilled dishes, cold dishes, and dessert. After dinner, I enjoyed the open-air bath in the room and then went to bed. I woke up at 7:00 AM, enjoyed the Unnoi no Yu bath, and had breakfast at 8:45 AM. The tofu in the hot pot was delicious. After another soak in the hot spring, I checked out at 11:00 AM. I then went to the bear farm. Takinoya arranges a shuttle to the bear farm, making it convenient for guests.

I have stayed in various hotels and ryokans all over Japan, and one place that always stands out for me is the "Takinoya Ryokan" in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. This ryokan is located in a quiet area surrounded by beautiful nature, offering stunning views from the rooms and baths. The service is impeccable, with attention to every detail, such as fresh and crisp yukatas provided in the rooms. What sets Takinoya apart is the variety of hot spring baths available, including salt springs, iron springs, radium springs, and sulfur springs. The highlight is the rooftop open-air bath, "Unnoi no Yu," offering a sense of infinity with a view of lush greenery. The food is another highlight, featuring kaiseki cuisine made with top-quality Hokkaido ingredients. The chefs at Takinoya, Sasabuchi and Koibuchi, create delicious and creative dishes, with specialties like potato cakes and buttered potatoes. The service is exceptional, with additional surprises and a high level of hospitality. Overall, Takinoya offers a perfect combination of baths, food, and service that keeps me coming back year after year.

- It's not a room, but you can relax in a private space! - It was a private room so even with a baby who can't eat, we were able to have a meal without any worries. There were children's books to keep the kids entertained. It was well taken care of. - There was no menu. The breakfast consisted of Yudofu, natto, and grilled fish, a fairly normal and calm breakfast without any extravagant elements. However, everything was carefully made and delicious, leaving you satisfied but not overly full! It won't hinder your activities afterwards. Thank you for the meal!

The food overall was delicious, but I want to highlight a few dishes. Due to COVID-19, they serve two dishes at a time to minimize contact. The smoked salmon was delicious, and the black bean tofu was rich and sweet. The abalone was exceptional, the best I've ever had raw. For the main dish, the crab platter from Funka Bay was the best choice. The roast beef with tomato sauce was good, but the sauce didn't quite match. Overall, the meal was a delight!

I stayed overnight and had dinner and breakfast. I was a bit worried because there were some strict comments, but both meals were delicious. I chose crab as the main dish for dinner. The portion was small, but I was happy to eat hairy crab from Hokkaido. If you eat the entire course, you will be full. The homemade tofu for breakfast was very tasty. The staff were also very friendly. This place is all about enjoying the hot springs more than the meals, with all the springs being natural and you can enjoy four different types of spring quality. As expected in Noboribetsu, the hot springs are very good.

Memorandum: I am traveling to Hokkaido to visit the grave of a great benefactor. Today, I am relaxing at the Takinoya in Noboribetsu Onsen. The Japanese cuisine here is consistently good. Tomorrow, I will drive to Iwanai, hoping for clear weather. I would be happy to visit again in the fall.

I stayed at this ryokan, which is said to be one of the leading traditional inns in Hokkaido. The kaiseki dinner I had at this historic inn, which celebrated its 100th anniversary three years ago, was excellent in terms of quality, presentation, taste, portion size, as well as the atmosphere of the private rooms and garden. In particular, the flounder and olive flounder were fresh and flavorful, with just the right amount of fat and a nice texture (olive flounder is a premium white fish called Matsukawa Karei, a brand name from Hokkaido). The potato cake, a dish that has been passed down since the establishment of the inn, had a perfect balance of sweetness and chewiness, and was surprisingly refreshing and delicious. I enjoyed a satisfying dinner in a leisurely atmosphere and realized that the high repeat rate of this inn is not only due to the dinner but also the milky hot spring. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

This was my third stay, and this time I had a private room with meals. The menu was classic but delicious - the sweet and fluffy rolled omelette, crispy nori seaweed simmered in soy sauce, generous portion of cod roe, pickles with a slightly salty-sweet taste, old-style super spicy pickled plum, and a flavorful miso soup. I particularly enjoyed these dishes. Breakfast was simple but satisfying. If the food at Takinoya becomes even more delicious, it would be a perfect place to stay.

On my third stay, this time I dined in a private room with a meal included. The menu included dishes like sea urchin tofu, firefly squid, bracken, snap peas, wasabi, amber sauce, asparagus with egg yolk vinegar dressing, belt fish sushi, heavenly beans, sweet and sour pickled red turnip, sweet shrimp tempura with thousand grass, duck ham with wasabi, sea cloud from Soya, clam simmered in Arima style, whitefish from Akkeshi with bamboo shoots, young kelp, shiitake mushrooms, land cress, yuzu, sea urchin from Muroran, flatfish from Noboribetsu, tuna from Nagasaki, roasted Tokachi beef with spring turnip from Date or grilled king crab with Date vegetable sticks, special potato cake with emerald sauce, sake kasuzuke made with Tokachi salmon, bakkemiso, and fava beans, potato butter (both the potato and butter were of high quality), simmered octopus from Noboribetsu with tsubu, cucumber, Kiyomi orange, cauliflower, and red shiso vinegar, rice, miso soup, pickles, and dessert. The cuisine was quite adventurous for the Hokkaido countryside, with some unexpected dishes like steak and sweets that added an interesting touch. While it may not be traditional Kyoto kaiseki, Hokkaido's lack of strict rules and customs is a refreshing aspect. It's true that there are longstanding customs and traditions in mainland Japan that can feel restrictive in comparison.

Parents' present hot spring trip♡ On a slightly special day, before the self-restraint period, to take my parents, in this day and age, especially for peace of mind, safety, and avoiding crowds, I have visited various hot spring inns, but after considering the overall layout of the inn, I decided to use this one. I arrived early. Even at the parking lot, they knew my reservation name without asking and said, "You must be Mr./Ms. ○○, right?" It feels good. The welcome sweets at this inn were yokan and matcha. As a measure against infectious diseases, the bar was not available, but instead, there was a self-service drink (whiskey, wine cocktails, oolong tea) in the lounge. Noboribetsu has the best hot springs♡ There are underground open-air baths, a large communal bath, and a sky open-air bath on the 5th floor. To simplify the hot spring components, the underground ones are sulfur and radium springs, and the 5th floor is iron and sodium springs. There were no other guests in the hot springs, lounge, entrance, or corridors, so it felt safe to take a bath. The view of the Japanese garden from the room is very nice. For dinner, you can choose between the main dish of king crab or beef. Considering the grade and price of this inn, you really want both, haha. Also, I wish the ingredients were a bit more luxurious... Each dish is carefully prepared, with well-thought-out flavors and seasonings. Traditional sweet potato dishes are delicious♡ Breakfast also has a wide variety of dishes that fill the table, and yudofu is still available. To prevent infectious diseases, the explanations of the morning and evening dishes are kept simple. I wish they would put more effort into the ingredients, but overall, I was able to relax and forget about COVID for a while. My parents were very happy too, so I'm glad I chose this inn.

I made a detour on my way back to Sapporo after a year and stayed overnight. It was my first time staying in a room with a hot spring and dining included. The room was still nice as always, comfortable and with good bedding. I have a small complaint about the amenities though. POLA brand? Is that really necessary nowadays? But the hot spring was truly amazing and felt great. Now, onto the food. It seems like the head chef has changed since last year, as the quality seems different. I wish they would improve the quality of the ingredients a bit more. Even breakfast, I always feel like the miso soup lacks flavor.

I visited Takinoya in Noboribetsu Onsen! It's mid-May but the cherry blossoms are in full bloom - it's amazing! The entrance of Takinoya has the smell of sulfur from the hot springs - it really feels like a hot spring! The ryokan itself is very beautiful. The food is like typical countryside ryokan cuisine - haha. Thank you for the meal!

Second stay at a luxurious hotel that welcomes children, which is much appreciated. The appetizers included simmered eggplant with rice, white miso with Manjū chili peppers, striped prawn and scallop tempura, pumpkin cream, and edamame. The soup featured Japanese parsley, winter melon, dried yuba, fu, and yuzu. The sashimi course included amberjack, flatfish from Muroran, and botan shrimp. The main dish options were simmered Tokachi beef in corn broth with mushroom sauce, grilled taraba crab with vegetable sticks and miso paste, and Pacific saury sushi with myoga. The grilled dish featured amberjack and sweet corn. The side dish included cucumber vinegar, figs, persimmons, and mixed white miso. The simmered dish consisted of traditional yam rice cakes with jade green bean paste. The meal was accompanied by mushroom rice, nameko miso soup, and pickles. The dessert included fruits, shiso juice, coffee ice cream, and pumpkin espuma. The sashimi of amberjack and prawn, grilled amberjack, Pacific saury sushi, side dish, and dessert were highlights. The subtle dashi in the soup and simmered dish were also enjoyable. The sake served was a daiginjo called Popura Namiki from Chitose Tsuru, which is a joint development with Hokkaido University. The glass flasks used for pouring the sake made a pleasant sound. Note to self: "Next time, try the 300ml bottle of Mizusho."

The second round of hot tofu, grilled salmon with watercress and nori tsukudani, rolled omelette with dashi, dried daikon radish, tarako (cod roe), spinach with sesame oil dressing, pickles, straw natto salad, rice, miso soup, fruits, and dessert. The nori tsukudani and rolled omelette were excellent. The composition is orthodox and they use better ingredients than a budget inn. This inn is excellent because of the hot springs and the building.

The inn in Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido is called Takkino-ya. It is also a designated inn for the sightseeing train TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima. The food at this luxurious inn exceeded my expectations. Location & Atmosphere: Located in the center of Noboribetsu Onsen, you cross a bridge over a stream to reach the entrance. Dinner is served in a private room on the first floor with a view of the courtyard from the window. The private setting allowed for a leisurely meal and conversation. Food & Taste: The meal included sesame tofu with miso sauce, marutake mushroom soup, abalone from Hakodate, flatfish from Muroran, button shrimp from Rausu, roast beef from Tokachi beef, grilled salmon with wood sorrel, tofu and yam salad, fried eggplant, soybean rice, and dessert. Everything was truly delicious. I was very satisfied! The breakfast served in the same private room was also luxurious. This is an inn that makes me want to come back to stay again.

I think it is one of the top three hot spring inns in Hokkaido. I come here twice a year, the quality of the hot spring is the best! Next time, maybe in autumn! ( ^ω^ )

The ryokan was top-notch in terms of luxury, dining, and atmosphere.

I stayed overnight with 9 repeats, 2 meals, for 33,000 yen per person. It was delicious! The place was empty, the hot springs were great, and it was very comfortable!