Nara Manyo Wakakusa no Yado Mikasa

First, I’d like to apologize. We were told we needed to check in by 6:00 p.m., but we didn’t get back down from the hike up Takatori Castle until after 5:00 p.m. In a panic I called, and was kindly told, “No problem—please come without rushing.” I was truly grateful. We ended up arriving around 6:45 p.m. Even though dinner was served in our Room, they still prepared everything properly from that time.The staff member in charge of our Room spoke with such polite Japanese that you’d never guess they were originally from Korea, and they took care of dinner while chatting with us. And the dinner—how delicious it was. We had rushed back by car and were parched, but even the tea was wonderful. The appetizers were excellent, and the two meat dishes in a row were incredible. It made me so happy to enjoy such a luxurious meal slowly and comfortably. Our family eats quite slowly, but they stayed with us without showing any displeasure at all (in the end we didn’t finish dessert before cleanup time, so we ended up eating it while they laid out our futons…).The bath was also fantastic—the therapeutic effect and aroma were perfect. Aside from me and my son, no one else came in at all. It wasn’t that it was empty; maybe our timing just worked out—but thanks to that, my son and I enjoyed a long soak together and even ended up talking about life.Needless to say, I slept soundly—even without drinking any alcohol.And breakfast: we went well past our promised 7:30 time (at this point it’s clear we’re simply a family that’s lax about time—my apologies), but even so we were able to enjoy breakfast calmly at the dining area. Both dinner and breakfast seemed like generous portions, yet it never felt too much—we finished everything because it was so good.After having coffee in the lobby, we checked out after 9:30 a.m., and they also took photos for us.Now for another apology: on some travel sites there were rather harsh Reviews about your Accommodation—for example about the building, the meals, or the service from staff. But honestly there were no issues at all. We thoroughly enjoyed everything—truly everything—and I’m very sorry for arriving feeling nervous because of those Reviews.Thank you very much for such a wonderful stay—and again I’m sorry for having doubts beforehand. We would love to stay again next time; perhaps as just a couple then. Autumn would be nice—I hope Kyoto will be quiet then as well (without any influence from big historical dramas).

The views from the Room and the lobby were outstanding.For dinner, we enjoyed Yamato beef prepared on a hot stone and as sukiyaki, truly savoring the meat. Not only was the food delicious, but the timing of each course was impeccable—steamed dishes, clear soup, and even when to start cooking at the table were all perfectly coordinated, so everything was served at its best. It was also great that a vinegared dish was served between the meat courses.The next morning, we were given a ride by bus. We got off at Daibutsu Pond, and our luggage was kept for us at the information center in front of the station, which allowed us to sightsee hands-free and was a huge help.