The story of staying at the Fujiya Hotel, which I could only gaze at 10 years ago

My husband and I have entered our 14th year of marriage this year.At the beginning of our marriage, various things happened and we had an unbelievable lack of money, and we also had a considerable amount of debt from our younger days that came back to haunt us, so we couldn't even think about having a wedding, a honeymoon, or buying expensive rings.

Even so, by being together, we lived each day happily, worked desperately, paid off our debts in about five years, got our careers on track, and here we are today.

Fujiya HotelI only visited the Fujiya Hotel about 10 years ago, during a time when we could just barely afford budget trips but were still living an unstable life. While aiming for a certain guesthouse in the Kowakudani area (a volunteer-like inn that cost about 5,000 yen a night, had a natural hot spring, and included plenty of breakfast and dinner), we thought, "The Fujiya Hotel, where John and Yoko stayed, is there, let's take a look," and since the tour was free, we went in with pounding hearts and were enchanted by the thoroughly classical and beautiful interior and the history of the hotel."Someday, I want to stay here...!"we said, but since it cost ten times as much as the inn we were staying at that time, we didn't really imagine that such a day would ever come and just thought, "Someday..."

Someday arrived suddenly. It just so happened that we both had two days off, and the day before, I suggested, "Let's go somewhere tomorrow," and while we were looking for where to go, my husband suddenly said,"Honey, why don't we just stay at the Fujiya Hotel?"He is always abrupt. No, no, even though we can earn a decent living now, isn't it still too early for the Fujiya Hotel? I mean, it's a 100,000 yen a night course, right? I didn't take him seriously at first, but my husband looked into various things and it turned out that it was a day where we could luckily use double Rakuten Travel coupons. It seemed like we could stay for about 70,000 yen for a plan that usually costs 100,000 yen. Plus, we had over 10,000 yen in Rakuten points saved up. Could this be a once-in-a-lifetime timing...?

Even so, my husband gave me a big push when I couldn't make up my mind, and I made the reservation with fingers trembling even more thanwhen we booked the Green Car for our last trip to Aomori.It was a major event for the Tsuruuchi family.Tomorrow, we are staying at the Fujiya Hotel!!!

We chose a plan that included dinner, but we had almost no clothes that would be suitable for the dress code. We are the type of people who end up buying weird clothes like flashy sweatshirts that look like walking Christmas trees or T-shirts from the occult magazine "Mu," so we turned our closet upside down to choose outfits that wouldn't be embarrassing at the Fujiya Hotel. I was so excited that I couldn't fall asleep and took an anti-anxiety pill because I was looking forward to going to the Fujiya Hotel too much, which made my husband laugh out loud.

The day of. It was clear and sunny, and it felt great. I decided that if we were going to stay at the Fujiya Hotel, we would stop being stingy on this trip, so we took the Hakone Tozan Railway for the first time in a while and ate some delicious eel in Gora before checking in. It's a shop that opened recently, but it seems to be gaining a reputation for being too delicious. It was truly, truly delicious.

With the feeling that this alone was enough for a lifetime... when we slipped into the Fujiya Hotel by taxi from Gora,a doorman who looked absolutely perfectly reliablecame up to the side of the car and guided us inside with a smile and a voice that washed away our hearts, saying, "We have been expecting you. Please, come in." From the moment that gentleman's every move was so perfect, I understood from the bottom of my heart that "The Fujiya Hotel is amazing, it really is a five-star hotel."

When we went inside, there was a bright red carpet. It's like a castle. I'm nervous. Butthere are strange fish on the lobby wall.They are so cute. It's the retro-cute style that my parents' home and my husband like. The cuteness of these fish somehow relaxed me. The Fujiya Hotel is super gorgeous, but it also has cuteness and humor... it's invincible!

The room we were assigned was in the Western-style building. The ceilings were high, and the toilet, bathtub, and even the loungewear were all cute, a room where every corner was well thought out. When I lay down on the fluffy bed and looked at the ceiling lighting, I feltlike Marie Antoinette.The position of the hand towel in the restroom was so perfect that I didn't want to mess it up, so I didn't end up using it until the end.

The large public bath was also impressive; a lovely aroma was being diffused in the hallway on the way there, which made me feel relaxed. The shower area had solid partitions, so I didn't feel bothered by the person next to me. The semi-open-air bath and indoor bath had sleek, beautiful designs. Beautiful mountains were right in front of me. The water was free-flowing.

Before dinner, for which I had worried so much about what to wear, we headed to the long-awaited bar lounge. Surprisingly, even though it was the Fujiya Hotel, they had a happy hour. I had a drink made by a bartender who was as hard-boiled and gentlemanly as something out of a picture book, and when I asked about the cuteness of the ceiling pattern I happened to look up at, he told me it was made in the early Showa period and that since there used to be a billiard table in this bar, the design was inspired by a billiard table. It was so interesting and cool that every single pattern was completely different, and I kept staring at the ceiling. The bartender seemed very happy to tell us about the history of this bar. I felt that he was proud to work here.

The restaurant for dinner, which I had been nervous about, also had a cute interior that kept the stained glass from long ago. It was Western-style, not French, so it wasn't that tense, and everyone was dressed more casually than I had expected. We had overthought it. But it's nice to go to a lovely restaurant in a cute dress.

I didn't want to take pictures of every little thing in a restaurant like this, so I slowly and thoroughly savored the beautiful and delicious meal. I almost fainted when I saw that a glass of wine was 3,000 yen, but I had decided not to be stingy here, so I drank it down.

Here too, small dove objects were randomly placed around the ceiling beams, and the guide happily told us stories about the doves. It was truly impressive that at the Fujiya Hotel, whenever we showed interest in something, every staff member would tell us about its background and history. And their customer service was natural through and through. There were so many staff members who had a truly exquisite sense of balance—not feeling pressured at all, not being too casual, yet being friendly—that it was a mystery how they could provide such service training. I think there are many factors, but I'm sure everyone works here because they want to. That was the kind of service it was.

We went to bed after drinking slowly in our room, telling each other that it was a shame to sleep, and that if we fell asleep, the time we spent at this hotel would be shortened!

For breakfast, I chose Japanese food because I wanted to see a different building, and I had a gentle and delicious meal at Kikka-so, which is another beautiful wooden building. The miso soup was so delicious that I had a second helping.

By the way, the Fujiya Hotel also has a bakery called 'Picot' attached, and the bread is very delicious. Actually, what moved me the most during dinner was the walnut bread. I bought various things as souvenirs, and the lady at this bakery also talked about the Fujiya Hotel's bread with a huge smile. She talked very innocently about the history and passion for the Fujiya Hotel's bread. Seriously, what is this place, a Shangri-La?Next time I come, I'll have Western food and eat the Fujiya Hotel's bread and their so-called fluffy omelet. I heard they also have something like a champagne morning cocktail, so I definitely want to try that too!

Since checkout was at 11:00 AM, we enjoyed our own time: I took a walk through the courtyard (or rather, a small hill) and the hotel grounds, and while I felt like Marie Antoinette enjoying beef pie and wine in my room, my husband felt like a king after a swim in the private hot spring pool.

As we were leaving, I couldn't contain my excitement, so I tearfully told the receptionist in a rush about how much I loved this and that about the Fujiya Hotel. The receptionist said they also loved the Fujiya Hotel very much, and somehow we both ended up teary-eyed. I thought it was a miracle that the staff and the guests love the Fujiya Hotel with the same level of passion. Truly, every staff member I met was like that. Even the lady cleaning the restroom was. When I was obsessed with how cute the restroom walls were, she said, 'This wall is from the Showa era, this one is from the Taisho era; isn't it amazing? Take your time and look closely!' What does that even mean? Does everyone who works here love the Fujiya Hotel too much?No, I get it. This is a special space cut off from the mundane world, and there are things you can only gain by placing yourself in this space.

The Fujiya Hotel, where I finally stayed after 10 years of gathering the courage, was the best.Even if I had plenty of money, I wouldn't want to stay at a hotel that is just luxurious, just attentive, and just shiny. While the Fujiya Hotel is a five-star hotel, it is overwhelmingly unique, and the hotel itself is like a work of art. I was enveloped by the power of culture and history. I definitely want to visit again.

And I was truly grateful once again that my husband and I have been able to make it this far together.It was my first time fulfilling a dream with someone over the course of more than ten years.We've worked hard, haven't we? Shall we try a French dinner next time? If we do, I'll need to buy some nicer clothes. Above all, we have to stay healthy.

By the way, this photo was so good that I made it my wallpaper, and it makes me happy every time I open my iPhone ↓

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