Oyado Koto No Yume ryokan stay in Takayama

2 June 2016

Oyado Koto No Yume is a ryokan within a multi-storied building near the Takayama Station. We stayed at this ryokan after coming back from Kamikochi National Park and Hirayu-Onsen.

Upon arrival, we were ushered to a large airy lobby and served a cup of hot tea and sweets while the staff prepared the paperwork. Typical good ryokan hospitality.

The lobby, while modern and luxurious, also featured the traditional fireplace and kettle commonly seen in the villages of the Nakasendo.

Once the paperwork was done, the female guest was invited to choose a colourful yukata to wear for dinner or for exploring Takayama later. I was also given a choice of a male yukata to wear that was not too fancy.

 

After selecting the yukata, the staff placed them in a bag and accompanied us to our room. The decor in each of the guest room had been carefully selected to evoke Takayama’s rich cultural heritage.

On each floor, there were artwork and antique furnishings that has a theme. The third floor displayed traditional handcrafts and our room 321 showcased vintage Japanese fabric.

 

The room was quite spacious, with a separate dressing room and attached bath and toilet.  Other amenities included a safe deposit box, TV, expresso coffee machine with two capsules, air-conditioner, heater and Japanese style chairs with backrest and table on the tatami mats.

 

The ryokan has private onsen for couples and families but these are chargeable at 1100 yen. Would need to book early to avoid disappointment and the slots immediately after dinner were most popular. The shared, gender segregated onsens are free to use and we decided to go use these before dinner.

The onsen is located indoor and the ryokan tries to recreate the feeling of an external environment and nature with the decor. I had the whole bath to myself to enjoy the solitude and hot spring water.

Shared hot bath at Oyado Koto No Yume Ryokan – photo from hotel’s photo at booking.com website.

After the soak, we went back to our room and spent an hour relaxing in there. The yukata provided to female guest was like a kimono and came with a few obi belts and strings to tie round the waist and body. We spent some time to learn how to wear these using youtube and google. 

Dinner was served in a large dining room. Like the other parts of the ryokan, it featured local cultural artwork and furnishings.

Like all good ryokans, the Oyado Koto No Yume served multi-course traditional Hida cuisine for dinner.

First course was a glass of plum wine aperitif to whet our appetite. The appetizers were placed under in a triangular shaped bamboo cover that represented the Gassho style houses in the Hida region.

Appetisers for two with local delicacies. These included pickles, egg plant, rice wrapped in leaves, broad beans. Sometimes I did not know what I was eating but when travelling, just gave everything a try.

 

Fresh vegetable salad on ice are to be eaten with a nice dipping sauce made from garlic, olive oil and anchovies.

 

Clear soup with a slice of freshly harvested bamboo shoot, vegetable and other local delicacies.

 

Generous slices of sashimi with wasabi to be dipped into soyu sauce.

The grilled dish was a big slice of grilled salmon but I found this a little overcooked and dry.

 

The steamed dish is steamed egg with eel. It tasted salty and yet sweet. Delicious.

 

The highlight is the Hida Beef, cooked yakiniku style on a ceramic pot. This was no match for the premium grade Hida beef we had at Maruaki at lunch time.

The dinner also included the usual rice, pickles and miso soup with daikon, vegetables and leek.

The dessert were served buffet style. We could select what we want to eat at the dining room or could bring them back to our room.

By the time we finished dinner, it was time for bed. Futons were laid out and the bedroom dimmed while we were having dinner at the dining hall.

We did not go explore the historical old town in Takayama after dark, as we had experienced the best of them at the various post-towns during our Nakasendo hike. So it was “early to bed and early to rise” for us.

Our stay included breakfast and we had a choice of Japanese or Western. After so many days of Japanese food in Japan, we decided that a Western style breakfast would be good for a change. 

The Western breakfast came with raw eggs, slices of bacon, sausages, fresh salad with onsen tamago egg in it, and fruit salad with various berries and mango.

A table-top hot stove was provided, which we used to fry our egg, bacon and sausages. It was quite fun to cook your own eggs at the table. In addition, there was free flow of tea and coffee, fruits like cherries and cereals that we could help ourselves with from the buffet table. 

 

We have to catch the 9.38 AM train to Nagoya after breakfast. As we leave Oyado Koto No Yume, an amazing thing that I did not expect happened.

All the ryokan staff present in the lobby, including the manager, came together. They went on their knees and bow to thank us and wished us a pleasant journey.

Amazing hospitality.