The seafood is plentiful. Scallops and crabs caught in the Okhotsk Sea spread out in front of you. It might be good for those who want to indulge in scallops and crabs. The owner is also friendly and has a welcoming atmosphere.

Yurinkan is a local inn located on a hill overlooking Lake Saroma in Hokkaido. The inn's specialty is seafood, particularly shellfish caught in Lake Saroma. The dinner menu includes dishes like grilled saury, tofu salad with smoked Lake Saroma oysters, scallop sashimi, whole crab, fried chicken, steamed and grilled oysters, pressed sushi, and fresh fruits for dessert. The food is simple yet delicious, focusing on the freshness of the ingredients. The drink selection is limited, with Sapporo beer, local sake, and a few Hokkaido wines available. Homemade plum wine is also offered. Guests can help themselves to drinks from a refrigerator outside the dining area. Breakfast includes unlimited local rice and vegetables. Overall, the food is excellent, and the inn provides a cozy and relaxing atmosphere for a memorable dining experience.

In September 2014, I stayed at this inn on the second night of my Hokkaido railway photography trip. I had heard that the seafood from the Okhotsk Sea was delicious, so I had been checking out this inn for a while. Although there is currently no railway in this area, you can explore the abandoned track of the former national railway Yubetsu Line, which was discontinued in 1987. Also, during this time, the Akkeshiso (coral grass) leaves around Cape Kimuaneppu on Lake Saroma are at their best! About three weeks ago, I made a reservation through a travel agency's website for the "Standard Saroma Lake Yuurin-kan Original Plan; Japanese-style room with washlet; 1 night with 2 meals; double occupancy; 13,824 yen per person." I checked in around 5:40 pm on Sunday and checked out around 9 am on Monday. The inn is located at the foot of Horoiwayama with a view of Lake Saroma Observatory, behind the "Michi-no-Eki Saroma Lake." There is a modest sign along Route 238, and when you climb the hill, you will arrive at the inn. The two-story building has a stylish exterior with lanterns hanging on both sides of the main entrance that read "Inn of Delicious Sea and Mountain." There is a spacious parking lot in front of the building, and from there, you can see Lake Saroma beyond the forest. The inside of the inn is also stylish, and I couldn't help but think, "What is such an inn doing in a place like this?" Wood is used extensively, the lighting is dimmed, creating a calm atmosphere. There are many open spaces, which is nice. By the way, slippers are not provided, but the floor is clean, so it's not a problem at all. The feel of the flooring and tatami was comfortable. It seems that the inn was almost fully booked on that day, but I didn't encounter other guests much except during meals. The other guests were a middle-aged couple, a young couple, a group of middle-aged and elderly people, and two men, among others. The staff were all friendly and cheerful, leaving a good impression. [Guest Room] I was shown to a Japanese-style room on the second floor. It felt a bit small, but it was enough for two people. It was a room facing the mountains, and I could see the stars well at night. It would be nice to have screens on the windows. The toilet and washroom were separate, and the washroom had a shower booth (no bathtub). [Bath] There is a large communal bath with a sauna for men and women on the first floor facing the mountains. You cannot see outside. Although it is not a hot spring, it is said to have a high heat retention effect due to the black silica (Kamijukuishi) present. It didn't leave much of an impression. [Dinner] I had dinner in the dining room on the first floor with other guests. It was a group table setting, but the space between tables was wide, so I didn't mind the other guests. The basic menu consisted of 8 items (grilled striped saury, scallop sashimi, snow crab sashimi, boiled snow crab, half-fried young chicken, grilled scallop, miso soup with snow crab, nori tea pickles) and there was also a salad bar (cucumber, paprika, cherry tomatoes; miso, rock salt). After the meal, when I returned to my room, fruits (two types of grapes, red-fleshed melon) were provided. For alcoholic beverages, there were draft beer, shochu, local sake, chu-hai, plum wine, wine, etc., and I had draft beer, chilled sake, and rock shochu. The seafood dishes were simple yet impressive. The highlight was the scallop sashimi with the shell attached. The meat stuck to the shell, and you had to peel it off with a special spatula. The texture was firm, and the sweetness and umami were outstanding! I had only eaten soft scallops before, so this texture was shocking. Eating it with the rock salt from the salad bar enhanced the sweetness and umami even more. I definitely want to eat it again! Also, the grilled striped saury was incredibly delicious with its crispy and fatty texture. It was a bit disappointing that it had cooled down a bit... The half-fried young chicken served as an accent to the seafood dishes. It was hot, crispy, and juicy. It went well with the draft beer. [Breakfast] I had breakfast at the same table as dinner. You could catch a glimpse of Lake Saroma through the large window. Table ===========

I went on a 4-night, 5-day trip from Obihiro to Shiretoko and Abashiri in Hokkaido. The best ryokan I stayed at was Yurinkan on Lake Saroma. The room was a beautiful Japanese-Western style. The bath, though not a hot spring, had lemon floating in it and was surprisingly spacious and nice. The highlight of this ryokan was the food. First, a huge charcoal-grilled Atka mackerel that was filling on its own. Then, a large dish of crab and scallops, with one crab boiled and the other still moving. The crab from the Okhotsk Sea is available year-round, and it was dancing! Other dishes included freshly caught live scallops, boiled Saroma island shrimp, and live chicken tempura, all incredibly delicious. The tempura had a crispy exterior and juicy interior, a first for me. There was also scallop grilling and the rich and flavorful crab soup from earlier. I had the special seaweed tea-infused rice from Saroma Lake and delicious desserts in my room. The karinto (deep-fried dough cookies) were particularly tasty. Even though I was full, I couldn't stop eating them. For a late-night snack, I had onigiri with a hint of soy sauce, which was delicious. The next day, I had grilled shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu, and seaweed on a shichirin grill for breakfast. The miso soup had a large amount of baby scallops, which was a luxurious touch. I was impressed. The cherry salmon sorbet was refreshing and delicious. I even ate scallops for breakfast. Finally, I enjoyed a delicious coffee in the lobby. The food at this ryokan showcased the best of Okhotsk's ingredients, and I felt truly happy and satisfied. The service was excellent, and I had a wonderful stay.

While in Hokkaido, if you want to enjoy the blessings of Hokkaido, then Yurinkan is the place for you. Located above the Michi no Eki of Lake Saroma, this small ryokan has only 9 rooms. The rooms are a mix of Japanese and Western styles, and they even have a futuristic German shower machine! Before dinner, take a break in your room with the delicious pudding and addictive karinto snacks provided. Can you really eat all this before dinner? Well, that's the whole point of staying here - the dinner! The highlight of this ryokan is definitely the seafood from the north! No other ryokan in Hokkaido will make you eat as much as this one! First and foremost, the crab! At this Okhotsk ryokan, the crab dishes are always packed with fresh, live crabs! Today, we even had fresh raw snow crab sashimi! The freshly peeled scallops were also amazing. Then came the wave of dishes - fresh scallops, button shrimp, sea urchin, boiled snow crab, snow crab sashimi, half-grilled hokke fish, pumpkin, half-grilled chicken (which was delicious!), crab soup, scallop innards, and so much more that I lost track! The meal ended with a gentle tea rice porridge. After eating so much, we relaxed with a beer in front of the fireplace. Our stomachs were so full! I rested in the room and ended up falling asleep. In the morning, I took a bath and enjoyed a breakfast of seafood and delicious miso soup. I forgot the side dishes, but it was all so good! Depending on the season, they serve hairy crab or king crab. I can't even remember all the food I ate - it was a true feast of Hokkaido's culinary delights! Thank you for the wonderful meal!

◆2010◆ We visited this inn on a staff trip. Located on a hill behind the Michinoeki of Lake Saroma, this inn is surprisingly unknown to many. Situated on the hill, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Saroma from the parking lot. The interior is a small wooden building with a calm and peaceful atmosphere, making it suitable for family trips or dates. The biggest attraction here is undoubtedly the fresh seafood from Okhotsk. During our banquet, we were served an abundance of dishes that we couldn't finish. Some of the highlights included: Matagarei sashimi, live Taraba crab sashimi, boiled Taraba crab, shrimp and surf clam sashimi, juicy deep-fried young chicken, steamed oysters, grilled Atka mackerel, sushi, and live Taraba crab hot pot. Breakfast also offered grilled scallops and miso soup with baby clams, among other hearty dishes. The hot spring bath is pretty standard, so if hot springs are your main focus, you may want to choose a different inn. But for someone like me whose main focus is food, this trip was extremely satisfying.