Tawaraya

Frommer's Review

Across the street from the Hiiragiya is another distinguished, venerable old inn, which has been owned and operated by the same family since it opened in the first decade of the 1700s (the present owner, Mrs. Toshi Okazaki Sato, is the 11th generation of innkeepers). Unfortunately, fire consumed the original building, so the oldest part of the ryokan now dates back a mere 175 years. This inn has had an impressive list of former guests, from former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to Leonard Bernstein and Alfred Hitchcock. Saul Bellow wrote in the ryokan's guest book, "I found here what I had hoped to find in Japan -- the human scale, tranquility, and beauty."

With refined taste reigning supreme, each room is different and exquisitely appointed. Some, for example, have glass sliding doors opening onto a mossy garden of bamboo, stone lanterns, and manicured bushes, with cushions on a wooden veranda where you can sit and soak in the peacefulness.

Facilities:
In-room massage

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.