Ureshino Overnight trip with Teachers (March 16-17)

There was an overnight stay at a ryokan (Japanese style hotel) organized for the Bunko teachers. We stayed in Ureshino, famous for onsens (hot spring) .

It was a huge hotel, with several onsens, some indoor, some outdoor, cafes, massage parlours, banquet halls, etc. Staying at this hotel costs a pretty penny but it's subsidized by the school.

Okubo sensei and I went exploring around the hotel, to find our way to the many onsens before dinner. We accidentally entered an onsen in the newer section of the hotel where, we found out later, an extra fee is required, which explains why it was empty when we got there..but since it was empty, we took pictures in the onsen!

We rushed back to the opposite end of the hotel to find the banquet hall where the 'end-of-year' enkai was going to be held.

Here are more pictures of some the onsens.
Before heading back to Nagasaki, we stopped by this pottery place where you can decorate your cups.. After it’s been glazed and ‘ovened’ they mail it to you. It was a lot more difficult than it looked…The activity made me appreciate the talent of the people who are able to get such beautiful designs on the cups being sold in the stores!!