#allows people with tattoos in the public bath area

LIVE

Day 23: Yōyōkaku

As you may or may not know, the onsen that the Yu-Topia was based on is just baths and a restaurant. They do not have rooms to sleep in. It is also decently far away from Karatsu Castle.

I don’t remember where exactly I read or heard it, but I remember something about the actual location for Yu-Topia was supposed to be just across the Maizurubashi Bridge.

And there’s only one ryokan that’s just across the bridge, and that’s Yōyōkaku.

And it is amaaaaaazing.

The building itself is beautiful.

The staff are absurdly friendly. My room is to die for.

They made me tea while I got settled in and they showed me where everything was. Then they asked me what time I would like dinner. I shrugged, they asked 6? So I said ok.

Promptly, at 6pm, there was a knock on my door, and I was escorted down to dinner.

The food even more so to die for.

This was my dinner. Each room (so however many people are staying in that room) get their own private room for dinner, and each course is brought out to you and the old plates are taken away. Tea is made. Food is delivered. Several warm towels are provided throughout the meal. It was heaven…

Other than what was already set out, each picture was a new course that they brought to me throughout my meal. Did I know what most of it was? Not at all. I know it was a fish course (they also have a shabu-shabu course I’m going to try next), but what of fish and seafood each serving was is a big, fat question mark. Dinner itself took about an hour and a half. Even the owner came in and asked how I was enjoying my food and my room.

And it’s hard to tell, but you can even see my room in the second to last picture above. It the second floor, back corner room.

Anyways.

Did I mention I love this place? Cuz I love this place.

AND!!

Best of all!

They allow people with tattoos in their public bath areas.

So after dinner, my fat and happy self marched upstairs to my room, and noticed the door was closed. And yup, while I was eating, they prepared my futon for me.

I changed into my robe…

…and marched right back downstairs to the baths. I had to make a pit-stop at the front desk though. Because I have tattoos, I’ve never actually been in a public bath area, and while I googled the proper ‘what to do’ and etiquette, I still wanted to know what the rules were here. Turns out there was nothing different than what the internet said.

After I felt like I had turned into a pile of goo because I was so relaxed, I headed back upstairs, unpacked slightly…