Shinkansen experience and Akita Hotel

On my way to Saporro I decided to make a detour to Akita on the north-west coast of Japan. With splitting the journey it ain´t such a long ride up to Hokkaido. In fact the Shinkansen Bullet trains are great super speed trains. What a way to travel. If you ever have the chance go for it. Smooth and fast, very clean and comfortable. It´s way better to use this railways instead of flying. You will be not stucked in airports terrorized. They are 99% reliable in schedule, can you imagine? Wonder if there´s another place on this earth were this is possible. Definitely not in Germany with the Deutsche Bahn!!! And it´s available at a fair price for foreigners, too. Buy your Japan Rail pass before you travel to Japan and on you go!

Riding on this trains is relaxation at it´s best. You can enjoy an Bento. That´s a box with variations of local food products, very tasty and reasonable. You may get it in the stations, on the platforms or in the train itself. Don´t you dare miss it!

Akita is just a small town with not much going on. But that was what I was looking for after the busy Tokyo area. Got myself a fantastic hotel, the Dormy Inn. What a place! For just 7.300 Yen you stay one night in a japanese style room, which actually turned out as a small appartement. Small entrance room, beside a seperated toilet. Then entering the bed- and livingroom. Great comfortable bed, man I slept so good there! The living room part is absolutely japanese, sitting on the floor, low table. You will get the right local feeling, even more when you wear the Pyjama which is offered for free, too. Between bed and living room is the massage chair, could easily become my favorite place. A clean little bathroom with shower and tub makes everything complete. And yes: the huge breakfast buffet is included in the room rate, even it´s quite tricky to eat eggs sunny side up with Chopsticks, well give it a try! The Ramen noodle soup which is served in the evening is free of charge, too.

And if you stay there don´t miss the top floor: there´s the Onsen, which means the hot tub. These Onsen are seperated in female (red flag) and male (black flag) sections. Best way to go there is wearing the pyjama and the slippers you have in your room. There are lockers in the first room to put in your belongings. For sure from now on you are bare naked. Please notice: You are not allowed to enter if you have a tatoo!!! In Japan tatoos are worn by gangs! You may cover yours if you have one with a plaster. So just take one towel and on you go. You first have to sit down in the next area and wash your face. After that you go to the Onsen room but don´t you jump into the tub, never ever! On the walls surrounding the Onsen there are little seperated showers and you just sit in them on a little chair and start to wash yourself from tip to toe. Of course there´s soap, shampoo and conditioner in each shower. After finished that kind of ritualprodedure, shower again to remove all soap from your body. Now is the time you can enter the tub. And everything you´re doing quiet and slow. The water comes from a natural hot spring and it´s really hot. So go for the heat buddy! Always fold your towel and leave it outside the tub or put it on your head folded. Here they have an outside tub also, so that keeps you a cool head ;-) It was damned cold on April 10th, I tell ya! The interior is kind of Zen style and above that all, there´s a sauna also. I did use the Onsen in the evening and the morning, either way, it´s a relaxing experience you should not miss.