Have you ever wondered what the oldest hotel in the world is? The oldest hotel in the world is the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, a hot spring hotel located in Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.
It was founded in 705 A.D. and has been in continuous operation since then. It has over 1,317 years of history, managed by the same family for 52 generations.
The Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is a traditional Japanese hotel, known as a “ryokan,” and besides its fame as the oldest hotel, it is known for its natural hot spring water, or “onsen,” outdoors.
The hotel has 37 rooms, each traditionally decorated and equipped with tatami, futons, and wooden flooring. Guests can enjoy traditional Japanese meals, as well as activities such as fishing and hiking in nature.
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The History of Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan
In 705, Fujiwara no Shinobu, who was hunting in the area, discovered a hot spring gushing abundantly from between the rocks of the river.
It is said that this is where he cleared a path and built a bathtub, thus inaugurating the spring. From then on, it was called Keiunkan, as it was built during the Keiun era, and it was also secretly used by Takeda Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The natural spring that belongs to Keigun-kan has a flow rate of 400 liters per minute, making it the largest in the world. In 2005 (17 years into the Heisei period), a new spring was created by drilling, with a flow rate of 1630 liters.
The property has been managed by the same family for 52 generations since its founding in 705 A.D. The family has worked hard to maintain the tradition and history of the hotel, and it is a source of pride for the city of Yamanashi.
This is not exclusive to the hotel; in Japanese culture, it is common for various traditional businesses to be passed down from parent to child for several generations. There are several establishments that exceed 500 years of history.
Questions about Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan
Let’s finish by answering some questions about the Ryokan with over 1300 years:
How to get to Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan?
The nearest station to the hotel is Shimobe Onsen, located on the Minobu line of Tokai in Minobu-cho, Yamanashi. There are other routes you can take to reach Nishiyama Hotel.
Is Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan the oldest in Japan? Is it the first Onsen?
Despite its age, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is certainly not the first onsen nor the oldest hotel in the world. According to Guinness, the first hotel in operation was Hoshi Ryokan founded in 718 and operated by 46 generations.
Credited as the oldest onsen in Japan is Dōgo Onsen, but this information doesn’t make much sense, as hot springs are mentioned in documents from the first century of Japan.
Although Dogo Onsen is newer than Nishiyama Onsen, it is very likely that the traditions spread in onsens had their origins in Dogo Onsen, which is why it is credited as the oldest onsen.
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