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A Little Escape Just for Me: A Rewarding Solo Trip (Part 1)

Updated: 2026.05.11

When stress peaks, I just want to escape and go somewhere new. But traveling with others doesn’t always bring the rest I need. So I decided—it’s time for a trip just for me…

This article was created on December 19, 2019.

When my fatigue reaches its peak, I want to escape from everyday life and go on a trip. Having said that, I somehow feel restless when I go on a trip with someone else. That’s right, let’s go on a reward trip just for me! That’s what I thought.

The journey begins on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway. Start from Shinjohara Station and look out at Lake Hamana from the train window. The Tenryu Hamanako Railway is famous for its beautiful scenery, but there are other interesting points as well. There are a wide variety of restaurants within the station building and adjacent areas. At Shinjohara Station, there is a shop called “Station Eel Shop Yamayoshi” that sells eel bento, and you can also eat it on the train. There are also many stylish shops such as Granny’s Burger, a Mikkabi beef burger shop, at Mikkabi Station, and Piazza, a stone oven pizza shop at Kanasashi Station.

A great solo trip. I can’t help but want to pack my schedule in, but my purpose today is to do nothing. There are places where you can have that luxury. While riding the train, we arrived at the station hotel “INN MY LIFE” at Futamata Honmachi Station on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway.

the station hotel “INN MY LIFE''

This hotel, which is limited to one group per day, is a calming space with indirect lighting throughout. The pajamas and other fabrics are made from local Enshu textiles, and the hotel has sophisticated interiors and facilities that go beyond just the function of a hotel. Moreover, it can be used by one person. Isn’t this the true luxury of spending time doing nothing in a calm, white-based space?

This INN MY LIFE also has bicycle rentals, so you can explore the city of Futamata. You can go to other places with a free ticket on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway, or if you use a car, you can go rafting on the Tenryu River or go to Mt. Akiha, which is said to be a power spot.

There is also a coffee shop nearby that is run by the hotel owner, and it turns into a bar on weekend nights. Let’s go have a few drinks this evening.

Hamamatsu Wine Cellar

The next day after relaxing and recharging your energy, head to Hamamatsu Wine Cellar, a place you’ve always wanted to go to. This Hamamatsu Wine Cellar, located in a place surrounded by greenery in Tenryu, uses an unopened tunnel to store wine. Inside the tunnel, the temperature and humidity are kept constant and it is unaffected by ultraviolet rays, making it the perfect environment for wine storage. This seller, which offers quality products at low prices, offers a service called “Time Capsule.” This is a stylish service that can be used as a gift for the future, such as a coming-of-age gift for a grandchild or a wedding anniversary decades in the future. I also decided to give myself a reward wine 10 years from now.