Migiwatei Ochi Kochi — Local services in Fukuyama

While looking for a place to break up our Western Japan road trip and unwind for 2 nights in a small, luxury property, we settled on Migiwatei Ochi Kochi, a high-end ryokan in the port town of Tomonoura. Pouring through articles and reviews (mostly in Japanese), we felt that it would offer large, comfortable rooms with great views, easy access to (leisurely) sightseeing and great food. As we had hoped, Miguwatei Ochi Kochi perfectly fit the bill for us.||||The ryokan is a relatively small property with just 17 rooms, but comes with all of the amenities one would expect from a much larger luxury hotel. It was built in 2010, so it's still relatively fresh and new, with very little sign of wear and tear. While it lacks a tranquil garden that some luxury ryokans have (think Asaba in the Izu Peninsula), its calling card is the view from both its common area and all of its guestrooms - they all have unobstructed views of the Seto Inland Sea, as well as of the Bentenjima and Sensuijima Islands not far away. It's makes for a really relaxing vibe, which combines well with the modern Japanese architecture and decor, which suits this ryokan very nicely.||||We stayed in an "Upper Suite Room", the top room category at the ryokan, and features a bedroom and living room as well as a very nice open-air Onsen (hot springs) bath on the room terrace. It's sufficiently large enough to relax and not feel cramped, and - as a bonus - we had meals served in our own room (which is something that is slowly disappearing from even the top ryokans), which we love. The room was stylish without being cluttered, and its earthly tones gave us a warm, welcoming feeling.||||The property also has two private baths that can be rented - free of charge - by guests. It's obviously larger than the Onsen bath in the guest rooms, so it was a nice change of pace to try it out.||||Our first night's meal was otherworldly. This ranks among the top 10 meals we've had in a Japanese ryokan. Sure, they have the advantage of getting access to the bounty of seafood, vegetables and meats from the area, but the kitchen staff then take it and make it truly memorable. Yes, it's technically Kaiseki (like at most ryokans), but Migiwatei Ochi Kochi's dinners are exquisitely presented, uniquely prepared and flavored, and meticulously explained (in Japanese to us, mind you) by the servers. We loved the Conger Eel sashimi, which was a first for us. Conger Eel is a delicacy in Japan, but not so unique that it's not offered in many restaurants. But to be served Conger Eel Sashimi, along with the raw liver of the Conger Eel, was definitely a privilege... often in Japan, along with Sashimi comes the liver of the seafood (especially Eel, Abalone, Octopus, etc.), which means that it's FRESH. One seafood that I generally do not like is Mantis Shrimp, but here, it was pretty darned good, which is saying a lot - I've tried liking it before, but never had one that didn't gross me out. Here, it didn't. Even less exotic ingredients were prepared in a way that was greater than the sum of its parts. There was a small custard-style dish that contained two types of Tofu mixed with Usui (a type of Pea) and Sesame, which was spectacularly creamy, rich, tasty and not heavy at all. The Pepper-grilled "Taoshita Wagyu Filet" from Takehara (a nearby town) was tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. I can go on and on... it was truly a culinary feast. One thing to note, however - dinner on the second night was less spectacular and merely "very good." Were it not for the awesomeness of our first meal, we would've loved the second one. I'm not sure if the cooks ran out of ideas, or if the executive chef was out that day, but it was a bit less unique, less pretty to look at, and less stimulating on our palates.||||Overall, we loved Migiwatei Ochi Kochi. The staff were warm, knowledgeable and on-the-ball, the room was terrific, the Onsen baths were soothing to our skin, the food was phenomenal, and it's centrally situated in Tomonoura.||||Speaking of location... as an "old town," there are prettier, better preserved, more grand, and/or older and more historic ones in Japan (Takayama, Tsumago and Kyoto's Gion district immediately come to mind.) However, Tomonoura is not without its charms. There's a boat dock just an arm's length away from Migiwatei; boats will take you to Sensuijima Island, which offers some nice, short hikes as well as great views of Tomonoura and the Seto Inland Sea from its hilltop. The port area itself is pretty, there are a few nice temples and shrines (most within walking distance) that also offer amazing scenery, and it's generally a really nice place to spend a day or two just taking it slow and exploring some of the cafes, restaurants and gift shops in the area. There are no UNESCO-inscribed sites and it's less Instagrammable than some of the more blingy locations, but we enjoyed...

While looking for a place to break up our Western Japan road trip and unwind for 2 nights in a small, luxury property, we settled on Migiwatei Ochi Kochi, a high-end ryokan in the port town of Tomonoura. Pouring through articles and reviews (mostly in Japanese), we felt that it would offer large, comfortable rooms with great views, easy access to (leisurely) sightseeing and great food. As we had hoped, Miguwatei Ochi Kochi perfectly fit the bill for us.||||The ryokan is a relatively small property with just 17 rooms, but comes with all of the amenities one would expect from a much larger luxury hotel. It was built in 2010, so it's still relatively fresh and new, with very little sign of wear and tear. While it lacks a tranquil garden that some luxury ryokans have (think Asaba in the Izu Peninsula), its calling card is the view from both its common area and all of its guestrooms - they all have unobstructed views of the Seto Inland Sea, as well as of the Bentenjima and Sensuijima Islands not far away. It's makes for a really relaxing vibe, which combines well with the modern Japanese architecture and decor, which suits this ryokan very nicely.||||We stayed in an "Upper Suite Room", the top room category at the ryokan, and features a bedroom and living room as well as a very nice open-air Onsen (hot springs) bath on the room terrace. It's sufficiently large enough to relax and not feel cramped, and - as a bonus - we had meals served in our own room (which is something that is slowly disappearing from even the top ryokans), which we love. The room was stylish without being cluttered, and its earthly tones gave us a warm, welcoming feeling.||||The property also has two private baths that can be rented - free of charge - by guests. It's obviously larger than the Onsen bath in the guest rooms, so it was a nice change of pace to try it out.||||Our first night's meal was otherworldly. This ranks among the top 10 meals we've had in a Japanese ryokan. Sure, they have the advantage of getting access to the bounty of seafood, vegetables and meats from the area, but the kitchen staff then take it and make it truly memorable. Yes, it's technically Kaiseki (like at most ryokans), but Migiwatei Ochi Kochi's dinners are exquisitely presented, uniquely prepared and flavored, and meticulously explained (in Japanese to us, mind you) by the servers. We loved the Conger Eel sashimi, which was a first for us. Conger Eel is a delicacy in Japan, but not so unique that it's not offered in many restaurants. But to be served Conger Eel Sashimi, along with the raw liver of the Conger Eel, was definitely a privilege... often in Japan, along with Sashimi comes the liver of the seafood (especially Eel, Abalone, Octopus, etc.), which means that it's FRESH. One seafood that I generally do not like is Mantis Shrimp, but here, it was pretty darned good, which is saying a lot - I've tried liking it before, but never had one that didn't gross me out. Here, it didn't. Even less exotic ingredients were prepared in a way that was greater than the sum of its parts. There was a small custard-style dish that contained two types of Tofu mixed with Usui (a type of Pea) and Sesame, which was spectacularly creamy, rich, tasty and not heavy at all. The Pepper-grilled "Taoshita Wagyu Filet" from Takehara (a nearby town) was tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. I can go on and on... it was truly a culinary feast. One thing to note, however - dinner on the second night was less spectacular and merely "very good." Were it not for the awesomeness of our first meal, we would've loved the second one. I'm not sure if the cooks ran out of ideas, or if the executive chef was out that day, but it was a bit less unique, less pretty to look at, and less stimulating on our palates.||||Overall, we loved Migiwatei Ochi Kochi. The staff were warm, knowledgeable and on-the-ball, the room was terrific, the Onsen baths were soothing to our skin, the food was phenomenal, and it's centrally situated in Tomonoura.||||Speaking of location... as an "old town," there are prettier, better preserved, more grand, and/or older and more historic ones in Japan (Takayama, Tsumago and Kyoto's Gion district immediately come to mind.) However, Tomonoura is not without its charms. There's a boat dock just an arm's length away from Migiwatei; boats will take you to Sensuijima Island, which offers some nice, short hikes as well as great views of Tomonoura and the Seto Inland Sea from its hilltop. The port area itself is pretty, there are a few nice temples and shrines (most within walking distance) that also offer amazing scenery, and it's generally a really nice place to spend a day or two just taking it slow and exploring some of the cafes, restaurants and gift shops in the area. There are no UNESCO-inscribed sites and it's less Instagrammable than some of the more blingy locations, but we enjoyed...

The hotel is located in the centre of Tomonoura, a small fishing village in the Hiroshima prefecture not to far from Fukuyama. ||||At first, and from the outside, the hotel appears to be quite ordinary, but never have we been this much mislead by a facade. When inside, the delicate appearance from the entrance to the reception area gives a promise that something special is about to happen. We were astonished by the friendliness of the staff meeting us, but the view from the reception area through a large window was what really took our breath away. ||||While the staff completed the check-in, we were placed in two delicate and high rise chairs with a glass a refreshments (sparkling wine) with this amazing view. Fabulous treatment and just a pointer to how the rest of our stay would be. ||||The rooms are spacious with ordinary and western beds, while the floor in the room is typical Japanese (rice mats). Shoes inside the room is tabu and these were therefore always left in the small hallway. ||||The rooms all have a view towards a small island with a very nice temple. They are delicately decorated, and includes all you need for your stay. The hotell offers yukata and haori, including traditional socks and slippers for all guest that is to be used while inside the hotel. In addition they offer pyjamas and a morning robe that are to be used in your room only.||||The bath is delicate and very functional, with a small hot tub located just outside on the terrace, also with a view to the already mentioned temple that is lit after dark. We used this quite a lot and truly enjoyed having this feature readily available 24/7. ||||The foods is spectacular and consist of local food. It is presented and served at a gourmet standard, both the breakfast as well as the dinner (the latter being specially nice). That said, if you are not custom to a variety of Japanese food (seafood in particular), some of the dishes might be slightly awkward and/or difficult to eat. The service is, however, outstanding, and the staff try their outmost to please every guest and whatever desire you may have. The hotel offers a large selection of sake, and the kitchen also changes/adjusts dishes to fit various allergies guests may have. ||||At breakfast guests typically dress in yukata unless they are to depart shortly after breakfast, while the attire for dinner is normally yukata with the hoari west, all provided by the hotel. ||||In addition to the above mentioned, the hotel also offers an onsen spa department (two separate rooms) that guests can use for 45 minutes every day. This is a treatment many couples use, and we found it quite relaxing. The staff will ask you what is your preferred time, and schedule your preferred time according to availability. ||||This hotel is not cheap, but given the treatment you get, the fantastic food, the outstanding service, which all are presented with a spectacular view, it is well worth the money. ||||If you are looking for something special in japan, and at one village that is not yet over-populated by tourists, this is the place to go. This hotel is highly...