Shiroyamakan

Il est très difficile d’évaluer cet hébergement tant les mots semblent faibles et insuffisants pour saisir l’ensemble des détails qui ont été soignés, d’abord sur le cadre lui-même, de la vaisselle, d’une élégance remarquable, à l’architecture, qui réactualise le ryokan traditionnel de façon magistrale. Ensuite, sur l’accueil, qui dépasse les plus hauts standards, même japonais. C’est une famille qui vous reçoit ici, avec tout son cœur, toute son âme et un immense souhait de partage de son histoire et de sa culture. Ce partage passe bien sûr par la cuisine et comment ne pas féliciter dès lors cette audace et cette sophistication? De tels repas- à Paris- demanderaient des mois de réservations à l’avance. Le couronnement de ce rêve est le sento avec vu sur la rivière : un pur moment d’extase. C’est notre troisième voyage au Japon mais cet hébergement a quelque chose de particulier et jamais nous ne l’oublierons. Merci du fond du cœur.

We stayed 1 night in the Shiroyamakan on our individual 4-week trip through Japan. Location/general: Located at the start of the historic village, 80m to the fairly steep but shortest path to the viewpoint (observation deck), 200m to the combi & bus shuttle to the observation deck. We went there with a rental car. Perfect, parking spaces for hotel guests right by the house. Everything is fantastically well maintained, Japanese-style dining room, 2 onsen for private use, one of them with a wonderful view of the river, an absolute "must". The senior boss drove us through the village and then to the observation deck in a first-class minibus at 3 p.m., English explanations were available. That was extremely helpful, we immediately had an orientation regarding the distances. From the observation deck (the best place for photos, especially in the morning) we then walked into the village (10-15 minutes). The host family is incredibly friendly, attentive and caring, you feel at home from the start, the greeting itself is wonderfully relaxing. Rooms: We had a "triple room with private bathroom" in the traditional ryokan style, there are also "newly" designed rooms. Spacious, separate bathroom (with tub) & toilet, fridge, traditional Japanese "balcony/loggia". Kimonos. We cannot recommend the "new" and "old" rooms, we found ours to be first class, we did not see the other "new" ones (you can see it on the homepage). Dinner/breakfast: First class quality and absolutely fantastic service by the junior owners, an experience that was part of the consistently fantastic ryokan kaiseki experiences of our trip. The modern Japanese minimalist dining room has a fantastic atmosphere that is difficult to capture in photos. Price/performance: very good. Conclusion: we can warmly recommend this ryokan to anyone who plans to visit Shirakawago/Shirakawa-mura. The house, the rooms, the owner family & not least the food create a wonderful atmosphere. Be sure to plan an overnight stay, as this is the only way to experience the place in the evenings and mornings in a more relaxed manner without lots of bus tourists.