Breakfast at Yunoshimakan in Gero, Japan

2015-04-19 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Maybe because we did so much yesterday, I slept straight through the night and woke up to morning. Except for the room being very dry from the heating, it was a truly impressive morning. After washing my face with hot spring water to rescue my dry skin, I was ready for the final event I had been looking forward to since arriving at Yunoshimakan: breakfast. Breakfast is served in a designated dining room.

Japanese and English sign reading breakfast hall — There are arrows saying "Breakfast Area" all over the building just in case guests get lost. (Of course, they are written in Chinese characters. If you can't read them, just follow the arrows.)

Banquet hall with multiple tables in a tatami room where people are eating — Many people are already eating.

When we arrived at the breakfast area, the staff—including the server who brought us our kaiseki (traditional multi-course dinner) yesterday—greeted us warmly and immediately prepared our meal.

The interesting thing is that everyone, whether Japanese or foreign, eats wearing a yukata. Ever since arriving at the ryokan (traditional inn), everyone just wears their yukatas, throwing on a jacket over it if it gets too cold. Honestly, as you'll see when you try one on, the quality of the yukata isn't anything amazing, but once you wear it,

"Wow, I'm actually in Japan."

It really makes you think that. Even when traveling, it's not easy to immediately adapt to and enjoy a new culture, but simply wearing a yukata has the positive effect of making it easier to immerse yourself in Japanese culture and food. It made me think that offering a service where people could easily wear a simple hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) indoors back in Korea would be a great idea.

Dining table set with a black hexagonal food box, a personal stove, and red bowls — Breakfast

Since it was breakfast, I was expecting something like a hotel buffet, but a traditional Japanese set meal was served. (I'm calling it a set meal because I don't know the exact term, but I'm sure there's a proper name for it.) I felt like I hadn't even fully digested everything I ate yesterday, yet here I was having another feast. This is truly a trip of eating and drinking well.

Pickled radish, seasoned vegetables, and fruit inside a hexagonal food box

Vegetable side dishes such as tomato, sweet pumpkin, and bamboo shoots inside a hexagonal food box

Round ceramic lid painted with a colorful radial pattern

Breakfast table fully set with rice, side dishes, a stove, and drinks

True to Japanese style, the food was plated neatly in small portions, but there were so many different dishes that the total amount was more than a standard meal.

Dark broth with solid ingredients in a black pot placed on a small stove. — Miso soup, which you can taste at pretty much any restaurant.

Pot with an orange lid placed on a small personal stove with a burning flame.

Salmon pieces and brown sauce mixed with green onions placed inside a pot lined with paper foil. — The main dish, grilled salmon. The salty flavor is way too strong.

When I actually tried the grilled salmon, it was overwhelmingly salty. The food at Yunoshimakan is generally okay, but a few things were disappointing. To be honest, I haven't eaten enough of these Japanese set meals to really judge whether it's good or bad, so I don't know if being this salty is just the original Japanese style. However, compared to the food I usually eat in Korea, it was quite salty. I think someone once told me that Japanese food is on the bland side, but was that all a lie? (For the record, I'm no food critic—just a guy who eats when he's hungry.)

Large multi-panel gold folding screen spread out on a stage at the front of a tatami room. — There's also a space at the front where performances can be held.

It looks like a great place for a large company retreat to hold a talent show. Of course, I would hate to come here with my own coworkers.

When others do it, it's team building; when I have to do it, it's an extension of work.

#Neat and decent for a breakfast #But way too salty #Still better than eating bread in the morning