About this Stay
I traveled to Ibusuki City in Kagoshima Prefecture and stayed for two nights at the ryokan “Hakusuikan.”
The meals offered a wide variety of dishes, and everything was delicious, allowing me to fully enjoy the dining experience.
Here, they focus on dishes made with fresh, seasonal local ingredients, and the menu changes every month. Ingredients from Kagoshima include Kuroge Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork, chicken, bonito, fish such as kibinago, satsuma-age (fried fish cakes), and various sweet potato dishes.
And as Kagoshima is known as the home of shochu, you can also order a “shochu tasting set” at dinner.
Table of Contents
Arrival at the Ryokan
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Pine Grove
This is the sign at the entrance to Hakusuikan.
You pass through a pine grove to enter the ryokan.
Rikyu Building
This is the Rikyu building that could be seen on the way from the entrance to the main building.
Main Entrance
This is the main entrance.
Garden
This is a garden near the main building within the property, along with a sign.
Front Lobby
This is the front lobby.
The wall above the front desk features a lattice design, and above that is a gold background adorned with red and white plum blossoms. In front of the desk, there are partitions made of bamboo.
The ceiling also has a bright and elegant design.
Kagoshima Shochu and Local Sake
This is another view of the front lobby.
As Kagoshima is known as the home of shochu, a wide selection of local shochu and sake is displayed here.
Shochu Kingdom Kagoshima
Rows of shochu bottles are neatly lined up.
Many well-known brands are displayed, including “Mori Izo,” “Isami,” “Samurai no Mon,” and “Murao.”
The “Genshu” is said to be an original sweet potato shochu produced by Hakusuikan.
View from the Room
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Mountains and Sea (1)
This is the view of the mountains and the sea from the room.
Mountains and Sea (2)
This is a magnificent view of Kagoshima Bay from the room.
In the distance across the sea, you can see the Osumi Peninsula.
Mountains and Sea (3)
This is a view of the mountains and the pine grove along the coast.
Dinner (Day 1)
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Dinner Menu (Day 1)
This is the dinner menu for the day.
Every dish served here was absolutely delicious.
Appetizers
These are the appetizers.
- Broad beans
- Simmered herring with Japanese pepper
- Walnut truffle matsukaze (a baked dish)
- Kabura sushi (salted turnip with salted yellowtail, fermented with rice malt)
- Swordfish rolled with rapeseed blossoms, and more
Sashimi
Sashimi was served.
- Sweet shrimp, bonito, sea bream, and sea urchin (I believe)
Simmered Dish
- Simmered Sakurajima daikon with chicken miso sauce
- Bamboo shoots (Tosa-style), young burdock root, and Brussels sprouts
Grilled Dishes
Grilled items
- Grilled winter yellowtail with miso-koji and citrus sauce
- Grilled snow crab with mayonnaise
- Deep-fried turnip cake with a light sauce
Shabu-shabu
Kuroge Wagyu beef for shabu-shabu.
Vinegared Dish
- Blanched fugu skin (teppe) with green onions and grated daikon with chili
Rice, Pickles, and Miso Soup
Rice, pickles, and miso soup were served.
The miso soup was “Satsuma-jiru,” a hearty soup containing chicken, sweet potatoes, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, and more.
Japanese Sake
I ordered Dassai sake.
Dassai
This is Dassai.
Fruit and Sweet Red Bean Soup
This is the dessert.
- Fruit (strawberries, kumquats)
- Shiruko (sweet red bean soup)
Dinner (Day 2)
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Dinner Menu (Day 2)
This is the dinner on the second day.
At Hakusuikan, guests can choose between Japanese and Western cuisine, but I requested Japanese cuisine again on the second day.
The Half-Moon Tray Arrives
A half-moon-shaped tray was brought out, and dinner was about to begin.
Appetizers
These are the appetizers.
- Two kinds of sushi: fatty tuna and tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet)
- Snap peas with miso sauce
Shochu Tasting Set
This is the shochu tasting set.
It includes “Kuroshiranami,” “Mori Izo,” and “Isami.”
Sashimi
This is the sashimi platter.
- Tuna, sea bream, squid, and sea urchin, I believe.
Grilled Dishes
These are the grilled dishes.
- Nanbu-style grilled salmon (marinated in ponzu soy sauce and seasonings before grilling)
- Turban shell grilled in its shell
Sea Bream and Crab Shabu-shabu
A plate of sea bream and crab legs for shabu-shabu was brought to the table.
Seared Beef
This is lightly seared Kuroge Wagyu beef. It is served with kabosu citrus juice.
Fruit, Rice, and Pickles
Dessert fruit, along with rice and pickles, was brought to the table.
Seasonal Fruit
These are the fruits served after the meal.
Strawberries, muskmelon, candied kumquats, agar jelly, and more.
Breakfast
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Breakfast on the Second Day
Breakfast was served buffet-style, and I enjoyed a variety of dishes.
- (Tray) Mentaiko, tomato and watercress salad, wakame and green onion soup, bread
- (Others) Simmered vegetables, scrambled eggs with spinach ohitashi, chilled tofu, satsuma-age, grilled salmon, stir-fried bacon and bean sprouts, shumai, potage soup, smoothie, chocolate cake, local baked sweets, and more
Breakfast on the Third Day
These are the dishes I selected from the breakfast buffet on the second morning.
- (Tray) Tomato and watercress salad, steamed Satsuma sweet potato, simmered carrots, satsuma-age, salted grilled salmon, shishamo smelt, Japanese omelet, grilled eggplant, spinach ohitashi with scrambled eggs, grated daikon radish, and small dried sardines
- (Others) Mentaiko, pickles, wakame soup, four kinds of bread, chocolate cake, manju sweets, and more
