BYAKU Narai

I visited on the 17th and 18th of last week for a refresh vacation. When I arrived, there were so many people along the Narai-juku street that it was difficult to make my way in.The garden outside my Room was spacious and could be enjoyed from the floor-to-ceiling window, creating a calm atmosphere where time seemed to slow down. I was able to spend some quiet, relaxing moments.Both the food and drinks were absolutely delicious!I was also very satisfied with the dinner pairing—the selections matched perfectly.Personally, one dish featuring locally grown vegetables and the gin and tonic served as part of the pairing were especially memorable!The staff at BYAKU Narai were easy to talk to, and I really enjoyed our conversations—it became a wonderful memory.This time I missed out on trying the whisky, so next time I’d like to make sure I don’t forget. I also forgot to buy a bottle for home (haha).

This was a place and an Accommodation I’d wanted to visit for a long time, but since it doesn’t have an Onsen, it ultimately dropped off my shortlist. For some reason, this time I just really wanted to go, so we decided to stay.When choosing our Room, since we don’t like moving around too much, we looked at Rooms in the main building (Toshiyoshiya), where the front desk, restaurant, large public bath, and bar are all on the same premises. Since it was a special occasion, we chose Room 102 facing the Narai-juku street. The Room is on the second floor, so you don’t end up making eye contact with tourists walking by—and you can enjoy people-watching instead. We were also surprised at how close you can see the sugidama hanging under the eaves and how large it is.Because it’s an old wooden building, during the day you can hear passersby and check-in conversations, but at night it becomes quiet. It didn’t bother me. Also, since the stairs are steep in an old-fashioned way, elderly guests or those with mobility issues may find them a bit concerning.There were only four bottles of water in the Room, but there’s tea and juice in a freezer next to the front desk that you’re free to take back to your Room.I love Onsen baths, but since there isn’t one here this time I soaked in the large public bath filled with spring water. It was about 30 minutes after check-in and no one else was there—so it felt like having it all to ourselves. It was wonderful! The in-room bath also had bath additives such as sake lees that made it enjoyable.Dinner featured locally sourced ingredients; everything was thoughtfully prepared and delicious. We’re a couple around retirement age (late 50s/early 60s), and the portion size felt just right.By chance our stay overlapped with Chin Shrine’s annual grand festival as well, so we were able to watch part of it and really enjoyed ourselves.We’d also like to visit Narai-juku during its usual days too—so when we return again someday, we look forward to staying with you again.