Wakamatsuchō

It was snowing quite heavily when I arrived but it just made me happier.
The onsen in this hotel is one of the best ive come across, I risked taking some photos as I really wanted to show what this one was like. There were 2 baths inside with one of them being very high in salts apparently which turned it orange. Also a cold plunge pool for the after sauna.
There was a dry 90° and steam 48° salt sauna. It had a large bowl of salt in the corner which it instructed to rub all over your body let it resolved in and then wash off when leaving.
Outside there was another large bath and then 2 smaller tubs, there was someone using them at the time so I couldn't take a photo out there but it was also snowing so after one of my baths I stood in the snow and got snowed on. It was one of the things I had been looking forward to doing on my list before I came here and it just made my day.
I put some laundry on and checked out the social area. They had free soup, wine, ice blocks, softdrinks and a library to read from. For the price this place has been amazing so far.
I just looked at the weather forecast and it will be 8 degrees colder tomorrow with a high of -5, and that's here in Hakodate, I'll be heading further north tomorrow.
My washing was running till 9 so I did a quick walk around the block and while I did the snow was really coming down, paths I had walked had lost my footprints.
I headed back out and found an izakaya for a snack, it had gotten too late and I wasn't really feeling dinner anymore.
Had a couple of beers with some locals, the lady next to me just kept talking about the yakitori so I had to try some and they were pretty good.
The owner gave me a new years day gift which was a patterned onsen towel which I think was really nice of him.
I got up and went down for breakfast and man did they have a selection. The sashimi side of it was absolutely amazing, maybe as it was a coastal town they had more access I'm not sure but it went down well.
I then packed up everything and ran for the train to Sapporo.
I easily could have stayed in this town a couple of days as I didn't really see anything of it but what I did see I really loved.Read more