Iizukatei: a fabulous hotel with a real history.

When you come to Japan for the first time, everyone wants to see the same things—the main attractions, the ones that are packed with tourists. But when you return, you often want to see and experience a different Japan. The one you dream of,the one you fantasize about, the ‘real Japan,’ without the hordes of tourists. That’s exactly what a place like the Iizukatei hotel offers.

First and foremost, it’s located far from the tourist routes, in Tochigi Prefecture, in the Nasu region. It’s an area known for its countryside, full of campsites, forests, and waterfalls. Apart from Nikko, nothing really draws tourists to this region,and even less so to Nakagawa where the hotel is built. This part of Tochigi is purely rural and full of rice paddies. It’s a beautiful countryside, prosperous, dynamic, well-maintained, and off the beaten path.

The hotel itself has a fascinating history. The estate was built over 200 years ago by the Iizuka family, the local aristocracy and village leaders. Like most estates of this kind, it grew by adding buildings to accommodate family members.

A fun detail that highlights the importance of the Iizuka family locally: it was on their estate and by them that the first post office and the first bank in the village were established.

But over time, the family dispersed, and the new generations moved to the big cities, leaving the estate empty, or almost.Instead of selling it and seeing this heritage razed, the family decided to donate it to the municipality. The latter then partnered with a local hotel group specializing in rural tourism to restore the buildings and turn them into a rather unique high-end hotel.

And the operation was a resounding success. The listed buildings were restored, preserving their original structure as much as possible. Boldly, it was decided to modernize the experience by equipping these two-hundred-year-old dwellings with modern comforts: they have real toilets, real bathrooms, air conditioning, underfloor heating, washing machines,fully equipped kitchens, sofas, and real beds (futons are available as an extra bed). Everything has been done with great taste and high-end furnishings. The beds and sofas are very comfortable, which will delight many Western tourists who often find a simple night on a futon painful.

In all, the hotel offers only 6 rooms. Well, rooms… each one occupies a building; it’s quite far from the usual concept of a room. Three rooms occupy the former family homes: they are named Hontaku, Shintaku A, and Shintaku B. They can accommodate between 4 and 5 adults in rooms of around 70 square meters. Three other smaller rooms (around 35 square meters) have been converted from the family’s warehouses. These warehouses were the “solid” houses where goods and provisions were stored. With their thick walls and small windows, they are well insulated and comfortable in hot weather… a detail to consider when booking, as Japanese summers can be quite harsh. These rooms can accommodate up to three adults. They are smaller, but just as charming and well-equipped.

And a multitude of small details make the experience even more intimate. Family objects have been preserved and used as furniture or decoration in the rooms. A vintage suitcase bearing the name of a young Iizuka girl, trinkets, wardrobes, and even an antique safe dating back to the time when the family ran the village’s only bank. A whole host of little details that make you wonder if you’re really in a hotel or if you’re sleeping at someone’s house, if you’re not going to bump into the patriarch of the family as you leave your room… It’s fantastic!

And it works even better because the staff is ultra-discreet… almost invisible. There is no reception here, nor is there a housekeeping cart left in the corridor in the morning. You’ll see people when you arrive, when your breakfast or dinner is brought to you if you take those options, and when you leave… that’s it. Everything is done to make you feel at home, or at least not in a hotel. And it works.

To be honest, it should be noted that the hotel has two drawbacks, in my opinion. The first is that it does not have a Japanese bath. You can find them outside the property, not far away, and the staff will be happy to guide you. But on the premises, you’ll have to make do with Western-style bathrooms… comfortable and well-equipped, but lacking the authenticity that is so dear to the Japanese.

The second drawback is inherent in traditional Japanese hospitality: it can be potentially expensive, and the price lists are incomprehensible for a Western tourist. If you live in Japan, you are probably used to these illegible price grids that Japanese companies love. But these old habits can ruin the experience or deter customers who can quickly see the totals reach astronomical sums. The first mistake is to give prices per night and per person. At 20,000 or 30,000 yen per person,you quickly reach exorbitant amounts if you are traveling as a family, for example. So, for the Shintaku 1 room, for example, if you opt for a standard booking for a family of 5 like ours (4 adults and one child under 11), the night costs 138,600 yen. At that price, you might as well book a suite in a 5-star hotel in Tokyo!

However, there are specific plans in the options that make things much more affordable. Take the same Shintaku 1 room:if you book it with the “apartment plan” and select 5 occupants, the bill comes to 63,800 yen, or a little less than 13,000 yen per person… at that price, it’s a great deal, barely more expensive than a night in a soulless business hotel. How you can benefit from one plan rather than another is a mystery. The wisest thing to do is to contact the hotel before booking to get a clear picture. Native English-speaking staff are available to help you.

Finally, it’s worth noting that although the hotel doesn’t have a dining room, you can order meals (breakfast and dinner) to be served in your room or in the gardens. The meals are prepared by local restaurants, and consist in Japanese or Western menus. They will be served in traditional Japanese boxes, a bit like a large bento. The aesthetics of the service are top-notch, as is the cuisine. And, curiously, while the rooms may seem expensive, the meals, which cost 4,400 yen each for a dinner and 1,650 yens for a breakfast, are quite affordable considering their quality and presentation.