Biwako Hanakaido Ryokan : Relax next to Biwa Lake

Biwako Hanakaido Ryokan - びわ湖花街道

So right now in Japan it is Valentines day, I had considered writing a blog about Valentines culture over here where women give chocolates to men, both romantic partners and other co-workers etc., which is then reciprocated on White day by men to women in March. But considering I saw about ten articles doing exactly that on my facebook alone I'll do something a little different!

Since work for both me and my partner has kind of sucked lately we decided to do something a little special and have a weekend away in Shiga staying at a Ryokan near the lake. A ryokan is quite different than a standard hotel, they are traditional inn which vary in size, from small family run places to larger establishments like the one we went to. They often built upon natural hot springs and are renowned for their high quality of customer service, tatami rooms and beautiful selections of food.

The one we chose was called Biwako Hanakaido and is situated alongside Biwa Lake in Shiga, it takes just under 2 hours to drive there from Osaka.

A warm welcome:

Despite it raining outside we were greeted by staff outside who offered to carry our bags and showed us inside to a very cozy reception area which was set alongside a cafe. There was really warm yellow ambient lighting and lots of beautiful detailed screens. My partner commented that it had a very 'retro' feel. We were served some delicious warming Yuzu tea while we filled out some basic paperwork. I noticed that many of the signs also had English and overheard some staff speaking fantastic English to other guests so I imagine it would be easy to enjoy for those who don't speak Japanese too.

The staff offered us a choice of Yukata colours before guiding us to our ruins, explaining the various facilities en route. This particular ryokan has 2 public hot springs, 1 private rental hot spring, a mahjong room, several restaurants, a cafe, business area and even a set of karaoke room. Some of these cost extra however.

Traditional, yet simple rooms:

The rooms were fairly standard as far as Ryokan's go. Large tatami based rooms with a low seated tables and chairs. Tatami's are INCREDIBLY comfy to just sprawl out on despite their initial appearance. The usual amenities were available such as a TV, coffee, tea etc.

Compared to other inns that I have been too there wasn't really anything that stood out or seemed special though. It was comfy for sure, but beyond that it could have been located at any inn, nothing unique about it. 

There was a really nice view of Biwa lake despite the gloomy day although access to the balcony was limited to some side doors situated behind our screen doors. It would have been better if the window was part of a large sliding door, there wasn't really any incentive to go outside since the balcony was small and we could enjoy the view from inside the comfort of our room. 

A wooden bath was located through the washing and shower room in a separate section, other inns have had their baths as part of the balcony whereas this was more closed off. It was suprisingly comfortable at night and offered great views of the lake and building lights at night. These room baths use a standard water supply and not the hot spring water.

One big perk of staying at Ryokan is that you get to wear some high quality and ultra comfortable yukata! Make sure to wrap yourself with the right side first, followed by the left on top. If you do the opposite, you are wrapping yourself the same as they wrap the dead! To my surprise they actually had big sizes suitable for foreigners, I am 186cm so usually most yukata come up embarrassingly short on my legs but their LL size was perfect.

Recharge with the onsite hot spring facilities:

As part of your overnight fee you get free access to the public hot springs. They are divided into two sections, one for men and one for women that alternate on each day. So you can go to one side after you check in, then before or after breakfast you can experience the other side before you check out.

Each side contains one bigger hot spring alongside the washing area, one outside hot spring and one sauna.

I went to this hot spring on our second day after we woke up. It took me just three minutes from waking up, to entering the bathing area. Getting to experience a hot spring after waking up is AMAZING, it totally revitalises you and gears you up for the day. This one picture above was pretty big and since it was early I had the luxury of having it to myself. Not too hot compared to some others I have been to.

To experience this onsen you go through a door leading to the outside area, you briefly exit the overhead cover before plunging into the warm pool. There is something liberating about feeling the cool rain as you stride across naked at 9am! I love the feel of this pool, I think the pouring rain added to the relaxing experience, it was surrounded by bamboo trees too.

I went to this hot spring on the first night and it was MUCH steamier than the picture shows here. It was also really busy in the evening. This was much hotter than the one above, my body was pouring sweat long after I had left the pool!

I unfortunately couldn't experience this outdoor pool as it was also commandeered by groups of older guys who were visiting together, it only fits about six people and I didn't fancy squeezing in any closer than I needed to be.

Of course you are required to be naked when visiting these, if you have a problem with that then my only advice is: deal with it. You are missing out if you don't.
The hot spring and changing areas also give you a chance to experience a variety of cleaning products that can be bought from the souvenir store.

Well balanced yet filling food:

When you make your initial booking you get to choose from a set food course ranging from a variety of prices. We went for the beef option. Ryokan meals always come with a large number of courses containing sets of small but carefully selected dishes that compliment each other. Unlike regular hotels however there is no 'western version', these are very much traditionally Japanese, with the tastes to match. So if you are a picky eater or not keen on seafood or local vegetables you might find yourself feeling hungry after!

This inn's course was again pretty standard fare, very filling and satisfying but it didn't blow our minds.

Pea based tofu, mackerel sushi, a selection of vegetables and breaded shrimp served with plum wine.

Fresh sashimi, served with two different dips.

Crab claw, vegetables and cod that had been cooked using the 'shio koji' method - soaking the fish in the remnant rice malt that is used to make alcoholic sake. It gave the fish a real distinct taste, would recommend!

Perhaps the most fun dish of the night was a selection of vegetables and beef that we grilled ourselves on a heated crystal plate. Very fancy and delicious!

Lotus root, scallops, mackerel served with a lime jelly and vegetables.

Duck dumpling, with burdock root, carrot and an amazing sauce.

Somewhat plain finish to the course with some special type of bean rice, miso soup with ricecake and some delicious pickles.

Fruit and jelly bowl!

Green tea and chocolate dessert. Not to everyone's taste due to the chewy texture.
Drinks are always a bit pricey at places like these with beer starting at 800yen for a big bottle, although these places specialize in sake, shochu and umeshu so be sure to give them a try if you can!

When we returned from dinner we discovered that the staff had prepared the futons to sleep for the night! Some modern Ryokan have regular western style beds but many still prefer to offer futons for sleeping due to their ability to be conveniently packed away when not in use. They are really comfy and incredibly warm but take some time to get used to. It took me a long time to drift off because I kept getting too hot and I'm a little too tall for them!

A delicate and very Japanese style breakfast:

After waking up and enjoying the hot springs and having some relax time it was time to head down for breakfast!
Again, a wide spread of traditional dishes was offered alongside fresh rice, fresh pickled plums and miso soup that are not pictured here. The rice and miso soup can be refilled as you please, there were also raw eggs available if you wanted to make tamagokakegohan (egg on rice - tastes amazing).

The dishes looked and tasted very light but by the end of it we were extremely full! They were mostly tofu and vegetable based. With a small selection of seafood and pickles to compliment them.

Doesn't look very appetizing but tasted way better than anticipated! The entire fish is edible.

The weather eventually brightened up and shortly after I took this photo the sun began shining through!

Overall our experience was a good one, coming just short of about 30,000yen each. More expensive than a standard hotel but the experience, setting, hot springs and selection of food make it worth it. If you are in the Shiga/Biwa lake area I would recommend it. However I wouldn't advise making the journey to visit this Ryokan specifically as I have experience better ones elsewhere in other prefectures! Perhaps try it for yourself to see if you disagree!

Contact details for the Ryokan can be found below!
Thanks for reading!

http://www.hanakaido.co.jp/hotspring/

おごと温泉 びわ湖花街道 〒520-0101 滋賀県 大津市雄琴1丁目1-3
フリーダイヤル：0120-051-041
TEL：077-578-1075 / FAX：077-578-1011

Dir en grey 2016.02.06 日本武道館(2日目) Day 2. Live Report.

Dir en grey prove they can still enthral the Budokan!

Before I begin, I must confess that I am a massive Dir en grey fan, this marks the 15th time that I have seen them. 10 times in the UK and the 5th time in Japan. It has been a long time goal of mine to see them at the Nippon Budokan (日本武道館). This is one of the biggest and best venues in all of Japan and is always featured on their spectacular live DVDs. Finally I was able to experience it in person.

As part of the final days of their 2015-2016 tour that has spanned countries worldwide, Dir en grey returned to the Budokan for the first time in 2 years to perform a special 2 day set of gigs entitled ARCHE, named after their current album. I managed to get a ticket for day 2, which was officially sold out, placing myself in standing block F. Which is at the back right of the arena, I feared this would place me far from the stage with an awful view but I found myself front left of my block and therefore central in the area. With the big advantage of being a tall foreigner I was able to get a clear view of the entire stage throughout, awesome!

Unfortunately when I arrived almost all of the merchandise had sold out but I got myself a key chain and sticker as a souvenir, its not everyday you get to go to the Budokan, its a shame because the clothing designs looked fantastic. Outside there was a cool viewing area displaying the band's signature instruments as well as an eerie art installation based on the album artwork. While promotional videos for the tour were being played on a TV another screen displayed live tweets and instagram posts that were made with the #ARCHE and #DIR武道館 tags. Check them out for yourself to see all of the fan posts! 

You can see mine in the bottom right!

The organization of the arena was really well done. You could buy a 40L plastic bag for 500yen which you could store all of your stuff in, with a ticket to collect after. Much more effective than a locker system!
After a long cold wait I was able to enter and got to my place in F block, thankful once again for the numbered ticketing system and the great manners of Japanese fans it was a pleasant stress free experience with none of the pushing found abroad.

The arena is BIG, but didn't feel as colossal as it sometimes appears on the DVD's, big enough to have the awe factor but not at the cost of ruining the live experience! Now, let's get onto the actual live!

Day 2 Setlist:

01: and Zero

02: 空谷の跫音

03: Behind a vacant image

04: SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH

05: 鱗

06: 懐春

07: Phenomenon

08: てふてふ

- Acapella - (Roughly around here I forget)

09: 輪郭

10: 禍夜想

11: 咀嚼

12: Midwife

13: Cause of fickleness

14: Chain Repulsion

15: Revelation of mankind

16: The Inferno

Encore:

01: 濤声

02: THE FINAL

03: OBSCURE

04: MARMALADE CHAINSAW

05: 激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇

06: Un deux

As you can see here, the set list was predominantly ARCHE material with the encore containing a mix of classics. The live had a distinct set of three phrases for me, beginning with a dark and awe inspiring atmospheric set of songs followed by a really hard hitting heavy set of songs before reaching the encore which was a nostalgic mix of songs that brought all of the fans together in unison for a goose-bump inducing finale.

The lights dimmed and the sombre tones of 'and Zero' rang out across the arena, the entire crowd was silent. Unlike the exciting G.D.S intro of times past this track does an awesome job of building tension and with the steady build up of atmosphere it sets your skin of edge. The band gradually take to the stage, all clad in black. Shinya with his blonde hair and Die with a long flowing jacket, having returned to his LONG straight hair style. Kaoru looked freaking incredible with a long sleeveless jacket and baggy pants/skirt combo, he was also sporting some splotchy stitchlike black makeup across his cheeks. Toshiya on the other hand looked very ominous and somewhat undertaker like, with his hair covering the majority of his face. Then Kyo came to the stage to a huge roar from the crowd, having closely shaved hair and wearing what I can only describe as a dictators outfit, black gloves, leather black army hat and a flowing cloak. He looked like a complete badass and ready to command and we were ready to march.

The band launched into '空谷の跫音' which despite not being the next track on the CD connects REALLY well off the intro. My first immediate though was 'Damn the arena sound really is something else', the acoustics amplify everything tenfold and the harmonic tones of the guitars, the deep reverberating base and Kyo's ghostlike vocals shudder through you. The climax of the song really impressed me and proves that Kyo can still reach those high sustained notes without his voice breaking. I was worried that with extensive touring and growling tracks he wouldn't be able to but I was SO happy he instantly prove that wrong. There was one point where he raised the mic stand out to the crowd and he cast a perfect dictator silhouette. Commanding the masses.

Next came 'Behind a vacant image', the band were playing in front of a HUGE screen and these showed dark menacing visuals to match the songs. As the song broke down into the heavy later verse the crowd began to shift and head bang to Kyo's eccentric roars and wails. As my friend said earlier today 'Kyo is the only person I know who can go from whale song to orc roar in a second'.

'SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH' is one of my favourites on the ARCHE album, it has a punchy set of riffs that automatically make you rock your body back and forth. The crowd, rocking with hands raised in a waving motion sang out in unison to the chorus creating a wall of passionate sound. The lurching guitar sections sound fantastic in the arena! They immediately jumped into '鱗', another favourite of the album, the screen showing the music overlapped with 5 live camera shots of the individual members. The crowd. went. nuts. It was a sensory overload with flashing lighting, punchy guitars, harmonious solos, Kyo's volatile yet soothing vocals. The fans surged forward in a wave of headbanging, fist pumping and jumping. I can't find the words to accurately depict how intense it was, I was lost in the moment. As with any good band, Dir en grey's songs live sound ten times as good as the CD version.

'懐春' followed next which is a very atmospheric and instrumental song interlaced with long sustained vocals. To be honest this was one of the more forgetful tracks but ends on a really well done guitar solo. 'Phenomenon' kicked in next, if one track on ARCHE could be described as 'funky' it would be this one. It has a thunderous wicked dark tone that the Budokan accentuates really well, as Kyo sang he danced a hypotic set of hand movements to the beat. We were enthralled.

'てふてふ' is one of the best ARCHE songs live, mainly because I like to watch Die throughout as he goes absolutely mental when playing the chorus! It is one of my favourite parts of the song as I loved the fast frantic pace of his playing. Whenever Kyo sings the line 'さあ、楽しもう...!' it makes my skin tingle and seeing how Kaoru and Die play off each other during the guitar solo make this definitely one of my favourite performances of the show. 

It was around this time that Kyo did his acapella, swathed in a great mist of red smoke he performed accompanied by an old bell that he rang to create haunting echoing sounds. The big screen cast his silhouetted image across the arena and he looked somewhat zombie-like in his movements as he reached upwards. It was definitely one of the most powerful acapellas that I have seen him make to date.  '輪郭' continued this vibe and whilst it isn't one of my most liked  songs I really enjoyed seeing Kaoru and Die thrash wildly as the song built up to its climax.

'禍夜想' is one song where Toshiya's bass really commands the song. Sadly it's one of the songs I remember the least as it doesn't really stand out apart from the epic basslines although the later half is much better than the beginning. ' 咀嚼' turned things around and kicked the live back into gear. ARCHE in my opinion is one of Dir en greys tightest and well put together albums from a composition perspective and this song really highlights their command of their genre, a fantastic intro, beautiful guitar solos and vocals that reach lofty heights and the lowest depths.

'Midwife' marked the point where the band GOT HEAVY. The screen showed some real dark images, centipedes, a pregnant women pawing around in the darkness. The song is a complete wall of sound live that envelops you. The transitions are really rapid and irregular though and the thrashy fast riffs made it hard to 'rock out' too. With some fans choosing to head bang wildly while others settled for punching the air rapidly. Definitely one of the 'screamer' tracks of the night, albeit one of the messier ones. 

'Cause of fickleness' reminds me a lot of their earlier albums combined with their 'Withering to death' era. The crowd went freaking mental, especially during the chorus, screaming out 'WAKE ME UP' together with arms raised in the chorus. I love how the crowds at Japanese gigs flawlessly act as one, all of the motions, from head banging etc. all happen together naturally. Even if the song is really hardcore, no-one is clashing, but enjoying everything together. In the UK gigs I always felt crushed or as if someone was trying to push me out of place. I love Japanese gigs. The song ended with a MASSIVE smoke explosion that caught me by surprise!

Wow...this is becoming a long report! Thanks for staying this far!

'Chain repulsion' is another 'technically tight' song, that rips back and force at a high pace, it carries you a long with it and you can't help but shake your body and head to it. The crowd roared along with the members' backing vocals toward the end.The visuals were vividly bright and trippy throughout which was a bright contrast to the earlier visuals. The whole song was a shock to the system.

Following hot in the wake was 'Revelation of mankind', another intense song, which was accompanied by the great PV video on the giant screen. I can imagine it will look fantastic on the DVD recording.

Dir en grey finished their main set with 'The Inferno'...the performance definitely matched the name as they performed a blistering performance with a backdrop of about 10 flame spewing torches, I could feel the heat despite being pretty far back! It was a really heavy way to end the set and I loved every damn second of it. Every fan was united together as we roared out during the chorus, it was one of those songs where you all lurch back and forth in one giant head bang tsunami, then smash your fist high as your roar out the words. You need to be there to understand.

They left to a roaring applause before the encore chants began...the band eventually returned, dressed down. Beginning with the slow and calming 'ballad' of the album '濤声'. It is a great song to build up the atmosphere again with lots of layered guitars and a beautiful guitar solo. After Kyo did some MC yelling "男...男...男！生きてるか！？" (Guys...are you alive!?) With all the men roaring after each pause, and he did the same for girls after, Toshiya smashing his bass, sending it rumbling through the air after each roar. Then the intro to 'THE FINAL' began, accompanied by the screen showing a montage of live video and photos taken from the previous dates of the tour leading up to this finale. The lyrics appeared as subtitles on top of the footage and we sang every word with a freshly revived fervour. This song always sounds amazing live and this was no exception, the video was an added touch and I saw online on twitter that it touched many fans, especially those who were lucky enough to go to the other tour dates. It was a climax of everything that got them this far on this tour. 

They then began playing a song I have not heard live for many years...OBSCURE! Immediately the entire crowd leant forward resting on each others back from leverage and began to sweep into some immense deep head bangs to match the pace. This was the newer remade version, having seen both live I feel that I prefer the original one a lot more as it has a lot more slow impact and artistic value whereas this version is more hardcore and a lot faster. Both still blow my mind though. During this song they also raised a new backdrop screen that had 'Dir en grey' written out in giant letters.

In complete contrast they sped into MARMALADE CHAINSAW, another Vulgar era song that I totally wasn't expecting! It's upbeat, fun and felt a lot lighter in tone compared to the dark vibes of the entire set beforehand. The band members ran around the stage swapping positions and gesturing to everyone and you could see that they were letting loose too.

Before the next song, Kyo did more MC and one line that he yelled at us stuck with me. 

"お前らと俺らの未来の為にひとつなれんのか!?" "Can you all become one with us for the sake of our future!?" It kind of had a deep meaning that we should all unite together. Not just for the band's future, but for ourselves. The fans roared their answer loud and clear.

激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇 was the perfect time for band and fans to become one. This is one of their very best songs live, it is heavy, had a clear melody, it is fast yet easy to follow. With a set of brutal verses and a chorus that allows fans to sing their absolute hearts out alongside Kyo. The entire arena sung out their resolve in one giant harmony before swinging back down into a head banging thrashing frenzy. It was one of the best feelings ever. The backdrop screen was showing the real time live footage of the members performing individually on top of the seething crowd, band and fans as one. It was amazing.

As with the last time I saw them in Namba, they announced their last song and Kyo screamed at us if we could sing as one, hell yes we could. Un deux began and real time live footage of the arena and band began playing. Below, the song's subtitles appeared and everyone once again united in celebration of their favourite band. It was a truly moving experience that I can't put into words but it was incredibly powerful as we all sang and rocked together. My voice was near to breaking point but I sang every single word with everyone I had, as did everyone around me. The screen began playing a 'credits' list of all the tour dates they had performed for that year, ending with the Budokan dates.

And then...it was over. It felt so much faster than the track list would have you believe.

The band lingered for a while handing out various picks etc before leaving the stage. Even Kyo had a rare grin on his face as he gestured to the crowd, something you don't normally see!

We thought it was over and the music was but the hype wasn't!

White text began to fill the screen with some ambient sound and new announcements began appearing.

BUDOKAN LIVE DVD RELEASED JUNE 2016

*cue the entire crowd shouting for joy as we realize we can have a video memory of this awesome show*

NEW SINGLE RELEASED JULY 2016

*more hyped shouting*

NEW 2016-2017 TOUR:  FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ _

Wait what...!? new tour!? awesome? What does the _ _ _ _ _ ? mean....!_

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 1...

[Mode of VULGAR] June 2016

Holy shiiiiiit they are doing an entire live tour of the Vulgar album, one of my all time favourites!

TOTALLY GOING!

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 2...

[Mode of Dum Spiro Spero] September 2016

AWESOME! Another tour, not my favourite album by far but ...great!

FROM DEPRESSION TO _ _ _ _ Part 3...

[Mode of Kisou] November 2016

I literally screamed with happiness when I saw this. One of my favourite all time album and has tracks that I NEVER thought I would hear them perform since the songs are so old. I am going to this gig even if I have to risk my job calling sick or whatever. I AM GOING. 

Thus ended one of the best nights of my damn life.
I wish I was back there already.

Thanks for reading.