SOAN KOSUMOSU Travel Journal

"Soan Kosumosu" is located almost in the center of Yufuin.

Among Yufuin connoisseurs, it is a popular ryokan that is considered one of the "Top three" ryokans.
Located on a side street off Yunotsubo Kaido, which is lined with souvenir shops, it is a good place to stroll around the hot spring resort area. Kinrin-ko, the symbol of Yufuin, is also within walking distance. Rooms are generously spaced on the property, so quiet time is guaranteed during your stay.

The previous president of "Soan Kosumosu" and the current grand okami(landlady), Mr. and Mrs. Ota, ran a restaurant in Yufuin for 10 years from 1977, serving river fish dishes using eel, suppon, and carp.
The business was in good condition, with many loyal customers, but there was one problem. That was the future of their three children.They wanted to send them to college, but they knew that it would be practically impossible to do so if they continued to operate the restaurant.
As they were pondering what they could do to help children, one of their customers once told them, "I don't want to go home if I can help it, because I feel like going to sleep after eating. That one casual word made them decide to run a ryokan for the sake of their customers and, above all, for the future of children.
This is how "SOAN KOSUMOSU" was born in Yufuin.
This was in 1987, the same year that the aforementioned "Resort Law" was promulgated.
The origin of the ryokan name was taken from the "Hermitage (An)" that appeared in the endless countryside and the beautiful "Cosmos (Kosumosu)" that were in full bloom along the footpath between rice fields.

Grand Okami Mrs.Noriko Ota

At the time of its founding, the ryokan was truly small, with only five rooms in the location where the current detached house is located. The ryokan was crowded with guests who came for the river fish dishes prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Ota, as well as their regular customers from restaurants.
However, it was very difficult to parallel the ryokan business with the cooking. They were particularly concerned about the cooking. Although they had been running a restaurant up to that point, it mainly served river fish dishes, and they were unable to create stylish dishes typical of ryokans.
They always wondered if they would be able to make the ryokan grow in the future.
They worked hard for a year, but they were driven to the point where the word "Impossible" kept popping into mind.

Then, there was a shocking encounter.
In the middle of the night, a 24-year-old young man suddenly appeared in the kitchen and said, "I'll teach you how to cook. For the next year, the young man appeared in the kitchen night after night and taught them everything he knew about cooking, from how to make dashi (Japanese soup stock), the basic ingredient of Japanese food, to other cooking techniques.
As they became more confident in their cooking, the number of customers increased even more.
In September 1996, when it became difficult to manage the ryokan and be a chef at the same time, they finally invited a head chef from outside the ryokan. That chef was Kenichi Shine, a young man who suddenly appeared in the kitchen in the middle of the night.
At the time of his appointment, he was already a well-known chef in Yufuin, having trained at the famous ryotei restaurant "Nadaman" and others. As soon as he became the head chef of "Soan Kosumosu" and the president of the Yufuin Culinary Research Association, the ryokan became even better known than before for its delicious cuisine.
The number of guests continued to increase steadily, and in 1999, the detached guest rooms were renovated.
Their attention to detail was always evident in the renovation of the "Saryo Kasumisou", which was used not only by guests but also by tourists.