Kokumin Shukusha Enasansou

A national lodging facility on the shore of a mountain lake. I decided on this one based on the good reviews. It seemed busy at reception, but the rest of the time seemed to be for the outdoor facilities. Of the two female front desk staff, the one without glasses was very friendly. The silica bath was overflowing with flavor and very comfortable. The next day, a completely different male staff member was there. Breakfast was modest. Reviews from a few years ago seem to have been a little more satisfying. But the rice and green tea in the teapot were delicious, and I was satisfied with the bare necessities. Today's check-out wasn't in person, and there was a box for returning the key. However, the young male staff member from earlier happened to be passing by, and he showed me on a map the safe route down the mountain by car for sightseeing the next day, which was very helpful. I recommend arriving while it's still light out.

I followed the navigation system's instructions from Magome to Ena Sanso. It was fine until I got to Chukyo Gakuin University, but after that, the mountain road became winding and dark, making for a worrying journey. Finally, I came to a section of the mountain road that was overgrown with trees and only wide enough for one car to pass, where a roadblock was posted. The road might have collapsed. I had no choice but to call Ena Sanso, and they said they would come down the other way to pick me up. I was worried they were taking so long to come, but they finally did. "Are those snow tires?" I asked, and I thought, "What?!" It took more than 20 minutes, with the lodge's car leading the way, but I finally arrived at Ena Sanso. The road was narrow and covered in snow, so I had to drive slowly around the curves for safety. The altitude is 900 meters. I was grateful that they took the time to pick me up and treated me so well, even though I was the only guest.