[Ako City] Machiya hotel in the old castle town [Kariya Ryokan Q] Enjoy Ako time with all five senses

• Table of Contents
• Located close to Hanagakuji Temple, which is associated with Chushingura
• The quaint lobby area
• "Soho" is a room that strongly retains the unique atmosphere of an old-fashioned house.
• The maisonette-type detached building "Tsutsuji" is popular
• Every room is charming and lovely.
• Cooking is one of the joys of traveling
• "GOKAN" - a restaurant open to the local community
• basic information

Located close to Hanagakuji Temple, which is associated with Chushingura

Kariya Ryokan Q is a traditional Japanese hotel located in a corner of the old castle town of Ako, next to Ako Temple, the family temple of the successive lords of Ako and the graves of the Ako Gishi. The hotel opened in May 2019 and is a beautifully renovated 120-130 year old traditional Japanese house.

The two-story wooden inn has a total floor space of about 330 square meters and five rooms. The black tiger painted on the white noren curtain is based on the tiger painting on the ceiling of the main hall of Kagakuji Temple. The painting on the ceiling was done by Hokyo Yoshinobu in 1854, the year of the tiger, and is quite impressive. If you stay at this inn, we recommend that you visit Kagakuji Temple and see the painting on the ceiling of the main hall before you leave.

It is also a sister hotel of Yamazaki Ryokan Q, located on Sakagura-dori Street in Yamazaki-cho , Shiso City. Like the concept of Yamazaki Ryokan, the "Q" stands for "Quality," "Quest" (to explore the town), "Quiet" (calm and peaceful), and "Unique," and the hotel aims to be one that embodies each of these.

The quaint lobby area

This is the lobby. Scandinavian design furniture, old-fashioned glass doors, and antique artworks such as folding screens and hanging scrolls are beautifully combined to create a modern Japanese atmosphere.

The courtyard with its stone lanterns and water basin is also very tasteful. This space has been there since the beginning. While keeping the atmosphere of the garden as it is, we added a wide veranda and placed a diamond chair. When you sit here, you can feel the atmosphere of Ako.

If you go along the veranda to the right, you will find a small teahouse. This teahouse is a small room that is enjoyed with only the bare minimum of lighting. It is luxurious to spend time relaxing here while looking out at the garden.

There is another small room next to the lobby. This is a small reading room equipped with a mini library, desk, chair, and lamp. It also has picture books, so children will surely enjoy it.

"Soho" is a room that strongly retains the unique atmosphere of an old-fashioned house.

Now let's introduce the rooms. The five rooms at this inn are named after the Japanese color Ako, in honor of Ako Misaki, where the sunsets are beautiful. This is the "Suou" room. The entrance to this room is at the end of an alley, and it retains the unique atmosphere of an old-fashioned house.

The cedar floor, imported from the forest kingdom of Shiso City, feels great to walk on barefoot, and wood is used lavishly on the terrace, decorated with mini bonsai trees, making it hard to feel like you're in the middle of a city.

This room is equipped with a cypress bathtub. You can relax and soothe your tired body after a long day of travel.

The maisonette-type detached building "Tsutsuji" is popular

The only detached room at this inn, "Tsutsuji," is a two-story maisonette type. It can accommodate five people and is on the second floor. It is a Japanese-Western style room with a 10-tatami wooden space and a 3-tatami tatami room. This room also has a wonderful collaboration with antique art such as folding screens.

The yellow chairs are eye-catching, but all the chairs at this inn are individually selected by the staff to suit each room. There are many chairs of different shapes in the lobby of Shokichi in Ako Misaki, and they are also used here. As a chair fetishist, I want to sit on each one.

On the first floor, there is a small Japanese-style room and a spacious cypress bath connected to it. The dressing area and the semi-open-air bath are paneled with natural wood, and the bath space alone is about the size of three tatami mats. The bathtub is made of sawara wood, and there is also a private flat garden for the room, making it truly luxurious. It is also the perfect place to cool down after a bath while feeling the outside air.

Every room is charming and lovely.

This is the "Benhi" room. The ceiling has been restored to its original state and is painted only with persimmon tannins. The materials for the clay walls were also sourced from Tatsuno City, and were finished by skilled plasterers. As in the other rooms, this room also uses the water closet that was originally in the house as a closet. This use of furniture is nostalgic and comforting.

This is the "Nadeshiko" room, which can accommodate four people. It is the largest room in the main house, with a 6-tatami mat space and a Western-style room. The ceiling materials, furniture, latticed and frosted glass windows, and everything else has been restored to their original state, allowing you to fully enjoy the atmosphere of an old house. The bath is spacious and comfortable, and also features a popular rain shower.

This is the "Ginshu" room. It is one of the rooms on the second floor. You can also see the neighboring Kagakuji Temple from the window of this room. It is a compact room with a capacity of two people, but the high ceiling makes it feel strangely small.

This inn is decorated with many folding screens that blend beautifully into the atmosphere of the inn, but the one you must see is the one in the second floor corridor. Inside the folding screen is a painting of a monkey by the artist who painted the tiger that became the motif of this inn. Please try and find it.

Cooking is one of the joys of traveling

One of the joys of traveling is cooking. Dinner can be prepared at the hotel's restaurant, "GOKAN," if desired. The chef prepares the food in front of you in a traditional Japanese style, and just like Shokichi in Misaki, you can enjoy dishes packed with the seasonal flavors of Setouchi.

A popular option during the COVID-19 pandemic is the bento lunches from the nearby catering service "Sanya." These are delivered to your room, making them ideal for those who want to relax.

There are also plans that include dinner at famous Japanese restaurants "Kuishinbo" and "Donguri" within walking distance, so you can make a reservation according to your preferences. Also, since the inn is in the city center, there are many restaurants nearby. Another option is to use the breakfast-only plan and eat out for dinner.

For breakfast, GOKAN offers a special Japanese set meal. In the open kitchen, fish is grilled over charcoal and rolled omelet is also grilled right in front of you. You can enjoy the aroma of miso soup with a strong dashi stock, rice cooked in a clay pot, and the deliciousness of homemade tofu.

"GOKAN" - a restaurant open to the local community

This is the restaurant "GOKAN" on the first floor. It is a space where guests can dine, but is usually open to the local community as a cafe. It is a sophisticated Japanese-modern space, with comfortable chairs and tables.

This is the very popular "One Coin Set" for 500 yen. This volume includes a drink and three types of desserts. It's amazing.

There are five types of sweets available, including homemade salted caramel ice cream, homemade pudding with salted caramel sauce, creme brûlée, and salted cookies from local pastry shop Priere. The staff will choose three of them and serve them on one plate. The food menu also includes "Conger eel rice pot" (reservation required). In the summer, shaved ice and other dishes will also be available.

The staff at this inn are mainly young women. They all have lovely smiles and are a joy to talk to. "We're not a big inn, but a small one, so we place great importance on communication with our guests. It makes me happy when guests praise our service, saying things like, 'I was glad you were so considerate.'"

As revitalizing the town is one of the concepts of the inn, we also provide information on recommended shops nearby," says staff member Kawamura Rumi.

One last important piece of information. Guests staying at the hotel can use the hot springs at Shokichi in Ako Onsen for free. There are baths in each room, but if you want to relax in a large bathtub, why not use this one? You can also use the shuttle bus that departs from Kariya Ryokan Q at 15:45 and from Shokichi at 17:15.

(Writer Utami)

*This article is current as of May 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may be subject to change.

basic information

Kariya Ryokan Q

Address: 1996 Kariya , Ako City Hyogo Prefecture

Phone number: 0791-55-9517

Business hours: Check-in 15:00 (last check-in 21:00)

Check-out: 10:00 Restaurant "GOKAN" 11:00-17:00 (Last orders 16:00)

Closed: Irregular holidays

Access: 8 minutes on foot from JR Ako Station

Parking: 8 spaces

HP: https://kariya-q.com/index.html