Minshuku Echigoya

Such amazing hospitality from Echigoya Ryokan. We were made to feel very welcome and had everything that we needed and more at this original traditional ryokan in the heart of the beautiful town of Narai. The beds were super comfortable, yukata and towels supplied and the locally sourced home-cooked food was to die for. The onsen was just what we needed after our chilly hike in the snow ❄️ Thank you so much for your care and attention in making us feel so welcome on our Nakasendo hike.

A little difficult to find the front door so went to the tourist office opposite and he introduced us to the owner of the ryokan, who was charming. We were the only people staying and were given two adjoining rooms to use which gave us plenty of space. Shown around the building pointing out bathroom with hot bath and shower, washing area (essentially outside so a bit chilly) and heated toilet area. Greeted with hot green tea in the room and explanation about dinner, beds and timings etc. has heaters were on so it was warm and cosy. The evening meal was superb washed down with sake. The host made up our futon beds. It was a cold night but we both slept well and were warm with the lovely thick quilts despite the heaters being turned off. A lovely Japanese style breakfast with many small dishes plus miso soup and rice. We loved this place for its old world charm and the kind hospitality.

First the good news. Narai is a perfectly preserved post town along the historical Nakasendo that connects Tokyo to Kyoto. It's more beautiful than Magome (very commercialized) and Tsumago (equally as beautiful but with less accomodations). The menu is pescatarian (no meat) and absolutely delicious. The very charming chef owner makes everything himself and it's obvious. Echigoya is a historical building and has been minimally outfitted with modern conveniences. So now the not so good news. Echigoya is not a hotel, but a rustic family run minshuku and less luxurious than a ryokan. There is no air conditioning or TV. Facilities are shared; there are no private bathrooms. The single user bath is 100% cypress wood and very small. Echigoya is located right next to the tracks so trains go whizzing by though I enjoyed sitting on the veranda in the rocking chair. The family that operates the inn lives there, and you have to pass through what I assume is the all purpose living room to get to the rooms except for the one(s) located upstairs. It was a little awkward and I hesitated going out for a stroll, even though the family is probably used to it. Narai is a one night stopover on the Nakasendo. There is not much to do and all the shops close by 5:00. There aren't many trains if you are thinking about visiting other post towns. If you are brave you can hike up the pass like they did in the Edo period over to Yabuhara , the next town over. There are NO accomodations there so you'll have to hop on the train to the next town with places to stay, Kiso Fukushima.

We were so grateful that we got the opportunity to stay here! Echigoya Ryokan only allows its guests to stay 1 night, in order to give more people the opportunity to experience this special place. (There are only 2 rooms in this ryokan) But one night is all you need in Narai, and quite simply a fantastic one! ||||It may seem quite pricey to stay here, but what you get to experience and considering all the delicious and authentic meals included, its definitely worth every penny!||||Echigoya is run by a wonderfully warm and friendly family. The ryokan has been run by the same family for 9 generations. The ryokan is over 200 years old, but has been well looked after and maintained. Our room was on the ground floor, and had a beautiful view of the forest and autumn colours. The room is large, consisting of 2 sections, one for sleeping and eating, and one for relaxing and drinking tea :)||||You are provided with kimono's and coats, socks, towels and facecloths. ||||The meals were authentic Japanese meals and absolutely delicious! Meals are served in your room by the very humble and hospitable owner. He will explain every course and how they make it, which we found very interesting. ||||The bathroom facilities were very good and everything was spotless and clean. We loved the hot tub which we soaked and relaxed in on a very cold autumn evening. ||||We slept like babies on the extremely comfortable tatami beds under thick duck feather down duvets. ||||Waking up feeling revived and rejuvenated, we were ready for the next part of our journey. We loved every moment at Echigoya, which is a very special place xxxx

This minshuku (traditional inn) is worthy of 5 stars for its historic value in the Narai district. The wooden building is a testament to two centuries of arduous upkeep, and you can feel that craftsmanship with every subtle creek of the floor. After taking a soak in its small cypress wood bath and changing into yukata, our dinner was brought to us and each course was explained in detail. I particularly enjoyed the local koi sashimi with miso paste sauce. Not your standard fish dish, but surprisingly good. We became even more impressed when our host revealed our lacquerware dinner trays are the inn's original set, dating back to the early 19th century, and carefully maintained by a local specialist. We wrapped up the night with a hot bath and changed to the yukata and haori to keep our bodies warm as it was surprisingly cold at night. We can't thank the host for being such a friendly gentleman. Just be mindful that this inn can only accomodate a max of 4 guests and it is pretty much occupied every day (according to the current owner). The price we paid for 1 night is $365 (dinner & breakfasr included). Absolute bargain in my honest opinion. Highly recommended.

Echigoya is one of the only remaining six Hatago in Japan being operated since the Edo period. It was like staying at a museum as the building and furniture were well kept for hundreds of years. The food was lovely and the family who run the Hatago were very friendly and helpful. The room doesn't have a TV but there is free Wi-Fi if you are desperate for modern technology. A Japanese style wooden bath is downstairs which is shared by the guests. Echigoya only take two groups with maximum of six people per night so the rooms get booked up quite quickly. It was amazing to stay at the Hatago like the Edo travellers.

We had an incredible three weeks in Japan for our honeymoon with alot of amazing experiences - but when people asked which our favourite day was, the day we stayed in this Ryokan wins. ||The town itself is a lovely old street in one of the post towns on the Nakasendo way - Narai - when we arrived it was lovely and quiet and felt very authentic and like we had stepped back in time. ||Our host at the Ryokan and his family could not have been nicer - we felt so well looked after - from the tea on arrival and the electric blanket table. The charm is stepping into this beautiful old building and being swept along in the hospitality. As travellers who are used to going out in evenings and exploring it was incredibly special and relaxing to have a bath, put on the provided yukatas and stay in this gorgeous old building for Japanese hospitality at its best. ||The evening meal was delicious and interesting and local, in the most beautiful crockery. The breakfast was the most beautifully presented breakfast I am ever likely to have. ||I thoroughly recommend making the trip to Narai to stay here. I was a bit worried about transport pre travel to Japan, but the trains are regular and easy once you are here - you just have to trust that you can get places - and the Ryokan is less than five minutes from the station. We walked a section of the Nakasendo Way from Magome to Tsumago - then a really short bus to station for train. ||I also recommend travelling from here up to Matsumoto Castle, to Shibu Onsen to sample the nine onsens and to the Wild Monkey Park. The Nakasendo way with it's post towns is a must. ||

We stayed one night at this absolutely beautiful ryokan that is over 200 years old. Yutaka-san and his wife took care of us wonderfully. Yutaka-san carefully prepared us Japanese tea on arrival in our beautiful rooms full of the most lovely objects and. antiques. Our futons were so soft and warm and were laid out for us with such care with a heater and bedside traditional lamp to create a relaxing warm atmosphere ready for sleep as it gets quite cold in Narai in the evening. After our lovely hot bath in the wooden bath we were served a stunning keiski multi course meal of beautifully prepared and delicious dishes of local and seasonal specialities. A similarly delightful breakfast was served in the morning. Such a pleasure to stay in this rare jewel of a place and be under the hospitable and superb care of Yutaka-san and his wife and family. Narai itself is stunning too with a back drop of mountains. An ancient Nakasendo trail experience not to be missed.