HIIRAGIYA

HIIRAGIYA-RYOKAN
HIIRAGIYA-RYOKAN
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"On a drizzly afternoon in Kyoto, sitting by the window, I watch the falling rain,
listen to it's calming sound. It is here , at Hiiragiya, that I wistfully recall that
sense of tranquility that belonged to old Japan.
Yasunari KAWABATA
K
A- C HO- F U - G ETSU , f l owe r, bir ds,
wind, and moon. An image of
nature that recurs throughout
Japanese literature-the impor tance of
acknowledging the changing seasons. The
unador ned beauty and feeling of coolness evoked by handwoven ajiro mats in
s u m m e r. . . t h e l u s t r e o f w o o d e n b e a m s
whose natural sheen comes from cons t ant h and- pol i s h i ng. . . t h e cl e an, ast ringent taste of green tea...or the fresh
quality of a cuisine that relies more on
the flavor of natural ingredients than
on rich sauces or heavy seasonings...
all these elements characterize the love
for unaf fected beauty that can be found
at Hiiragiya. Even the simple pleasure
of sitting still enough, long enough, to
hear the sound of water trickling into a
small stone basin just outside the
window of your room. An appreciation
for the subtleties of nature-KA-CHOFU-GETSU-is an essential par t of experiencing an evening...or better yet,
a mor ning at Hiiragiya.
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Hiiragiya-Ryokan
" The light from the pale white
paper , powerless to dispel the
heavy darkness of the alcove, is
instead repelled by the darkness,
creating a world where dark and
light are indistinguishable . . . a
rare tranquility not found in
ordinary light . . . "
Junichiro TANIZAKI
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O
MOTENASHI, an atmosphere of
graciousness, hospitality, and
welcome. The inscription that
holds such a prominent place in the entry hall of Hiiragiya - "Kuru mono, kaeru
gotoshi " - has become this innkeeper's
motto . . . that a guest at Hiiragiya might
feel "as if he has come home". The service is attentive to a fault, but the real
charm lies in the time and care given to
the most inconspicuous details: catching
a glimpse of the gardener tweezing the
last microscopic weed from the mossy
garden floor . . .or the maid, who has
been with the inn for over fifty years,
fussing over the flower arrangement in
the alcove. She must slip the last and
most important flower into place just
before you enter your room. Each visit
to Hiiragiya is a delightfully new experience. Every room is designed differently,
and great pains are taken to insure that
you will not be served the same meal
twice. . .unless you should request otherwise. Individual preferences are catered
to impeccably. Unobtrusive , meticulous
attention to detail is a part of the spirit
of OMOTENASHI , the hospitality for
which Hiiragiya has gained its requtation as Kyoto's finest traditional inn.
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M
IYABI, a sense of elegance and refinement ,
neither effusive nor
baroque. . . simplicity and understatement with an aristocratic
pride that has no need to
boast. These are the qualities
that have been associated with
Kyoto, which was the capital
and cultural center of Japan for
over a thousand years. Hiiragiya
is noted for this subtle quality,
in the use of natural woods,
paper, and sand. . . in the soft
lustre of lacquered furnishings
. . . in the subdued reflective
quality of gold leaf on its classic
folding screens as the light from
a stone lantern in the garden
reaches in to draw out this gift
of M I Y A B I .
Nobel Prize winning novelist
Yasunari Kawabata once wrote
this is praise of his favorite inn:
"There have always been fine
inns in Kyoto - intimate, peaceful places-but today everything
is changing. Only here does time
stand still. . . at Hi iragi ya, a
symbol of Kyoto, the ancient
capital of Japan.
YASURAGI , relaxation , plain and simple. . . the kind that
removes all tension from body and mind. Water has always
had significance in Japan as a source of purification.
It is used not only to cleanse , but to refresh and
soothe. Whether in the hot, purging water of our cedar baths,
or in the gentle , reassuring trickle that flows. . . forever
changing ,always the same...into an old stone basin smoothed
and shpaed by centuries of constant caressing. . . water relaxes the mind. YASURAGI : sip the green tea slowly, listen
to the sound of water. . . to the rustle of bamboo. Take the
time to feel the time in the quiet privacy of Hiiragiya.
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HIIRAGIYA-RYOKAN
Oike-kado,Fuyacho,Nakakyo-ku,KYOTO JAPAN
Telephone. 075-221-1136
E-mail : info@hiiragiya.co.jp
H
I I R A G I YA was established in
1818 , and has gained a requtation over the past one-hundredand-fifty years as one of the most beloved
of Japan's traditional inns, or r yokan.
Under the ownership of the same family
for five generations, Hiiragiya has been
host to internationally famous men and
women-writers, ar tists, politicians, scientists, and members of the imperial
family. Both Nobel Prize winning novelist, Yasunari Kawabata , and noted
author, Junichiro Tanizaki, considered
Hiiragiya to be their home away from
home.
Hiiragiya takes its name from a type
of holly (hiiragi) that is believed to bring
good fortune. You'll find the symbol of
the holly leaf, our tradmark, throughout
the inn. It is our wish that it will bring
you the good luck it has brought us over
the years.
Each of the thir ty-three rooms at
Hiiragiya was uniquely designed with its
own special motif. Some rooms feature
lacquered bathrooms, while others are of
marble or tile. Painted folding screens in
some of the rooms are done on gold leaf;
others have ink paintings on handmade
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paper in the Zen style. Details like polished wooden beams, reed ceilings, and
hand-carved transomes are to be found
in all the rooms at Hiiragiya, as well as
antique maki-e lacquered writing boxes
. . . gilded and inlaid with mother-ofpearl. All rooms are traditional Japanese
style, with tatami mats, papered shoji
window, and sliding fusuma doors.
Contemporar y amentities have been
unobtrusively combined with the overall
traditional design. Modern air-conditioning and up-to-date communication facilities (including international telephone
service and Telex) are available for your
convenience. Since the turn of the centur y, the proprietors of Hiiragiya have
tried to keep abreast of the times. Note
the specially-made lacquered remote
control boxes shaped like gourds in
ever y room-one of great-grandfather's
treasured inventions. It not only turns
the light of f and on, but opens and
closes the cur tains-a first in its day,
and a symbol of Hiiragiya's wish to
serve the needs of the present without
disregarding the aesthetic considerations
of the past.
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MAP
OF
K YOTO
KYOTO INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE HALL
DAITOKUJI
TEMPLE
KINKAKUJI
TEMPLE
SHUGAKUIN
IMPERIAL
VILLA
KITAYAMA St.
KITAOJI St.
RYOANJI
TEMPLE
NINNAJI
TEMPLE
IMADEGAWA St.
KITANO
SHRINE
GINKAKUJI
TEMPLE
OLD IMPERIAL PALAGE
MARUTAMACHI St.
SENBON St.
TENRYUJI
TEMPLE
KORYUJI
TEMPLE
HIIRAGIYA ANNEX
HEIAN
SHRINE
NIJO St.
NIJO
CASTLE
OIKE St.
HIIRAGIYA
NANZENJI
TEMPLE
KATSURA
IMPERIAL
VILLA
HIGASHIOJI St.
KAWARAMACHI St.
TERAMACHI St.
FUYACHO St.
GOKOMACHI St.
KARASUMA St.
SHIJO St.
YASAKA
SHRINE
GION
CORNER
KA
MO
R.
OMIYA St.
KATSURA R.
NISHIOJI St.
HORIKAWA St.
SANJO St.
KIYOMIZUDERA
GOJO St.
NISHI
HONGANJI
HIGASHI
HONGANJI
SHICHIJO St.
SANJYU
SANGENDO
KYOTO STATION
TOJI
TEMPLE
HACHIJO St.
KUJO ST.
AVANTI
TO AIR PORT
HIIRAGIYA
Ryokan
CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES AT A JAPANESE INN
In keeping with the inscription that hangs in our
entry way, a saying that has become our motto at
Hiiragiya, it is our wish that arriving guests feel
". . . as if they are coming home. " But "home " to our
Japanese guests may mean something different than
it does to our guests from other countries.
The amenities of a Japanese inn, or ryokan, are
much the same as those of a traditional home. One of
the advantages of spending the night at a ryokan while
you are in Japan is that it offers you an opportunity to
experience the customs and lifestyle of the people.
In an effort to insure that all our guests truly feel at
home, we would like to explain the customs and courtesie observed in a traditional Japanese inn.
Upon your arrival at Hiiragiya, you'll notice that the
stone walkway leading from the main gate to the
doorstep has been splashed with water, a symbol of welcome in Japan. This informs our guests that they are
expected, and that everything has been made ready for
their arrival.
Taking off your shoes as you step up into a Japanese
inn is a sign that you acknowledge this welcome, and
wish to return your host's courtesy. Corridor slippers
are provided at the entrance, and are customarily removed as you enter your room to preserve the delicate
surface of the tatami mats. (You'll find an additional
pair of slippers for use in the restroom only.) If you
should wish to venture out into the garden, wooden geta
await you on the stone step outside.
The guest rooms at Hiiragiya are constructed entirely
of natural materials-polished wood, sand and clay
walls, ceramic tiles, straw mats, paper doors and
windows. The use of these materials creates a totally
natural environment, but at the same time necessitates
a bit of extra attention, especially since some of our
rooms are over one hundred years old.
The tokonoma, or alcove, is one important feature
of a Japanese-style room. This is the traditional place of
honor. In the old days, a samurai would keep his sword
on a special mounting in the tokonoma. Today there
might be a hanging scroll, a flower arrangement, and
perhaps a porcelain incense burner or a treasured figurine, Placing anything else there is considered a breach
of etiquette. At Hiiragiya, art objects that have been
treasured family possessions for several generations are
displayed in the tokonoma of every room, and guests
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are requested to take special care not to disturb them.
One room in a ryokan serves many different functions, just as the rooms of traditional Japanese houses
do. During the daytime with a low table in the center,
it serves as a sitting room or a dining room. After supper
in the evening, the table is put up, and thick cushioned
futon bedding is laid down as the same room becomes
a bedroom. Both breakfast and dinner are served in the
privacy of your own room, where you can enjoy an
undisturbed view of the garden. A Japanese-style bath
before dinner is a relaxing way to begin.
The bath is a special feature of every ryokan. At
Hiiragiya we have both private baths in every room, and
larger central baths for families or couples. The communal bath, once a popular custom in Japan, was a
place for "hadaka-no-tsukiai", or "skinship", if you will
...the feeling of closeness between friends when all the
pretenses have been removed. At Hiiragiya, our spacious
central baths can also be reserved for private use.
In Japan, bathtubs are for soaking only. Washing is
done before you enter, seated on small wooden stools
in front of individual water faucets. Splash yourself with
water from one of the wooden buckets, wash, rinse then
enter the bath for a relaxing soak. The temperature
of the water in a Japanese bath may be slightly hotter
than most Westerners are accustomed to. This not only
relaxes tired muscles, but was intended originally to
keep bathers warm throughout the cold winter evenings
in an age when central heating was not available in
Japan. The baths at Hiiragiya are all hand crafted
in the finest cedar, and the buckets and stools were
made by Tarugen, one of the last and finest of such
craftsmen in Kyoto.
Please note that room rates at a ryokan are determined per peason, per night, with both breakfast and
dinner, as well as tax and service, included in the price.
At Hiiragiya our meals are prepared by some of
Kyoto's finest traditional chefs. Formal kaiseki cuisine
is our specialty, although meat dishes are also available
on request for guests who prefer it to sashimi(raw fish).
Thank you for your efforts in observing these customs with us. We offer them here in an attempt to add
to your comfort and pleasure. Several English-speaking
members of our staff are always on hand to answer any
questions or requests you might have. Please enjoy your
stay at Hiiragiya.
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HIIRAGIYA
Ryokan
Oike-kado,Fuyacho,Nakakyo-ku,KYOTO JAPAN
mailto:info@hiiragiya.co.jp
http://www.hiiragiya.co.jp/
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