Takahan has been certified as Sakura Quality, TIMELESS YUKIGUNI and A-Grade Gourmet.
Certification schemes such as “TIMELESS YUKIGUNI” and “YUKIGUNI A-grade Gourmet” are part of the criteria for luxury travel. However, our idea of “luxury” does not mean simply being extravagant or exclusive. It is a unique culture and experience that is true luxury. If you are interested in the uniqueness of our region, you may also like to read this article.
A Hidden Cultural Experience In Japan
A long-running ryokan with over nine hundred years of history
Ecolodges Japan in YUKIGUNI
Message from the accommodation
A Japanese style hot spring hotel holding Niigata’s oldest history. Our hot spring baths are all natural, with no added water or heat. Free shuttle bus to ski resorts and station.
Half board/13,500 JPY〜31,320 JPY
The reason why TIMELESS YUKIGUNI recommend Takahan.
The ryokans selected to represent TIMELESS YUKIGUNI embody the very best of the Japanese hospitality tradition and the highest levels of comfort. Yet each one of them goes further than this, and all have incorporated influences from the history, culture, and way of life of the area. For those who see travel as an opportunity to broaden their minds and horizons, rather than mere sightseeing, TIMELESS YUKIGUNI ryokans are the perfect choice.
List of 12 ryokans at TIMELESS YUKIGUNI
Inspiration
Takahan is an iconic location in the history of the region and of Yuzawa. It is one of the oldest continuously operating lodgings in the country and boasts a history of over 900 years with the same family being in charge since the discovery of the onsen. They are the custodians of the hot spring which has been a source of comfort and healing for centuries. It is a true family-run operation with children, parents and grandparents all involved in day-to-day operations.
A Naturally Occurring Spring with Highly Regarded Water
The spring here is unusual as it is found coming out above ground whereas the vast majority of springs have to be dug for. The water temperature is a near perfect forty three degrees so it needs no heating, cooling, or circulating. The abundant flow completely refills the baths in a matter of hours. In the times before doctors the onsen played an important role in healing and wellness, and the ryokan has its roots as a place for farm labourers to come and relax after a grueling season in the fields. The water is also well-known for the silky feel on the skin.
Guided Tour of Takahan
There are generations of history and culture on display in this historic ryokan. Takahan is probably best known for its connection with Yasunari Kawabata and his Yukiguni novel, and there are many artifacts relating to him in the Kasumi-no-ma museum, which is the room where the author penned his story. There are also works from many other famous writers and artists, carvings from an historically important local castle, and an ancient shrine to the deity of the onsen that dates back six hundred years. These and the stories around them makes for a fascinating glimpse into the history of the area.
Comfort
Takahan offers classic onsen ryokan style accommodation. The family run atmosphere gives it a homely feeling, and with its years of helping weary travelers relax, it is a great place to rest and recover.
Onsen Water Straight from the Source to the Baths
The hot spring baths at Takahan are well-known for the quality of the water and many guests come back again and again to enjoy the baths. In the past the hotel offered stays of a week or two weeks for people to enjoy the health benefits of the waters and get a good break. They still have long stay plans for those that want to fully indulge in onsen relaxation. The female bath has an indoor and outdoor onsen. The male bath has an indoor onsen, a cold water pool fed by a mountain spring (that used to provide the drinking water for Takahan), and a sauna, as well as great views of the valley and the sunrise. Drinking the onsen water is also supposed to provide health benefits to the stomach, as well as being an effective cure in the case of over-indulgence in the delcious local sake.
To find out more, please visit TIMELESS YUKIGUNI report page.
Takahan is certified as A-grade Gourmet.
A-grade gourmet is a food certification system designed to preserve and pass on to future generations a traditional food culture suited to the climate. The certification is based on the proportion of local products used, including agricultural products and seasonings, efforts made in conjunction with agricultural producers, and taste.
If you would like to know more about the concept of A-Grade Gourmet and its contribution to the community, please read the following articles.
YUKIGUNI A-Grade Gourmet To Pass On Japanese Food Culture To The Future
Critique by A-grade gourmets
Overall rating ★★★
- You can taste kaiseki cuisine made with ingredients from Uonuma and prepared in the traditional way of YUKIGUNI.
- Takahan is the home of a natural hot spring, popularly known as “Tamago no Onsen”. The quality of the spring water is excellent.
- It is also the inn where the Nobel Prize winning writer Yasunari Kawabata wrote his book “YUKIGUNI (Snow Country)”.
Japanese food begins and ends with water.
For dishes, they use the best local water and dashi made from first class kelp from Hokkaido and dried bonito from Makurazaki. Seasonings are also made from genuine, additive-free ingredients, using soy sauce and mirin from the prefecture.
Vegetables, fish, meat and other ingredients are also mainly from YUKIGUNI. In the spring, chefs pick their own wild vegetables. The taste is outstanding.
What’s more, Takahan is the source of Echigo Yuzawa only naturally flowing “Tamago no Yu”. The hot water is a free-flowing source of water with no added water or temperature. With good onsen and good food, and prices starting in the low 10,000s, the cost performance is also outstanding.
To learn more about A-Grade Gourmet (official website in Japanese)
923, Yuzawa, Yuzawa-machi Minamiuonuma-gun, Niigata
