This blog is continued from Day 3 blog.
After eating breakfast at the Yaizu hotel, we drove with the relatives to embark on a two day trip to Izu Prefecture. We first made a stop at a traditional hand-craft arts center called Sumpu Takumi Shuku. It is a great area for people interested in crafts. There are gift shops, restaurants, handmade ice cream shops, theaters, and museums. Also, there are workshops where you can make crafts tie dye, woodwork, laser sand blast art, ceramics, etc.
Next we drove to Fujikawa rakuza in Fujikawa, which had the perfect view of Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan.
This is a service center filled with many shops and eateries. I opted for the traditional food, as Shizuoka is known for its sakura ebi (small shrimp).
I was surprised to see that there was a Starbucks on the other side.
After driving into Yaizu prefecture we stopped at Gyokushoen Arai, a traditional Japanese style inn with hotsprings. I was humbled by the remarkable service provided by the staff. She would serve us tea, let us know when the hotsprings were available and when dinner was served. They had two separate hotsprings for men and women, each with a indoor and outdoor bath area. At night, the areas for men and women would switch. That way everyone would be able to enjoy both types.
Meals came with the accommodations. The food was once again remarkable with fresh seafood and a traditional Japanese feast.
Stay tuned for Day 5
