Takasuso

I stayed here because I wanted to enjoy seasonal Echizen crab at a reasonable price. When I made the reservation, I entered my budget and the conditions that I wanted a place with a hot spring that flows directly from the source, and this was the place I found. There are many hot spring inns in this area, near Awara Onsen, but most of them use recycled water and are quite limited when it comes to hot springs that flow directly from the source. The building is a two-story building facing the port. The exterior is made of slightly old concrete. Some of the interiors have been renovated, while others have not. As the name "national guesthouse" suggests, there is no luxury or extravagance at all. The rooms are clean, and the windows offer a panoramic view of the port and the sea. The bathroom is on the first basement floor. The dressing room is a bit small, but the bathroom is about 20 tatami mats in size. There are two bathtubs, one with hot water and one with normal temperature water. The alkaline simple hot spring water is colorless and transparent, but when I smelled it, it had a faint mineral-like smell. The open-air bath, which seems to have been added later, has an interesting structure where you climb up the stairs from the normal bathtub, open the door, and then go down again. The covered open-air bath faces the sea, but all the sliding doors were closed because of the strong winds. I think they designed it this way because of the windy location. The open-air bath is a small tub that can fit three people and is lukewarm water, but there is a valve that can increase the amount of hot spring water supplied from the source. This seems to allow for some temperature adjustment. I think it is rare for a free-flowing hot spring to be able to adjust the temperature at will by the amount of water supplied rather than adding water. The quality of the hot spring is not particularly unique, but the water and its usage were enough to satisfy even hot spring enthusiasts. After the bath, we had a dinner of crabs. The dining area seems to be before the renovation, and is well cleaned, but the interior is a bit old-fashioned. A Showa-era CD radio cassette player was placed by the window, playing background music. When we sat down, a fresh Echizen crab with a tag, which seems to have been boiled just before, was served as the main dish. You have to take off your loincloth, remove the shell, and cut it with scissors. Unlike high-end inns, it's not cut in advance, so it takes quite a bit of effort before you can eat it. There was a manual on how to peel it, but it's difficult to follow it exactly. But if you're a real crab lover, this might be a better option. There were also other dishes, such as crab rice, tempura, and local fish sashimi, which were well seasoned and very satisfying. You can increase the amount of Echizen crab by booking in advance, but of course it will cost a fair amount. This time, I chose the 500g tagged Echizen crab plan, which was enough for me. The service was generally friendly. It felt like you were being served by friendly local men and women. It's not suitable for those who expect the most convenient service, but I was glad that I didn't have to worry about anything. Frankly speaking, this inn is divided into two groups: those who like it and those who don't. However, if you are particular about hot springs and want to enjoy crab at a reasonable price, I think this is definitely an option to consider.