re-exploring upper nasu

The autumn breeze is causing an endless want to stay in bed all morning… Last week, my sister Yuka visited me here since she’s on her summer break from university. In between my working hours, we spent a load of time together driving around the area, and we discovered some amazing places throughout the week so I thought I’d share a little about them here :)

The highlight of the week was spending the weekend in a ryokan which was a much needed getaway for the both of us. The place we stayed at is called Laforet Nasu and it’s the one place we always go to when my family comes up to visit. It’s become a small tradition for us since the first time we went 2 years ago, but it was the first time going just the two of us! I had the Friday afternoon off from work so we drove off to the hotel mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day relaxing in our hotel room while taking a dip in the onsen from time to time. The main thing I look forward to each time is their amazing food which never fails to surprise us. Apart from the luxury of staying in the ryokan, below are some of the activities I’d recommend to you if you have the chance to visit!

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Fantasy stroll in Seiji Fujishiro Museum

After 2 years of living here I finally paid a visit to this modern art museum hidden in the deep forests of Nasu. I had always wanted to take a look since it’s a very well known museum. Though this museum only features one artist, his artwork with lighting and silhouettes filled the entire museum that it almost felt like I was in a mini modern theater! I especially liked the euphoric and fairytale like feeling you can sense from his artwork, and I was in awe the entire time. There are restrictions and we only had one hour inside which wasn’t enough time for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit and his wondrous creative work. The final piece using giant mirrors was breathtaking, and I wished I could have stay in there for a little longer.

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Mini travel slip into the Nordic forests

We also made a pit stop to an area known for its Nordic atmosphere by having lunch in the hammock cafe and looking through some privately owned shops . The hammock cafe is located on the main street in upper Nasu where most of the well known cafes and restaurants are all situated. Yuka and I ordered some pasta and pizza, and we enjoyed our food while swinging in our hammocks. The food portions are small and most of the dishes are under a 1000 yen so if you want a quick lunch or even a caffeine swing this place is a high recommend for you:)

Later on we also walked around the area and stumbled upon one corner shop called Ihlara which was filled with miscellaneous goods from all over the world from Morocco to Italy! The yellow house is decorated with flowers and plants in a very welcoming way, and the shop is filled with lovely plates, rugs, and decor to add some vibrant color to your house. Everything in the store was right in my alley and I couldn’t leave without taking something home so I purchased a set of plates and cups.The shop cat also gave us an afternoon greeting which made our day :)

I hope this gives you some places to visit in Nasu!

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Links to mentioned places↓

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autumnal hike in nikko

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butter warm afternoon in Nasu