Michelin-listed ryokan "Shiroyamakan," in world heritage Shirakawa-go

Attractive to interact with family

Well, the above is a rough outline of the flow and charm of staying at Shiroyamakan, but there is also a big charm of Shiroyamakan that should not be forgotten.

It is "contact" with the Shiroyamakan family.

From the left, I, my second son (1 year old), my wife of the young proprietress, the mother of the proprietress, the father of the 4th owner, my wife's younger sister, my wife's younger sister, and my wife's younger brother, who is not in the picture. My eldest son (5 years old) and my wife's sister's eldest daughter (4 years old), a total of 10 people, manage the ryokan.

We talk with our guests at various times, such as during the sightseeing tours I mentioned earlier and at meals, so you can have the one-of-a-kind experience of "coming to stay at a ryokan called Shiroyamakan," which you cannot experience at any other inn.

That's why some of our customers say, "It's kind of like visiting a relative's house in the countryside."

On the other hand, we are not overly friendly, but treat each customer with a sense of distance and polite hospitality, so of course you can enjoy a slow and private time.

Sometimes our children may appear, so please play with them when they do.

What to see in Shirakawa-go in the future

As I wrote at the beginning, Shirakawa-go is going to be a very pleasant season, so I will introduce it with photos.

First of all, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom around mid-April. The combination of gassho village and cherry blossoms is the best!

From the end of April to the beginning of May, the rice fields are filled with water, and you can see the upside-down Gassho style reflected in the water.

From the beginning of May when the rice planting begins, the scenery changes to a serene rural landscape. The scenery spreads throughout the village as if you had slipped back in time to the era of Japanese folk tales.

Fireflies can be seen from late June to mid-July. I'm worried about the abnormal weather in recent years, but so far, there are still many of them. At this time of year, the night firefly tour begins at Shiroyamakan.

<Photo courtesy> Hida Kanko Company
Photo: Anno Etsuji
http://hidakankocompany.com/
https://www.facebook.com/shirakawagoinfo/

A chance to taste the original Shirakawa-go now when there are few people

Actually, there are no tourists in Shirakawa-go right now due to the coronavirus. The main street, which is usually crowded with people, is quiet and lonely, but when I looked at it from a different perspective, I thought, "This is what Shirakawa-go should be like."

Last summer, a guest who stayed at Shiroyamakan once told me, "I came to Shirakawa-go because I wanted to go to a quiet place, but there were too many people, so it wasn't quiet at all.'' It is true that visitors come to Shirakawa-go to experience the original landscape of good old Japan, but with crowds of people everywhere, it is understandable why they feel that way.

Now is the perfect chance to enjoy the original Shirakawa-go, so please feel free to visit us. The smiles and delicious food of the Shiroyamakan family will welcome you!

Guest's voice

Here are just a few of the customer comments written in the "scribble book" in the Shiroyamakan room.

■ "Thank you very much. It was my first time to come to Shirakawa-go, but I really fell in love with Shirakawa-go after seeing this scenery and the warmth of everyone here. I definitely want to visit you again!"

■ "I was able to come to Shirakawa-go, which I had been longing for. I was at a loss as to where to stay among the many inns, but I'm really glad I chose Shiroyamakan. I had a short sty this time, so next time I would love to stay longer." 

■ "I was very happy with the warm hospitality of everyone in your family. All the dishes were really delicious, and I was deeply moved during my stay."

■ "It was my second visit. I was very impressed with the hospitality and delicious food that I had when I first came, and I definitely wanted to come again. I was very happy. Next time I will come with my mother.”

Shiroyamakan's measures against coronavirus

Finally, we will introduce measures against coronavirus at the hotel.

●Employees wear masks
Installation of alcohol disinfectant in various places including the entrance
All towels in the bathroom are paper towels
● Thoroughly sterilize when cleaning
● The dining room where you stay for a long time is a private room
(*Only breakfast may be in shared rooms when the rooms are fully booked )

We are doing our best to respond. We can't say "This is absolutely safe!!", but since the ryokan is limited to a maximum of 4 groups, a large number of people will not gather in one place for a long time, so I think you can spend your time with relative peace of mind.

There aren't many people in Shirakawa-go, so you don't have to worry about coronavirus even if you're strolling outside.