🇯🇵🍂 A Child’s Dream: Gifting My Mother Her First Trip to Japan at Hotel Indigo Inuyama
Growing up in an average family in Malaysia, traveling to Japan always felt like a faraway dream—the kind of trip that would easily cost a few months’ salary even after you start working in Singapore. For years, I saved and planned, driven by one single dream: to show my mother the world.
Last January, my partner and I finally made it happen. We packed our bags, took my mom, and set off for the historic town of Inuyama. It wasn’t snowing, but the biting winter air made us bundle up close. Though it was too early for the cherry blossoms she loves, seeing her face light up at every new sight made me feel more fulfilled than words can say.
✨ My Personal Afterthoughts:
What I love most about Inuyama is that it is completely different from the mainstream, copy-paste tourist spots flooding everyone’s Instagram and social feeds. Walking through this town didn't feel like a curated vacation; it felt like a genuine, quiet adventure. It’s raw, authentic, and completely peaceful.
🚇 The Long Journey: From Singapore to Inuyama (Via Google Maps!)
If you are planning this trip, don’t panic about the long transit—even as a first-timer, Google Maps makes the entire Japanese rail system incredibly foolproof!
The Flight: We took a Scoot red-eye flight from Singapore (SIN) to Osaka (KIX).
The Shinkansen: From Osaka, we boarded the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya Station (approx. 50 minutes).
The Local Line: At Nagoya, we transferred to the Meitetsu Inuyama Line. We took the Rapid Express train directly to Inuyamayuen Station (犬山遊園駅), which took about 30–35 minutes.
The Walk: Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden is a scenic, flat 8-minute walk (~800 meters) along the tranquil Kiso River from Inuyamayuen Station.
🏛️ First Impressions: Local Culture Meets Cozy Comfort
The moment we stepped into the lobby, the distinct, artsy design of Hotel Indigo blew us away. It is beautifully infused with Inuyama’s rich history, featuring calming wooden accents and warm lighting. I loved that the lobby featured a boutique corner selling local goods, like fresh regional honey and hand-woven baskets!
Our room was spacious and incredibly comfortable, but the absolute highlight was looking out our window at the tranquil water landscape.
🌌 A Real-Life Anime Scene: At night, the hotel lights up mini fire torches across the outdoor water feature. Sitting by the glass and watching the flames flicker against the dark water felt exactly like a mystical warding ritual to keep demons away, straight out of an anime!
♨️ The Ultimate Relaxer: My First Japanese Onsen
The main reason I booked this hotel was for its famous Hakutei no Yu—the only natural hot spring in Inuyama.
The Experience: After a grueling day of traveling, soaking in the open-air outdoor bath with the cold winter wind on my face and hot mineral water keeping me warm was pure heaven!
Thoughtful Touches: The onsen changing room is stocked with premium amenities (hair serums, lotions, and towels), so you literally only need to bring yourself.
Funny Family Memory: While I fell in love with the hot spring culture, my mother just couldn't accept the traditional etiquette of bathing naked with strangers, so she skipped it entirely! (More onsen time for me, haha!)
Note: There is also a beautiful, eco-friendly wooden gym in-house if you like to keep up with your workouts!
🍵 Step Inside a UNESCO Heritage Site: Urakuen Garden
The hotel is directly adjacent to the breathtaking Urakuen Garden (有楽苑). Guests get access to this quiet, moss-covered sanctuary, which houses the national treasure Jo-an Teahouse.
We got to experience a traditional, highly meditative Japanese tea ceremony inside the garden. Don't worry about the language barrier—they provided detailed English instructions so we could follow along seamlessly!
The ancient wooden architecture and winding stone pathways make this an incredibly beautiful and peaceful photo-taking spot (perfect for taking candid photos of my mom enjoying the peaceful landscape).
🏮 Walking the Historic Castle Town (Inuyama Jokamachi)
From the hotel, you can walk down a quiet pathway lined with local residential houses, which makes you feel like you are genuinely living among the locals. Soon, this path opens up into Inuyama Jokamachi (犬山城下町), the beautifully preserved historic castle town street.
The Food: The historic street is packed with traditional street food! I highly recommend trying the salt-baked fish roasted over open coals—it was unbelievably fresh, crispy, and savory.
🥜 The Local Gem (Nuts Store): While exploring, make sure to stop by Mamemichi (豆吉本舗 犬山店), a highly popular local specialty bean and nut store on the main street. They sell dozens of varieties of beautifully packaged, flavored peanuts, traditional broad beans, and sweet matcha/strawberry chocolate-coated nuts. They let you taste samples of virtually everything, making it the perfect, unique souvenir to bring back home!
⚠️ Crucial Dinner Warning: Be aware that this historic street completely shuts down and goes quiet after dark (most shops close by 5:00 PM). Do not count on finding dinner here late at night—it's best to look for food spots closer to the main Inuyama station or eat at the hotel’s beautiful restaurant!
I do hope that everybody that wants to see the world is able to make their dream comes tomrue too!
(Check out my separate Inuyama Castle post in my bio for the full sightseeing guide! 🏰)
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