Yu no nagori
Iku tabi miru ya
Kiri no moto
Leaving the hot springs,
Looking back how many times –
Beneath the mist
Matsuo Basho,
17th century haiku poet
Haiya is a ryokan with a long and proud heritage famous for its magnificent traditional gardens, hot spring baths, and Japanese stone saunas. It was first established in the 1884 Meiji Era and to this day strives to continue the traditions of warm and friendly hospitality to its guests. If you decide to visit this interesting ryokan you will surely experience that yourself. Fun fact, the name Haiya means “house of ash”. The name comes from fine, exquisite ash used for coloring the garments for actors in the traditional kabuki and Noh theatre.
Haiya is located in Awara Onsen, a famous hot spring resort in the northern part of Fukui Prefecture. This whole area of Japan is called Hokuriku and is great for people who want to explore Japan off-the-beaten-path. We mentioned it before in several of our blog posts and truly recommend it to everyone! And if you decide to go here, Haiya is one of the best places you can stay at!
In this ryokan, there are 4 main buildings, each with its own unique characteristics and atmosphere. For example, One of these is called Shofuan and is a detached annex building that dates back to Haiya’s establishment in 1884. There you can find amazing Japanese-style guest rooms each with its own traditional Japanese-style garden. This is one of my favorite things about Haiya. I highly recommend it if you have never experienced something like this and love Japanese gardens. All 15 rooms in Shofuan have a unique interior layout. And 6 of them even come with private open-air onsen baths. This is awesome if you want to relax in the privacy of your room and not use the public baths.
The other buildings are also great. Most feature several different room types. Rooms come with a tatami floor, traditional futon bedding, and sliding shoji paper screens leading to a seating area. They are equipped with an LCD TV, a mini-fridge, and a bathroom. You can expect all the standard amenities like soap, shampoo, toothbrush set, towel, slippers, and many more. You will even get a yukata, a light Japanese robe, to wear.
Fans of Japanese food will love many interesting dishes offered here. In the morning, Haiya staff serve a traditional Japanese breakfast. And in the evening, you can enjoy a traditional multi-course dinner. This dinner is made from seasonal local ingredients to produce dishes of exquisite taste and flavor. These include things like crab, abalone, and Ise lobster. The cool thing about this is that dishes change by the season so you always have something fresh and appropriate. You can enjoy these meals either in the guest room or in a private dining room.
We already mentioned that this place has great hot spring baths, so here is a bit more about them. There are several different types. First, there is the large public bath that was renovated in 2018. There is also an outdoor hot spring bath for those of you who wish to be surrounded by wonderful nature while bathing. Additionally, there is the bedrock bath which is known for relieving muscle tension and improving blood circulation. For people with physical disabilities, there is a bath that allows wheelchairs direct access to the washing area and has handrails installed.
I am sure some of you will love the fact that the hot spring water in Haiya is a comfortable 40 degrees Celsius. Because of this, it is perfect for a relaxing soak and for those who are new to the onsen and don’t like very hot water. Also, you can drink it since it is said to be good for the digestive system.
Haiya’s good location makes it an ideal base for exploring the area of eastern and western Fukui and southern Ishikawa prefectures. There are many interesting places here and it is hard to mention all of them, so here are some of our favorites.
Located on the coast of the Sea of Japan, Tojinbo is a rugged cliff with a spectacular view. There you can also go on boat rides that offer views of interestingly shaped rocks such as the “lion rock” or the “candle rock”. I recommend the shopping arcade there that sells the freshest seafood of the season.
If you like history I have a great palace for you. Maruoka Castle is one of the oldest castles remaining in Japan to have survived the post-feudal ages with its castle keep (donjon) intact. It is known as the “misty castle”, due to legends telling of thick mist hiding it from approaching enemies. The best time to visit the castle is in spring when 400 cherry trees are in full bloom.
Cat lovers will enjoy the visit to the Gotanjo-ji Temple which is located in Echizen City. It is famous all over Japan as the “The Temple of Cats”, as it looks after nearly 100 stray or injured cats at a time. Annually, about 30,000 cat fans from around the world visit the temple. As you can guess, it is so relaxing there.
