Suiden Terrasse
Sake story
When you arrive at Suiden Terrasse, you will almost forget that you are only five minutes away from Tsuruoka Station (the largest train station in the area) and very close to a state road by-pass. Suiden Terrasse looks like it locates in the middle of rice paddy fields, as “suiden” means rice paddy field.
This characteristic hotel was built by Yamagata Design Co., Ltd. in 2018 with the vision to renovate the area and make it sustainable. It has what a good hotel needs to have; a restaurant, hot spring and even a Finnish-style sauna, which has become massively popular these days.
Once you enter Suiden Terrasse, you may think that you have come to a museum or something. Imagine high-end hotels you have been to. It would look very gorgeous and you would be welcomed by an expensive chandelier. It is not the case for Suiden Terrasse. Indeed, it is the best hotel in the area. However, instead of chandeliers, you will be welcomed by natural sunlight, or moonlight in the evening, with wide windows. They have spacious welcome space, with a number of benches, a bar counter and a library. Things can be as luxurious in Tokyo, but things can be as natural in Yamagata.
Here is how I would recommend that you enjoy your stay in Suiden Terrasse:
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Check-in and feel nature in the hotel;
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Enjoy onsen (hot spring);
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Have local sake at the hotel restaurant or local izakaya; and
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Wake up early and do some morning jogging. Running through rice paddy fields makes you very energised.
What is special about Suiden Terrasse from the sake perspective is that they sometimes hold a sake pairing event with local sake breweries. So do Story of Sake, they think that sake and sake breweries are great local resources to vitalise the area. They collaborate with the sake breweries located in the Shonai area, make their sake on-list at their restaurant and sell the bottles as souvenirs. They are the first penguin in that sense.
