Manyo Onsen

We had a great weekend at Manyo Onsen. We had planned to go to a rustic outdoor onsen, but with typhoon warnings threatening to close the roads, we decided to stay closer to home. This onsen was an hour away. The onsen or hot springs experience was a great insight into Japanese culture. After check in, you leave your clothes and shoes at the door and put on your yukata. A yukata is a light cotton summer kimono, used especially at onsen. Rhett's lacking in yukata because they don't allow kids in diapers into the public hot springs.




Here's the family we went to the onsen with. Meet the Yasudas. Taro, wife Miyuki and son Kotaro...oh and gai-jin daughter Mia-chan.




The first place we went to was the buffet restaurant. The food was good and there was plenty of room to relax. We sat on pillows around low tables on tatami mats.




We then went to the children's play area, complete with moving equipment, ball crawl, video games, bouncy toys, you name it !

The typhoon bypassed us and they opened up the top deck with a view of the amusement park in Yokohama and with a foot bath for guests. Here's Rhett making a break for it.

Here's Miyuki and Ko-chan bathing their feet with brother Rhett.

We rented a family onsen for an hour so Rhett could hop in the tub for awhile. Here's Family McGrath in all their bathing-beauty-glory.

Here's Proud Papa-san and Mia-chan in our "Japanese Room". The room had tatami mats and futons on the floor. During the day time we put our futons in the closet and brought out a small table and pillows to sit on. Talk about efficiency of space.

Mia & I on the futon.

The hot water, great food & company were totally relaxing. Aaron & I agreed that we loved running around in bathrobes all the time. When we checked out Mia said, "but I don't want to give my yukata back, can't I keep it and wear it home?"

http://www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/