Kasuga Hotel

It had been a while since we last gathered—this time, all our children and grandchildren came together to celebrate my wife’s and my birthdays.We chose a long-established Ryokan located at the gateway to beautiful Nara Park, just a 2-minute walk from Kintetsu-Nara Station—an ideal meeting point for our family coming from both the Kanto and Kansai regions.The Shosoin-inspired building we had often admired on the way to Nara Park turned out to be Kasuga Hotel.It was our first stay, and it proved to be a wonderful Accommodation that stands at the entrance to historic Nara Park. Here are a few memorable moments from our visit.With its major restoration now underway—the first in about 120 years since FY2022—Kofuku-ji Temple’s National Treasure Five-Story Pagoda will be something we look forward to enjoying again from our Room once the work is completed.

All the staff were kind and served us sincerely. First, I was surprised by the fluent Japanese of the Nepalese female staff member who welcomed us. I think it’s wonderful how much she has studied Japanese and etiquette. Later, I mistakenly operated the coffee machine in the lounge and spilled hot coffee on my hand, also dirtying a nearby container. I apologized at the front desk, but they cleaned it up without showing any displeasure. I feel very sorry about that.The Room felt compact, but it was clean, and the Japanese-style Room had a sunken kotatsu-style setup that was convenient to use. However, since the floor level of the Japanese-style Room is about as high as a bed and there are no handrails for getting on and off, we felt it could be a bit unsafe for elderly guests like us.We only had breakfast because we had plans in the evening, but we enjoyed healthy dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. We sometimes eat tea porridge when we come to Nara so it didn’t feel particularly unusual, but it did make us feel like we were truly in Nara. The bath was also spacious and nice. Above all, being in such a great location—just a 5-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station—is very appreciated for travelers like us who rely on public transportation.