Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel

In July, when the weather was beginning to get quite hot in Tokyo, we decided to escape the heat and crowds by spending a few days in Aomori. We wanted a nice hotel, off the beaten path, while being a place which wasn’t too hard to get to. ||After looking at what was available in Aomori, we decided to try the Oirase Keiryu hotel, which is located about 7 miles from Towada lake. This area is famous for its forests and natural scenery, its numerous streams, waterfalls, and wildlife. ||Access to Amori is easy, we took the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Hachinohe, which takes under 3 hours. From Hachinohe we rented a car from the Times Rental Car which is almost in front of the station. It takes about 90 minutes to get from Hachinohe to the hotel, though the hotel does offer shuttle bus service to the station. We chose to rent a car because there are many things within driving distance to see. ||The Oriase Keiryu hotel lies in a small valley alongside a river which runs from Towada lake. The drive from the train station to the hotel takes you through farm land and small towns. As there are few shops or stores near the hotel, it is a good idea to stock up on sundries at a convenience store or at the station before you get on the shuttle bus. ||Our rental car (a Mazda) had a navigation system which could be set to English, but I found my iPhone maps app offered a faster route. However, the route chosen by my phone took me alongside small farm roads, and a couple bridges which were too narrow for two-way traffic. But as there was almost no traffic along the route, this wasn’t an issue. ||After reaching the hotel, we found free parking near the entrance, and were quickly checked in. One great thing about Japanese hotels is that the service is always first rate, and tipping is not permitted. Our bags were promptly picked up at our car, and taken to our room. ||The Oriase Keiryu hotel is a combination of buildings with an older wing and a newer wing. The new wing (where we stayed) was a considerable distance from the lobby, but in Japan people are used to walking everywhere, so this was no real issue. The new part of the building is wonderfully decorated, with a couple of beautiful lobbies which offer coffee, tea, books and comfortable places to sit, indoors or outdoors. ||A good thing about this hotel is the wide variety of rooms, which can be had from less than $100 per night to $1500 per night. One thing I noticed as we were heading to our room was a rather strong smell. To some it might smell like an old building or something else, but I recognized it as the smell of onsen (hot spring) water. The hotel has an onsen baths for men and women, these are located in the newer wing of the hotel. ||As it happened, my wife had booked the best room in the hotel, which was a 2 bedroom suite. This was literally the most beautiful hotel room we have ever seen, and we have stayed at some wonderful hotels. ||The room featured two separate bedrooms with two beds in each, a large kitchen (with a tiny stove), a large living/dining room with a beautiful sofa and a large dining table capable of seating 6 people. Also included with the room was a very large balcony overlooking the river, the balcony had a large hot spring bath which could easily be used by 6 people. ||Our room included a minibar which was stocked with the usual drinks, as well as locally brewed beer, and, of course apple juice, as Aomori is famous for apples. ||The hotel features a couple of nice restaurants, and has a buffet breakfast and dinner. The food was better than average compared to what you typically find in Japanese onsen resort hotels. With the pandemic over, the hotel was crowded with Japanese and some Taiwanese tourists, though the dining room was run so efficiently that there were minimal waits, and the kitchen never ran out of any dishes. ||We ordered room service meals for dinner and breakfast on two occasions, and these were set up on the dining table in our room. These meals were excellent, and the staff returned promptly to clean the table and take away the dishes. ||We wanted to see the river and the lake during our stay, so we booked a 4 hour tour at the front desk, and a driver/tour guide took us to see the river, and then to the lake. He stopped at the most interesting viewpoints, and we were all impressed with the amazing scenery. You will never see so many varieties of green, or so many waterfalls within such a small area. It was simply fantastic. ||Eventually we ended up at Towada Lake, which is formed in the basin of a collapsed volcano. The lake is quite large, and takes some time to drive around. There were almost no tourists in the area, in truth, much of the area around the lake was much like a collection of small ghost towns. ||Back in the 80’s and 90’s, the lake was a hot spot for Japanese tourists, but after the collapse of the “bubble economy” of the early 90’s, and later the “great recession,” most of the tourists stopped coming. This is a great shame, because the area is so amazingly beautiful. ||However, there are a few places which are still open, and one can book a sightseeing trip of the lake on a Zodiac boat. As there are more foreign tourists coming to Japan, hopefully some of them will find their way up to Towada lake. ||Near the lake we found some small parks, a campground, and a couple downsized tourist shops. Later during our stay we took an open-top bus tour which brought us to these places, where we were sure to buy ice cream, drinks, and some souvenirs to bring home. ||Another thing I did was to rent a e-bike at the hotel lobby, which I rode all the way to the lake, which is 12km away, and then back. The power assist feature made getting over the hills easy. Cycling is popular in the area, and I saw numerous other cyclists on the road. Cycling is safer in Japan than in other places as drivers make way for bicycles. This is because in an accident with a bicycle, a car driver is automatically considered at fault, and any accident involving an injury is considered a crime. ||Hiking is another thing which you can enjoy, there is a trail which follows the river all the way to the lake, and this was very popular with guests at the hotel. There is a visitors center about halfway where one can use the restroom, or buy drinks and snacks. ||One of the less-good things about the Oirase Keiryu hotel is the lack of nearby shops or stores. There are a couple of places which sell drinks and snacks, but the variety of things isn’t great. There is a pizza restaurant nearby which seems to be popular with the few locals, but the pizza wasn’t very good, though I couldn’t complain about the beer. ||If you are coming to Japan and want to see a really beautiful place which isn’t drowned with crowds, and, if you are coming in summer, and want a place which isn’t hot and humid, I recommend the Oirase Keiryu hotel. It’s a place you’ll love, and will never forget. ||||