River Fish & Mountain Vegetable Cuisine Wada-ya

I stayed at this Ryokan specifically to enjoy ayu, as it is famous for its ayu cuisine. At dinner, a wide variety of ayu dishes were served, and I thoroughly enjoyed more than 10 fish. The most delicious was the ayu rice; even though I was already full, I ended up having two bowls. The non-ayu dishes also looked excellent, so next time I plan to try dishes other than ayu.The proprietress, the attendants, and the head chef were all friendly, and I had a wonderful time. It was a pity that the bath was not an Onsen, but it was spacious enough for more than the number of guests staying there, so I could soak at leisure and ease my travel fatigue.As this is a historic culinary Ryokan, you can’t expect modern comforts; however, it is well maintained in its own way and offers a different kind of comfort from today’s luxury Ryokan. This Accommodation lets you experience the comfort of a traditional Japanese inn.

My wife and I stayed for one night shortly before Tanabata.We visited after seeing it featured on NHK’s “Bi no Tsubo,” because we wanted to try the irori hearth cuisine.The entrance is located within the large parking area of Shirayama Hime Shrine, and the Accommodation sits in a quiet setting between the shrine’s approach paths. Our Room was a Japanese-style tatami room, and the garden view from the engawa veranda—looking past the irori—was full of charm and very relaxing. There is no toilet in the Room, but one is very close by, so it wasn’t an issue. It felt like staying in a spacious traditional home. Also, in a reading room near the bath called Waraku-an, we could sit on chairs on the veranda and gaze at the greenery along the shrine approach, losing track of time.Dinner was served in another Japanese-style room with an irori. The appetizers presented in a bamboo basket were decorated with bamboo leaves and hydrangeas, giving a cool summer feel. After that, we enjoyed delicious dishes centered around ayu (sweetfish) grilled by the young proprietor over the irori in our room. The ayu rice was excellent as well. Including breakfast, everything was truly delicious, and the portions were just right—we were very satisfied.Before long we noticed handwritten messages from the proprietress throughout our Room and around the Accommodation. They are humorous and warm, and when you speak with her you can really feel her heartfelt hospitality and unhurried sense of time. She even said that when bears once appeared at the shrine, they had simply come to pay their respects—bravo.All in all, Wadayasan at Mt. Hakusan was an outstanding Accommodation for its setting, food, and wonderful proprietress—and it’s an Accommodation we would love to stay at again.