Fuefukigawa Onsen Zabou

We had a fairy tale-like experience last month at Fuefukigawa Onsen Zabou (the full name of the ryokan.) The grounds and views are mesmerizing, the architecture is traditional and charming, the view from our room was Instagram-worthy and the Onsen hot springs baths - both in the room as well as the communal onsen - were glorious. It's located in Koshu in Yamanashi Prefecture, and near Kofu, which is its capital city. The area might not be on the short list of places for travelers to visit, but it's not too far from Tokyo - a 90-minute limited express train ride from Shinjuku gets you to Enzan Station, and from there it's a 10 minute drive to the ryokan. As a basis for comparison, the time investment to get there is not much different than going to Hakone or Izu. The ryokan was established about 25 years ago, but it was not until 2015 that Zabou was transformed into a luxury establishment. It changed ownership in 2022 - Maruki (aka "Marquis") Winery, a subsidiary of Group Raison, is the oldest currently-operating winery in Japan (established in 1891), and they've done a terrific job in turning Zabou into the pride of Koshu. The property grounds are not super expansive, but what's there is very well manicured. There's a view of a beautiful garden and small lake from the reception lounge area and is full of Koi fish as well as a male and female duck couple. While walking around the property, you'll be treated by views of mountains and hills all around, both lush and rugged at the same time. When deciding which room to book, we were particularly smitten by the photos of two rooms in their website - Kotogawa and Tsuzumigawa - both are Japanese-Western Suites with 73m² of space. It's not so much the room that was delightful - it definitely does the job - it was the spectacular view from the room that won us over. These two rooms are the only ones that offer the same gorgeous garden and lake view as the lobby area, but even better, as they're more centrally situated to the lake. The balcony has an amazing onsen in a hinoki bathtub, as well as two lounge chairs. The ryokan even had treats placed in a jar so that we could feed the fish and ducks from the deck. Everything - the pond, the well-groomed vegetation, the privacy, was simply captivating.... to the point where we were able to overlook a few flaws in the room itself. To begin with, Kotogawa (our room) had just one sink, and the toilet with washlet was not recent vintage (by Japan standards) - there was no button on the control panel that allowed the user to lift/lower the seat with the press of a button. First world problem, I know, but once you get used to Japanese hygiene standards, there's no going back. Secondly, the shower is out on the deck (next to the Onsen bath), which is fine (except, perhaps, when it's freezing cold outside), and the shower head holder is placed low on the balcony railing - I suppose there's no other place to put it. If it was affixed on the room wall (away from th

夫婦で温泉宿を楽しんでおります。以前より泊まってみたかった笛吹温泉別邸座忘さんですが中々休前日に空きか無く予約できませんでしたが、1室だけ空室がありましたのでお世話になりました。少し早めに到着いたしましたが玄関からスタッフさま3名に気持ち良くお出迎え頂きロビーでチェックインし、早速お部屋に案内頂きました。お部屋は本館離れの国師という和室半露天風呂付きのでした。ロビーから離れまでの趣きのある石階段と玄関先、お部屋も夫婦で過ごすには丁度よかったです。お部屋の立地なのか？少し湿気が気になりましたが清掃が行き届きアメニティーも充実しています。歯ブラシも痛くないものでいい感じです。お部屋の半露天風呂もシャワーブース付きでスノコの洗い場も清潔感があり私の好きなお風呂でした。夕食はお食事処で茶会席を美味しく頂きました。大浴場の露天風呂は開放感があり温めの温泉をゆっくり楽しみました。チェックアウト時には車止めまで自家用車を運んで頂き手を振ってお見送り頂きました。また空室を見つけ再訪させていただきたいお宿です。

茶料理と甲州ワインのペアリングがすごいです。部屋によっては源泉掛け流しの露天風呂が付いており、泉質も最高でした。また、宿泊者はまるき葡萄酒のワイナリーを見学でき、ワインも試飲できるので楽しめます。

離れに宿泊しました。朝、部屋の露天風呂に入りましたが紅葉と小鳥のさえずりがコロナ渦で弱った旅心を癒やしてくれました。食事は茶会席。最初に出された白米の香りには驚かされましたし、どれも上品なお味で大満足でした。朝食の手打ち蕎麦もとても美味しかったです。夜の夜景ツアーは感動でしたし、お庭も手入れが行き届いて素晴らしい。働いている方々は皆、親切で嬉しかったです。特にフロントの方は本当に親切で、泊まって良かったと思える宿でした。