As it is written the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest hotel still in operation is the Hoshi Ryokan, in Komatsu, Japan which you would not believe but opened as early as in 718. The hotel has been managed by the very same family for more than forty generations.
The origins of Houshi, the most ancient inn all over the world are truly divine. According to legend in 717 a noted priest Taicho hiked high up Mount Hakusan, a sacred and isolated mountain. While Taicho was asleep one night after starting his rigid training exercises, the God of Hakusan turned up while sleeping.
He made him go to a village named Awazu as there was an underground hot spring with amazing powers. The people of the village did not know of the good fortune. After dreaming Taicho made his way down to the village and revealed the treasure that laid underneath the earth's surface. Then the priest requested his disciple to construct and operate a spa at the site.
Generation after generation, Houshi proprietors got the name Zengoro Houshi. The first Zengoro led Taicho Daishi to the top of Mt. Hakusan. A lot of people undergoing illnesses stayed at the spa constructed. People began to make donations. He then employed the money todevelop the services he supplied.
These days the hotel provides a hundred rooms and can accommodate up to 450 guests. Visitors are received with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. For relaxation, visitors may stroll through the traditional Japanese gardens or wear a kimono, provided for their usage after soaking in either the indoor or outdoor hot springs.
The rooms of the hotel have been rented by members of the Imperial Family and are used continuingly for movies and television shows.
If you want to experience Japanese traditional and historical hospitality, then Hoshi Ryokan is the location to be and read more intriguing posts in our Siofok hotel blog. |
