Motoyu Ishiya

“A taste of the past”

We spent a night at this authentic Japanese Inn and enjoyed fantastic hospitality from the moment we walked in until we left. Our room had futons and was large with our own toilet and sitting room. The natural hot springs baths are lovely and as the weather was cold and wet we went 3 times over our… more

We spent a night at this authentic Japanese Inn and enjoyed fantastic hospitality from the moment we walked in until we left. Our room had futons and was large with our own toilet and sitting room. The natural hot springs baths are lovely and as the weather was cold and wet we went 3 times over our stay. The evening meal was served overlooking a beautiful garden and Noh theatre. I am not sure what we ate as our ‘waitress’ didn’t speak much English but it was all so tasty and beautifully presented. Breakfast was the same. If you want to experience real Japanese hospitality in an historic atmosphere then I recommend Motoyu Ishiya. As it was wet we took a taxi (3000yen) from Kanazawa which made everything easy. By Australian standards it was a cheap taxi ride. We stayed in two hotels in Kanazawa and both were excellent the brand new Integrate and Mitsui Garden inn. Kanazawa has a lot to offer. Don’t miss “The Swimming Pool’ at the 21st century museum!

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“Brilliant, Gracious and Serene”

Easy and cheap access; local train from Kanazawa to Morimoto Station (7 minutes) then a ten minute taxi (Yen1,400 or US$15) to the Ryokan. Immediately swarmed by smiling, pleasant staff, bags disappeared and we went through welcome formalities. An increasingly unreliable Booking agent had failed… more

Easy and cheap access; local train from Kanazawa to Morimoto Station (7 minutes) then a ten minute taxi (Yen1,400 or US$15) to the Ryokan. Immediately swarmed by smiling, pleasant staff, bags disappeared and we went through welcome formalities. An increasingly unreliable Booking agent had failed to advise the ryokan that my wife was disabled and is vegetarian, flash of concern, then ... we can manage. Shown to the Garden Room, quite spacious, actually a small 3 room suit, with tatami floors and futons, plus two western style sitting chairs. Wall of glass to spectacular garden. Decor in rooms delightful and serene; so restful. Wifi speed reasonable. For breakfasts and dinners we were allocated a private dining room separate from our suit. The kaiseki style meals were very interesting and very good. Explored hotel; its over 200 years old, with many museum style exhibits and art works and all sorts of nooks and crannies to set and think or veg out. Delightful. Lots of wabi sabi ! Extremely good onsen with four baths in the gentlemans section - one cold, one hot, one hotter and one outside and hot. Best feature were the staff. So helpful and so concerned about our comfort, some spoke little English but universal sign language worked. Absolutely delightful. Japan at its best.

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“Great onsen ryokan with lots of history!!”

We stayed in this hidden gem Michelin 3 star hotel with affordable price. Great food and service. If you are interested in Japanese history, there is an actual "Nogaku" stage 100+ years old, and the hotel has been in business for more than 200 years. You can feel and breathe the history by just wal… more

We stayed in this hidden gem Michelin 3 star hotel with affordable price. Great food and service. If you are interested in Japanese history, there is an actual "Nogaku" stage 100+ years old, and the hotel has been in business for more than 200 years. You can feel and breathe the history by just walking through this beautiful hotel.

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