No.11

No.11　　 3/10/2015

　　　　　　　　Two Historical Ryokan, Japanese-style Hotels

　Ohashi-ya ryokan 大橋屋, a Japanese-style inn or ‘yado宿’, which has more than 360 years’ history, is going to close on March 15 along the road of old Tokaido’s 旧東海道Shukuba-Machi ( post-town宿場町 ), which is located in Akasaka-cho, Toyokawa-shi, Aichi Prefecture. The inn Ohashi-ya 大橋屋, where Matsuo Basho and Ando Hiroshige once stayed overnight, has a continuous history from the early Edo period. The inn opened in 1649( 慶安2年 ) and the present building was built in 1715( 正徳5年 ). Hiroshige depicted this inn for "Akasaka stay 赤坂旅舎招婦図” in his Tokaido-53-Tsugu 東海道五十三次. It was also introduced by the famous poet Matsuo Basho who stayed here and composed haiku俳句.　It is said that in season in the Meiji Period, about 100 people a day stayed in 27 rooms of this inn. This inn is the only one inn that is continuing until now on Old Tokaido. This inn has been managed by one couple, Noriko(69) and Kazuhiro Aoki(75), who are the 19 generation of owner of this historical inn. They have been accepting 3 set guests a day who love the feeling of the Edo atmosphere. It is said that they based their decision on lopsided supply and demand of Japanese-style hotels due to recent years decrease in the number of guests and the limit of their physical strength.

　Another ryokan, Hiiragiya 旅館柊家 in Kyoto, will reach 200 years since it’s foundation in 3 years. Hiiragiya’s 6^th landlady or okami-san, Ms. Akemi Nishimura gave a lecture at Doshisha University and wrote a column in the Asahi-Shinbun the other day. Hiiragi-ya is a famous ryokan where Japanese Nobel prize novelist Kawabata Yasunari and many other celebrities and VIPs , domestic and foreign, have stayed. In the column, she explained her motto of Japanese-style hotel management: “ Our ryokan is surrounded by gentle nature and also aim for a tranquil appearance. Kyoto is a historical old town and we repeat the tradition of incremental innovation when Hiiragi-ya’s new annex was being built 8 years ago, I asked the architect to be conscious of the space and include originality and tradition in its design. The new annex gets wisdom from the old building and the old building receives power from the new annex. We received advice of a good way to build them, taking advantage of the naturally dark color of the old annex and creating mutual harmony. A healing space is created by fusing semi-Western style and Japanese hospitality and it begins with harmony. I think it's an important feature of Japanese construction that space is linked flexibly. The town of Kyoto also gets in touch with history and people’s much expectations in each era are experienced in the present.”

　I have been to Hiiragiya once quite a long time ago and the noren, or shop curtains , in this long-established Japanese-style hotel welcomed me proudly. Once being kept by her "hospitality", it's guaranteed that you’ll affected and satisfied. 　　　

　Unfortunately Ohashiya will close next month. It is expected to be opened to the public as a historical building.

　　　　　　歴史ある旅館二つ

　旧東海道の宿場町の赤坂の宿（愛知県豊川市赤坂町）で360年以上の歴史を持つ旅館「大橋屋」が3月15日で閉館する。江戸時代から面々と旅人をもてなし続け、松尾芭蕉や安藤広重も泊まったとされる旅籠（はたご）の大橋屋は江戸時代初期の1649年創業、現在の建物は1715年に建てられた。広重の「東海道五十三次、赤坂旅舎招婦図」で描かれたほか、宿泊した芭蕉もここで句を詠んだことが伝わっている。明治時代の繁忙期には27部屋に1日100人ほどが宿泊したこともあったという。旧東海道の宿場町で旅籠として続けているのはここだけだったが、19代目の青木一洋（75）法子（69）夫婦の二人で切り盛りしている歴史ある旅籠も、今まで江戸情緒を感じて貰えればと1日3組まででの宿泊を受け付けてきたが、近年の宿泊客の減少や体力の限界などを理由に旅館をたたむ決断をしたそうである。

　代わって古都京都で3年後に創業200年を迎える旅館「柊家」（創業文政元年、１８１８年）。川端康成や数々の有名人が泊まった、宿の六代目女将の西村明美さんは、先日朝日新聞紙上や同志社大学での講座で旅館経営のモットーを「おだやかな自然に見守られた落ち着きある佇まいを目指して」と語っておられた。「京都は歴史ある古い町ですが、少しずつ新しいものを取り入れながら革新の伝統を積み重ねています。柊家は8年前に新館を建てました。設計にあたっては伝統に創意を重ねる空間を意識しながら形にして戴きました。新館は旧館からの知恵を、旧館は新館から力を頂く。互いを生かし合う建て方が良いとのアドバイスを戴き、年月により木の色が濃くなった旧館とうまく色の調和をとりながら新館のストーリーをつくり上げました。洋と和の文化を融合させて作り出す癒しの空間、違うものを認めて生かしながら全体としての空間の和を作っていく、空間を柔軟につなげていくのが日本建築の特徴だと思いそれを大事にしました。京都の町も歴史でつながり、各時代の多くの人の思いが息づいています。」と語っておられた。