what do japanese expats miss the most about home? sushi? oden? yes, but those things aren't impossible to find in most major cities. for me, it would definitely be the onsen.my sister nami was visiting from washington d.c., so my family decided to go up to the hot springs in hakone last weekend.
we were all quite impressed by the newly-renovated ryokan hatsuhana, known for its abundant (and therefore un-recycled) hot spring water and kaiseki dinners. one thing i noticed was its focus on women. in most ryokans, men's baths are often bigger and set in more picturesque settings than the women's, but at hatsuhana it was the opposite. there were about 4 outdoor and 2 indoor baths for women, while there was only one of each for guys. maybe they realized that women are usually the decision-makers when it comes to travel.
from the baths, we got a good view of the mountainside --a bright array of autumn colors during the day and an illuminated bamboo forest at night. aaaaah, i wish i could do this more often...
