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

• Table of Contents
• Close to Kagakuji Temple, which is associated with Chushingura.
• The elegant lobby area
• ``Suho'' is a room that retains the unique atmosphere of an old folk house.
• The maisonette type annex “Tsutsu” is popular.
• Every room is tasteful and beautiful.
• Cooking is also one of the pleasures of traveling.
• GOKAN, a restaurant open to the community
• basic information

Close to Kagakuji Temple, which is associated with Chushingura.

A tasteful exterior

The white noren with a tiger drawn on it is a landmark.

Kariya Ryokan Q is a townhouse hotel located in a corner of the old castle town of Ako Castle, south of Kagakuji Temple, which is the family temple of successive lords of the Ako domain and where the graves of Ako warriors are located. This inn is a beautifully renovated 120-130 year old townhouse that opened in May 2019.

It is a two-story wooden building with a total area of ​​approximately 330 square meters and has five rooms. A tiger is depicted in black on the white noren curtain. The motif is a picture of a tiger displayed on the ceiling of the main hall of Kagakuji Temple. The ceiling painting was painted by Yoshinobu Hohashi in 1854, the Year of the Tiger, and is quite impressive. If you stay at this inn, be sure to visit Kagakuji Temple and see the paintings on the ceiling of the main hall before leaving.

Pay attention to the meaning of “Q”

It is also a sister hotel to "Yamazaki Ryokan Q" located on Sakagura Street in Yamazaki-cho, Shiso City. Similar to the concept of Yamazaki Ryokan, "Q" stands for "Quality", "Quest" (exploring the city), and "Quiet". ” (quiet and calm), meaning the “Q” of “Unique”, which is the only one that exists, and aims to be an inn that can give shape to each of them.

The elegant lobby area

You can also relax in the lobby.

This is the lobby. The Scandinavian design furniture, old-fashioned glass doors, and antique folding screens and hanging scrolls are a perfect combination, creating a modern Japanese atmosphere.

The courtyard remains as it was then.

The courtyard with its stone lanterns and chozu (washing water) is also very atmospheric. This space has been there from the beginning. While preserving the atmosphere of the garden, we removed a wide wet edge and placed a diamond chair. You can feel the atmosphere of Ako when you sit here.

If you go along the wet edge to your right, you will find a small tea room. This tea room is a small room where you can enjoy with only the minimum necessary light. It is a luxury to relax while looking at the garden from here.

reading room

There is another small room off to the side of the lobby. This is a small reading room with a mini library, desk, chair, and lamp stand. It also has picture books, so children will probably enjoy it too.

``Suho'' is a room that retains the unique atmosphere of an old folk house.

The name of the room is also nice.

Now let me introduce you to the room. The five rooms at this inn are named after Ako Misaki, where the sunset is beautiful, using the Japanese color orange. This is the "Suou" room. The entrance is at the end of an alley, and this room retains the unique atmosphere of an old folk house.

“Suou” room

The cedar floor, which was brought in from the forest kingdom of Shiso City, is comfortable to walk on with bare feet, and the terrace, which is decorated with mini bonsai, is made of plenty of wood, so you won't feel like you're in the middle of the city.

Relax in a cypress bathtub

This room is equipped with a cypress bath. If you soak in the cypress bathtub, you'll be able to slowly relieve the fatigue of your trip.

The maisonette type annex “Tsutsu” is popular.

2nd floor bedroom of “Tsutsu”

The only separate room at this inn, Tsutsuji, is a two-story maisonette type. This room has a capacity of 5 people and is on the 2nd floor. It is a Japanese-Western style room with a 10 tatami wooden floor space and a 3 tatami tatami room. This room also has a wonderful collaboration with ancient art such as folding screens.

The yellow chairs are eye-catching, but all of the chairs at this inn are individually selected by the staff to match each room. The lobby of Shokichi in Ako Misaki has many chairs with different shapes, and this hotel also uses them. I have a fetish for chairs, so I want to sit on them every time.

spacious cypress bath

Small Japanese room on the first floor

On the first floor, there is a small Japanese-style room and a spacious cypress bath connected to it. The dressing area and semi-open-air bath are made of natural wood, and the bath space alone is about 3 tatami mats in size. The bathtub is made of Spanish mackerel wood, and the room also has its own flat garden, which is very luxurious. It's also perfect for cooling off while feeling the outside air after taking a bath.

Every room is tasteful and beautiful.

``Kokuhi'' room

This is the ``Benihi'' room. The ceiling of the room has been restored as it was back then, and only painted with persimmon tannin. The materials for the earthen walls are ordered from Motatsuno City, and finished by skilled plasterers. Although there are other rooms, this room also uses the water closet that was originally in this house as a closet. The way you use furniture like that makes you feel nostalgic and relieved.

“Nadeko” room

This is the "Nadeshiko" room, which has a capacity of 4 people. This is the largest Japanese-Western room in the main building, with a 6-tatami mat space and a Western-style room. The ceiling materials, furniture, lattices, and frosted glass windows have all been restored to their original condition, allowing you to enjoy the atmosphere of an old folk house. The bath is spacious and has a very popular rain shower.

“Ginju” room

This is the "Ginshu" room. This is one of the rooms on the second floor. You can also see the neighboring Kagakuji Temple from the window of this room. It's a compact room that can accommodate two people, but the ceiling is high so it doesn't feel cramped.

A folding screen that matches the atmosphere

This inn is decorated with many folding screens, which blend nicely into the atmosphere of the inn, but the must-see is the folding screen in the hallway on the second floor. A painting of a monkey by the artist who drew the tiger that became the motif of this inn remains on the folding screen. Please look for it.

Cooking is also one of the pleasures of traveling.

example of dinner

Cooking is one of the joys of traveling. Dinner can be prepared at the on-site restaurant "GOKAN" upon request. Just like at Shokichi in Misaki, you can enjoy dishes full of seasonal flavors from the Setouchi Inland Sea, prepared in a kappo style by the chef in front of you.

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"Miya" lunch box

During the coronavirus pandemic, bento boxes from a nearby caterer called ``Miya'' have been popular. This meal is served in your room, so it's perfect for those who want to spend a relaxing time.

There are also plans to have dinner at famous Japanese cuisine restaurants Kuishinbo and Donguri, which are within walking distance, so it would be a good idea to make a reservation according to your preferences. Also, since the inn is located in the city, there are many restaurants nearby. One option is to take a breakfast-only plan and eat out for dinner.

Example of breakfast

For breakfast, we prepare GOKAN's special Japanese set meal. In the open kitchen, the fish is grilled over charcoal and the soup rolls are grilled right in front of you. You can experience the aroma of miso soup made with dashi stock and the deliciousness of rice cooked in a clay pot and homemade tofu.

GOKAN, a restaurant open to the community

“GOKAN” interior view

This is the restaurant "GOKAN" on the 1st floor. This is a space for guests to eat, but it is usually open to the community as a cafe. The space has a sophisticated Japanese modern feel, with comfortable chairs and tables.

One coin set 500 yen

This is the very popular "One Coin Set" for 500 yen. This volume comes with a drink and 3 types of sweets. That would be amazing.

There are five types of sweets available, including homemade salted caramel ice cream, homemade pudding with salted caramel sauce, brûlée, and salted cookies from a local pastry shop, Priere, and the staff will choose three of them to serve on one plate. It is served in a package. The food menu also includes ``conger eel pot rice'' (reservation required). In the summer, shaved ice is also available.

Kariya Ryokan Q Female staff

This inn is mainly staffed by young female staff. They all have such wonderful smiles that it's so much fun to talk to them. ``Since we are a small inn rather than a large inn, we especially value communication with our customers.It makes us happy when we receive compliments on our customer service, such as, ``I'm glad you treated me so kindly.''

One of the inn's concepts is to revitalize the town, so we also provide information on recommended restaurants nearby," says Rumi Kawamura, a staff member.

Important information at the end. Hotel guests can use the Shokichi hot springs at Ako Onsen for free. Baths are also provided in each room, but if you want to take a relaxing bath in a large bathtub, you can use this one. You can also use the shuttle bus departing from Kariya Ryokan Q at 15:45 and Shokichi at 17:15.

(Writer Utami)

*This article is information as of May 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may 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 (16:00LO)

Regular holidays: Irregular holidays

Access: 8 minutes walk from JR Banshu Ako Station

Parking lot: 8 spaces

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