Thee days so much information is available on the internet it almost seems silly write an in-depth review of a location… but here’s a onsen in Izu called Hokkawa 北川 that I recommend.

Hokkawa Onsen location on Google Maps

It’s right on the ocean and super basic.

Here’s some tips:

• Leave your valuables in your car or hotel because there are no lockers.
• If you don’t have a towel, you can buy the usual long thin Japanese onsen towel for 200 yen from the ticket salesman.
• The baths for men and women are split (only recently it seems). The men’s side has two baths, one hotter than the other. The women’s side only has one bath.
• There is no toilet. Take care of it first.
• It’s a super basic wooden shelter with some plastic baskets for your clothes and a shoe rack. Just get naked and get in the water. That’s it.

if you’re in Izu and looking for a great unique onsen experience, check it out! Might be fun.

I finally started properly playing Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology on my 3DS. It’s fully voiced which is always a huge bonus in a game that you’re trying to learn language from.

I didn’t know this phrase, 差し当たり。 it means, for the time being…

そうだなー差し当たり「お守り」だと思っておけ

He says…

そうだなー差し当たり「お守り」だと思っておけ

For the time being… think of it as a good luck charm…

Cool phrase. Can’t wait to try this expression out and see what kind of reaction I get. Not sure if it’s commonly used, or some weird flowery language that only shines in literature and video games.

Give it a shot, might be fun!