KA-CHO-FU-GETSU
flowers, birds, wind, and moon
An image of nature that recurs throughout Japanese literature-the importance of acknowledging the changing seasons. The unadorned beauty and feeling of coolness evoked by handwoven ajiro mats in summer...the lustre of wooden beams whose natural sheen comes from constant hand-polishing...the clean, astringent taste of green tea...or the fresh quality of a cuisine that relies more on the flavor of natural ingredients than on rich sauces or heavy seasonings... all these elements characterize the love for unaffected beauty that can be found at Hiiragiya. Even the simple pleasure of sitting still enough, long enough, to hear the sound of water trickling into a small stone basin just outside the window of your room. An appreciation for the subtleties of nature-KA-CHO-FU-GETSU is an essential part of experiencing an evening...or better yet, a morning at Hiiragiya.
OMOTENASHI
an atmosphere of hospitality and welcome
The inscription that holds such a prominent place in the entry hall of Hiiragiya -"Kuru mono, kaeru gotoshi"- has become this innkeeper's motto...that a guest at Hiiragiya might feel "as if he has come home". The service is almost attentive to a fault, but the real charm lies in the time and care given to the most inconspicuous details: catching a glimpse of the gardener tweezing the last microscopic weed from the mossy garden floor...or the maid, who has been with the inn for over fifty years, fussing over the flower arrangement in the alcove. She must slip the last and most important flower into place just before you enter your room.
Each visit to Hiiragiya is a delightful new experience. Every room is designed differently, and great pains are taken to insure that you will not be served the same meal twice...unless you should request otherwise. Individual preferences are catered to impeccably. Unobtrusive, meticulous attention to detail is a part of the spirit of OMOTENASHI, the hospitality for which Hiiragiya has gained its reputation as Kyoto's finest traditional inn.
MIYABI
MIYABI, a sense of elegance and refinement, neither effusive nor baroque... simplicity and understatement with an aristocratic pride that has no need to boast. These are the qualities that have been associated with Kyoto, which was the capital and cultural center of Japan for over a thousand years. Hiiragiya is noted for this subtle quality, in the use of natural woods, paper, and sand . . . in the soft lustre of lacquered furnishings... in the subdued reflective quality of gold leaf on its classic folding screens as the light from a stone lantern in the garden reaches in to draw out this gift of MIYABI. Nobel Prize winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata once wrote this is praise of his favorite inn: "There have always been fine inns in Kyoto - intimate, peaceful places but today everything is changing. Only here does time stand still... at Hiiragiya, a symbol of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan".
YASURAGI
YASURAGI, relaxation, plain and simple... the kind that removes all tension from body and mind. Water has always had significance in Japan as a source of purification. It is used not only to cleanse, but to refresh and soothe. Whether in the hot, purging water of our Japanese umbrella pine baths, or in the gentle, reassuring trickle that flows... forever changing, always the same...into an old stone basin smoothed and shaped by centuries of constant caressing... water relaxes the mind. YASURAGI: sip the green tea slowly, listen to the sound of water... to the rustle of bamboo. Take the time to feel the time in the quiet privacy of Hiiragiya.
Plan
We have more plans to suit your needs, including for working vacations, dining-only, and event space use. Limited-time offers also become available.
