Have you ever dreamt of spending the night at a traditional Japanese ryokan hotel? For foreigners visiting Japan a stay at a ryokan can provide the ultimate Japanese experience, and is guaranteed to leave a lasting memory of the trip. The ryokan has a particular place in Japanese culture, and you can find everything from recently opened ones to ryokans that go back hundreds of years. During my recent trip to Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture we spent a night at a ryokan that can boost of a 200-year history and that even have its own Noh (traditional Japanese theatre) stage. Moto Ishiya is well known for its charm, and even received special recognition in the 2017 award "100 Japanese hotels & ryokan chosen by professionals" (プロが選ぶ日本のホテル・旅館100選) under the category "Small Japanese hotels" (日本の小宿).  

Kanazawa is a city in Ishikawa prefecture known for its rich Japanese culture, including the traditional theatre called Noh. Apparently Noh was so popular among the people in Kanazawa that it was said that in “Noh chants fall from the heavens”, as Noh songs could be heard everywhere around the city. Usually watching a Noh performance can cost ten thousands of yen, but in July the city offers visitors the opportunity to see Noh plays for only 1,000 yen/person. We visited in June so it was unfortunately too early to see the plays unfold, but we greatly enjoyed visiting the Kanazawa Noh Museum to learn more about the ancient theatre.