October 22 / The World's Oldest Hotel
Keiunkan ; the world's oldest hotel
Nestled among a number of picturesque hot springs in the mountains, the traditionally-styled Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in the Yamanashi Prefecture is recognized as the world's oldest hotel, inn, and possibly even business in general, catering to everyone from ancient samurai to modern tourists for over 1,310 years.
Originally established in 705, a year of Keiun-era (慶雲時代) , the traditional "Onsen" or "hot spring" was the brainc h i l d of the son of the reigning emperor's aid. From its inception, the Keiunkan onsen has been passed down within the original f a m i l y through the centuries. 52 different generations of descendants have cared for and operated the inn, growing the space and modernizing it slowly with each passing epoch.
The natural hot springs in the area allowed for the creation of a number of healing baths that drew visitors and military men from all around to come and relax. Among these early patrons were a number of samurai and famed shogun, giving the spa a bit more notoriety still. Amidst the unification of Japan after the warring period, it is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) visited twice. It's not hard to imagine why. After a long day of battle, wouldn't you want to hide away in the mountains and relax in a hot spring? Takeda Shingen (武田信玄), a medieval feudal lord, is also said to have done his fair share of soaking here.
Today the site is considerably larger than it was over a thousand years ago, but both the look and feel of the inn have remained surprisingly unchanged. Despite modern amenities, the simple, calming design of the spaces and the natural mountains surrounding them make it feel as though it is still 705. Keiunkan currently holds the Guinness World Record for oldest hotel and is now aiming for another, world's most productive hot spring, thanks to their new bath that pumps over a thousand liters of naturally heated water per minute.
Keiunkan has four open-air baths surrounded by views of the mountains and ravine and two indoor baths for a total of six baths . There are four different sources of the natural hot spring, and the water has the properties of sodium, calcium nitrate and chloride spring (low alkaline properties)and is sourced from the chasm of the Earth, Fossa Magna, cultivated over eons of time.
Nestled among a number of picturesque hot springs in the mountains, the traditionally-styled Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in the Yamanashi Prefecture is recognized as the world's oldest hotel, inn, and possibly even business in general, catering to everyone from ancient samurai to modern tourists for over 1,310 years.
Originally established in 705, a year of Keiun-era (慶雲時代) , the traditional "Onsen" or "hot spring" was the brainc h i l d of the son of the reigning emperor's aid. From its inception, the Keiunkan onsen has been passed down within the original f a m i l y through the centuries. 52 different generations of descendants have cared for and operated the inn, growing the space and modernizing it slowly with each passing epoch.
The natural hot springs in the area allowed for the creation of a number of healing baths that drew visitors and military men from all around to come and relax. Among these early patrons were a number of samurai and famed shogun, giving the spa a bit more notoriety still. Amidst the unification of Japan after the warring period, it is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) visited twice. It's not hard to imagine why. After a long day of battle, wouldn't you want to hide away in the mountains and relax in a hot spring? Takeda Shingen (武田信玄), a medieval feudal lord, is also said to have done his fair share of soaking here.
Today the site is considerably larger than it was over a thousand years ago, but both the look and feel of the inn have remained surprisingly unchanged. Despite modern amenities, the simple, calming design of the spaces and the natural mountains surrounding them make it feel as though it is still 705. Keiunkan currently holds the Guinness World Record for oldest hotel and is now aiming for another, world's most productive hot spring, thanks to their new bath that pumps over a thousand liters of naturally heated water per minute.
Keiunkan has four open-air baths surrounded by views of the mountains and ravine and two indoor baths for a total of six baths . There are four different sources of the natural hot spring, and the water has the properties of sodium, calcium nitrate and chloride spring (low alkaline properties)and is sourced from the chasm of the Earth, Fossa Magna, cultivated over eons of time.
8年前
