Oshi-ryokan shrine stay (Nagano)

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Oshi-ryokan

TEL :026-254-2007
Address :2332 Togakushi, Nagano, Nagano
Access :“JR Nagano station” > (Kawanakajima bus) > “Hokosyagumae bus stop” > 1 minutes walk
Parking :There is a parking lot
Time :Check-in 15:00 Check-out 10:00
Room :11 guest room

Shukubo stay
including 2 meals 10,206 yen ~

Shukubo shrine stay

This shukubo is located at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Hokosha of Togakushi shrine. It has a beautiful thatched roof matching the well maintained garden. During the period of the mixture of Buddhism and Shintoism, it was referred to as Enko-bo or Kozen-in. The main building is 250 years old. I was able to feel its history in the pillars, etc., of the architecture.

Togakushi’s buckwheat noodles

When I visited (in November), it was just in time for the new buckwheat production. “Sobatama” (buckwheat balls) decorated front of the shukubo. This is a bamboo craft using Nemagari bamboo, indicating that the place serves buckwheat noodles. According to the legend of the opening of the rock door handed down in Togakushi shrine, the gods and goddesses played music and danced in front of the rock door behind which Amaterasu-omikami hid, so the craft is in the shape of a hand drum

Their specialty, which is of course “soba” (buckwheat noodles), is nothing but delicious. I asked for another bowl; I really felt full. Also, I drank the sake that I was served. The sake was also very tasty and I got pretty drunk. (You will likely drink too much because of its good taste.) With good soba and good sake, I felt really happy that night.

Morning prayer

In the morning, there was a morning service in which I participated. The procedure is that a Shinto prayer was made first and then a tamagushi made of a yew branch was given and you rotate it so that its end faces toward the Shinto altar. Then, you bow twice deeply, clap your hands twice and then bow once lightly. In the morning service, a drum is beaten as well. On the day I participated, they said that the sound was moistened. It was undistinguishable for someone like me, but the priest said, “It may rain today” and it actually started to rain. As there was no sign of rain, I was really surprised.

Guestroom & bath

The guestrooms consist of two spaces: a ten tatami mat space and a three tatami mat space. The room is equipped a TV set, a heating device, a kotatsu heater, a looking glass, towels, bath towels and toothbrushes, etc. The bathroom is made of helston, which promotes metabolism of the body and prevents the aging of cells. It is also effective for heat rashes, stiff shoulders, chilblains, chapped skin, backaches, nerve diseases and rheumatism. I was able to relax in the jet bath and the fatigue of the day’s walk was removed. The shukubo personnel were really very kind. I felt very comfortable at this shukubo.

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