My Stay at Sui Suwako in Suwa City, Nagano

Near the end of 2016, I went on a sightseeing trip with my friends to Lake Suwa in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture.

We spent two nights and three days there, and on the first day, we stayed at a lakeside Ryokan (旅館) hotel named Sui Suwako.

Lake Suwa or Suwako (諏訪湖) is a popular tourist destination of Suwa City situated in the central region of Nagano.

Do you remember that the 1998 Winter Olympics took place in Nagano?

Speaking of the lake, Suwako Fireworks Festival, annually held in August, is nationally famous, in which about 40,000 fireworks go into the sky.

Now, let’s move on to the main topic.

Sui Suwako (翠 諏訪湖) near Lake Suwa 

On the first night of our trip, we stayed at a Japanese-style hotel near Lake Suwa named Sui Suwako (翠 諏訪湖) (Google Maps).

And this time, I will share my experiences there using the photos I took during my stay.

1. After arriving at the hotel, we quickly checked in.

2. During check-in time, a hotel staffer served each a small Wagashi (和菓子) sweet with a hot cup of green tea.

3. After that, she led us to the room where we stayed.

4. At dinner, we enjoyed Sukiyaki (すき焼き), a traditional Japanese beef hot pot whose main ingredient was Shinshu Beef cut into thin slices.

5. The cooked rice in the pot came with oysters seasoned with soy sauce and dashi stock.

6. Using the leftovers of the dish, the Ryokan made us these Onigiri rice balls.

7. After dinner, we took the rooftop Onsen hot spring bath overlooking the city of Suwa.

8. Our room had an open-air bath, from which we enjoyed the beautiful night scenery of Suwako again.

As these photos show, we had a fun time in the Ryokan Sui Suwako, experiencing many things.

To be continued to the next.