Tawaraya ryokan

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The figurehead of the ryokan
Exterior facade of the ryokan

KK Tawaraya-Ryokan ( Japanese 株式会社 俵 屋 旅館 , Kabushiki kaisha Tawaraya Ryokan ) is a luxury hostel in Nakagyō-ku , Kyoto , Japan , which is one of the oldest guest houses in the world.

Its founding history goes back 300 years. This ryokan has traditionally been run by the same family for 12 generations since it was founded by the textile merchant Wasuke Okazaki from Tawara. The current director is Toshi Okazaki Satow. The guesthouse has 18 rooms, in which one night costs around 800 euros.

According to the October 1974 issue of Forbes magazine, the Tawaraya is one of the eight most exclusive hotels in the world. According to an article in the New York Times magazine on March 5, 1995, the food ( kaiseki ) at Tawaraya is one of the best in all of Kyoto. It is only served in the rooms.

The New York Times article also states that the furnishings are traditionally Japanese and, compared to western luxury hotels, more spartan than opulent. All rooms have private traditional Japanese gardens . The bathrooms have Japanese wooden tubs in which the hot water is already let in when the guest enters the room.

According to an article in Gourmet magazine, the hostel burned down twice and was rebuilt. The first fire occurred in 1788 during the great conflagration called Temmei , which destroyed large parts of Kyoto. The second time the Tawaraya burned down in 1864 at the time of the power struggle during the Meiji Restoration . The Tawaraya is one of the 19 ryokans in Kyoto that have been classified as first-class by the Japan Ryokan Association .

Famous guests

literature

  • Shunichi Kamiya: The Japanese Inn Ryokan. A Gateway to Traditional Japan . Shufunotomoto, 2000 (5th edition), ISBN 4-07-975227-X (English)

Web links

Commons : Tawaraya Ryokan  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 35 ° 0 ′ 37.4 "  N , 135 ° 45 ′ 57.3"  E