Miyamasou — Hotel in Kyoto

This is a place you'll want to return to at different times of the year to experience the seasonal changes of the natural environment and the exquisite, kaiseki of freshly picked ingredients sourced from the forest, river and beyond. ||Each time we have been to Miyamasou we've tried a variety of different dishes according to the season from wild berries picked that morning (before the bears ate them) to freshly caught Ayu river fresh. We've been seated in both the traditional, peaceful private tatami rooms in the old temple quarters as well as the Naguri Room with it's shared, sunken seating around a counter (kappo style.) From here you can watch the chef at work - the underfloor heating here is just what you need during the colder weather. ||Accommodation is in sukiya style - tea house style architecture wing by the stream. The building rooms are sublime & tastefully decorated - flower arrangement and calligraphy hung in the tokonoma alcove. Rooms have the most comfortable fluffy futons, heating & airconditioning, down to your choice of Jazz or classical music on the washlet panel!|| In Summer, it's pure pleasure to relax on your own veranda overlooking the meandering stream, enjoing tea and sweets surrounded by nature's verdant display.||In Spring, the stream had turned into a rushing river torrent and huge, wild sakura cherry trees were blooming in the forest and daffodils were clumped on the river banks giving the surroundings a pastoral atmosphere that I would not have imagined on my previous visits.|| Relaxation amongst nature is really the essence of what a stay here entails. There's no doubt about it, this is an isolated spot and your time will be spent reading a book, going for walks along the mountain path or climbing to the hilltop temple. The paths are used by local timber cutters and lead deep into the forest. You are unlikely to meet anyone else on your walks.||The Okami proprietress is always welcoming - from our very first visit to Miyamasu we were treated like honoured guests and on return we could never fault the professional service of the friendly but unintrusive staff. ||It is such a long way from Kyoto city so you must either rent a car (mountain roads are narrow and winding so beware in Winter. In Summer, if going through Kurama/Kibune traffic jams can be an issue in and around both these popular onsen towns.); Or catch a taxi (cost just over ¥10,000); Or catch a slow, local bus and the Miyamasou staff will pick you up at the bus stop. Bus departs from Demachiyanagi or Kurama - at 1hr 40mins it's a long journey on an uncomfortable regular bus, the seats are particularly hard & quite narrow ... and on our trip played a nerve-jangling rendition of Greensleeves for the whole trip ( just like an old Ice Cream van doing its rounds!) Elderly locals popped out of the middle of the forest to catch the bus - goodness knows where they'd come from. Note: there are only 4 buses per day.||If visiting in August you may have the rare opportunity to see the spectacular ancient fire festival Matsuage at Hanase village - not to be missed if you are in the...

This is a place you'll want to return to at different times of the year to experience the seasonal changes of the natural environment and the exquisite, kaiseki of freshly picked ingredients sourced from the forest, river and beyond. ||Each time we have been to Miyamasou we've tried a variety of different dishes according to the season from wild berries picked that morning (before the bears ate them) to freshly caught Ayu river fresh. We've been seated in both the traditional, peaceful private tatami rooms in the old temple quarters as well as the Naguri Room with it's shared, sunken seating around a counter (kappo style.) From here you can watch the chef at work - the underfloor heating here is just what you need during the colder weather. ||Accommodation is in sukiya style - tea house style architecture wing by the stream. The building rooms are sublime & tastefully decorated - flower arrangement and calligraphy hung in the tokonoma alcove. Rooms have the most comfortable fluffy futons, heating & airconditioning, down to your choice of Jazz or classical music on the washlet panel!|| In Summer, it's pure pleasure to relax on your own veranda overlooking the meandering stream, enjoing tea and sweets surrounded by nature's verdant display.||In Spring, the stream had turned into a rushing river torrent and huge, wild sakura cherry trees were blooming in the forest and daffodils were clumped on the river banks giving the surroundings a pastoral atmosphere that I would not have imagined on my previous visits.|| Relaxation amongst nature is really the essence of what a stay here entails. There's no doubt about it, this is an isolated spot and your time will be spent reading a book, going for walks along the mountain path or climbing to the hilltop temple. The paths are used by local timber cutters and lead deep into the forest. You are unlikely to meet anyone else on your walks.||The Okami proprietress is always welcoming - from our very first visit to Miyamasu we were treated like honoured guests and on return we could never fault the professional service of the friendly but unintrusive staff. ||It is such a long way from Kyoto city so you must either rent a car (mountain roads are narrow and winding so beware in Winter. In Summer, if going through Kurama/Kibune traffic jams can be an issue in and around both these popular onsen towns.); Or catch a taxi (cost just over ¥10,000); Or catch a slow, local bus and the Miyamasou staff will pick you up at the bus stop. Bus departs from Demachiyanagi or Kurama - at 1hr 40mins it's a long journey on an uncomfortable regular bus, the seats are particularly hard & quite narrow ... and on our trip played a nerve-jangling rendition of Greensleeves for the whole trip ( just like an old Ice Cream van doing its rounds!) Elderly locals popped out of the middle of the forest to catch the bus - goodness knows where they'd come from. Note: there are only 4 buses per day.||If visiting in August you may have the rare opportunity to see the spectacular ancient fire festival Matsuage at Hanase village - not to be missed if you are in the...

We made the 1 1/2 hr trek by taxi to (11,000 yen) to Miyamasou after reading about the ryokan in the Wall Street Journal. I took my two daughters, ages 16 and 22. The drive was beautiful though the forested mountains past small villages. I am happy that I didn't attempt the drive myself because the road is very narrow. It is a two-way road with only one lane in parts.||||When we arrived at the ryokan we were greeted at the car by two ladies dressed in traditional kimonos. They whisked us to our room - no checking in. We were immediately given tea and mochi snack and yukada robes to wear. The room was blissful, a suite of three traditional tatami rooms with a balcony over a river in the middle of a mountain forest. It was magical! We were asked if we wanted to take an onsen (traditional bath) before dinner. We were taken to the onsen a short way from our room and all three of us soaked in the deep, wooden hot bath. We opened the full length windows onto the rushing river and let the brisk air in while we bathed.||||At 6:30 we were called for dinner in another building, we are shown over in our yukada robes and seated in another beautiful traditional tatami room. We started in on a three hour 12-course meal to end all meals. Miyamasou is known for the food, foraged and locally procured. Everything was beautifully prepared and presented, delicious and innovative. Read Ruth Reishal's review or WSJ article to get a full description. There were some very adventurous things on the menu and I have to say that we did our best to eat or try everything. The big surprise is that bear was really delicious and that we ate sea cucumber ovaries (yes, you read that right). The foraged vegetables were made into lots of appetizing dishes like fiddle-head fern tempura, roasted broad beans and potato croquettes with mountain leaf puree. We also had mountain stream carp, shrimp and eel. It was an epicurean tour de force.||||The next morning we had a lovely, multi-course breakfast and then headed back to Kyoto. It was a beautiful, zen-like retreat.||||although the inn was full (I think they accommodate 12 people), we never saw another soul besides our two female helpers. It is the ultimate,...