Notoya Ryokan

The rich heritage of Notoya Ryokan stretches back from 1892, where it started out as a three-story inn along the Ginzan River. It was meant to be a place to stay that would not be far from the city while also being close to the relaxing and invigorating sights and sounds of Kanazawa’s natural beauty.

While the Ryokan itself was founded earlier, the main building itself was constructed in 1921 during the Taisho Era, having been maintained and renovated into its current four-story form. Its most recent renovation was in 2010. Later on, the Ryokan's uniqueness as a historical property would enable it to be featured in the NHK series Oshin in 1983, and would be further emphasized through obtaining the status of a tangible cultural property.

Notoya Ryokan showcases classic Japanese architecture, with refined wooden structures and meticulous detailing that reflect local and historical aesthetics. The ryokan features traditional tatami rooms with sliding doors, serene gardens, communal dining and recreational spaces, and hot springs, along with underground and open-air bathing areas, amidst wondrous natural scenery.

Architecturally, the ryokan is known for its detailed plaster engravings known as kote-e and its authentic yet minimalist design. The ryokan offers a blend of modern and traditional amenities like private toilets in tatami rooms, indoor gaming rooms for playing billiards or table tennis, and shared baths both indoors and outdoors for same gender use.

The ryokan serves its meals at its indoor halls, both breakfast and dinner, where guests may choose to dine in Western or Japanese style seating arrangements, with chabudai and seating cushions. Ingredients are drawn from local sources, with fish and vegetables being prominent. Meals are mainly Japanese-style, and depending on visitors' reservation remarks, the ryokan could make accommodations for those who wish to abstain from eating meat or prefer vegetarian meals.

Breakfast

Consists of Tsuyahime rice from Yamagata Prefecture and the Oshinmeshi dish from the NHK series Oshin, which had featured Notoya Ryokan.

Dinner

A traditional Japanese kaiseki meal that uses Obanazawa's Yukifuri Wagyu beef shabu-shabu, river fish such as trout and carp (both sweet and washed), seasonal wild vegetables and mushrooms, among other local ingredients.

Given its location along the Ginzan River and at a distance from Obanazawa itself, the ryokan's main appeal is not only its scenic and naturally harmonious surroundings, but also its various hot springs and baths that allow visitors a whole range of options. From simply dipping their toes or legs into the outdoor springs while taking in the sights and sounds, they can also enjoy the natural comforts of these springs from the indoor baths. There is also the additional choice of a traditional indoor bath that is more faithful to the ryokan's Taisho-era heritage or a more modern-style indoor bath.

For those who are more adventurous or want to experience both at the same time, visitors could also try out the underground cave baths or the open-air observation baths, which give visitors the chance to take in and enjoy the natural beauty from the comfort of the ryokan itself. The baths are available most of the day, but are closed from 12:00am to 5:00am, while the open-air observation baths are unavailable during the winter (usually from late November to late April).