Tawaraya

Across the street from the Hiiragiya is another distinguished, venerable old inn, owned and operated by the same family since it opened in the first decade of the 1700s (Mrs. Toshi Okazaki Satow is the 11th-generation innkeeper). Unfortunately, fire consumed the original building, so the oldest part of the ryokan now dates back a mere 220 years. This inn has had an impressive list of former guests, from Leonard Bernstein to 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.

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.