Takashima, Shiga (滋賀県高島市) – Fukudaya private ryokan (福田屋) tour 2025 Sep. 23
So we are in Shiga Prefecture which neighbors Kyoto and um we are in an area called uh Takashima city and uh Shiga is uh known for Lake Biwa or Biwako which is the largest lake in Japan and um among other things. And so this building here is a original mostly original and partially restored um building. This whole area which includes uh this area was a big building which was a yokan an inn um that served a lot of the people who traversed Fukui and Kyoto for mackerel. um uh carrying mackerel from Fukui to the capital Kyoto. They called it Saba Kao or mackerel road. And so this uh there was quite a few um ins which served as a um rest spot for the laborers. So you can see Fukuda. Fukuaya is the name of one group of guests per day. So you have the whole house to yourself. This is one of the remains of that larger um building. So the big inn was um has been around was around since the major era in the 1880s. But uh this particular building most of it is original although they did some re renovation. I believe they also added to it. And uh Fukuyu da in today’s present state was uh opened uh opened about 3 years ago in 2022. And um it was purchased by the current owner uh during COVID around uh 2020 and um and he turned it into a luxury in for one group of guests per day. So this area here as well as going up these steps that’s a staff area of which there are two permanent staff members. One is a chef and one is the room attendant. And so this is the first floor. You have a I don’t know what this is for. I don’t know that it’s actually used for anything, but it’s just remnants of what remains from the olden days. So, there’s a mix of old and new. You can see here, this is called aidi or sunken heart used to grill things, especially fish. So, let’s go this way. You can see a little inner rock garden here and the uh the shape of them is uh actually says fuku for fuku da. So this is how a old kitchen and uh hearth area look like. So they preserved it. So this is uh I guess where they made cooked rice and other things. So for a large group of people which is why um it is so large. Okay. So let’s keep going. So this place is also along the banks of Lake Biwa. Right right alongside it. There’s not many luxury properties right in front of the lake. Um, so this is unique in that regard. So there’s three total bathrooms, two on the first floor and second, uh, one on the second, but with the modern Japanese amenities. You can see. Yep. It has the uh wash lit sink. Oh, then there’s a washu or Japanese uh room, tatami room. And then I’ll just come in here. Real traditional Japanese style room. So there is one TV in Fukuaya. Um it capitulated to the needs of the modern traveler. Uh it’s on the first floor here. And then I’m going to go back out and put on again when you’re in the rooms themselves, you um you don’t have your shoes on. And when you’re out in the hallway, you put on the slippers for hygiene purposes. So over here, this is the main dining area. Again, this is for one group of guests per day, but they have a multiple dining tables in case there’s a large group of people who choose to stay here. And uh before I swing around, it’s a little bit overcast, but uh you can see Lake Va from here. And you can walk straight to the the beach from here. There’s a wooden deck here. I’ll show you what that amounts to in a second. So, you can see that there is for you can you can you know it’s one group of guests. It doesn’t mean there’s two people like us. You can you can have as many people as you want as long as they’re okay and sleeping on a futon cuz as you’ll find uh in this video there’s a lot of uh tatami rooms. And then before we go upstairs to the guest room area uh oh uh I don’t think this goes anywhere. Oh yeah. So so as I said there’s three bathrooms. This is the second one. on the first floor, closest to the restaurant and the tatami rooms. So, going in here is the bath. And in case you’re wondering, no, it isn’t onen. Don’t think this area along Lake Biwa has an onen area. Although there might be pockets of it, but that’s not the case here. So, you can have uh you have the towels, you have uh yucata robes for his and her. And then here’s the bath. It’s indoor bath. You could uh open the door there if you want to let some air in. You can close the curtains for privacy sake if you so choose. This is these are two shower stalls. So bath with a view. Okay. So, this uh supposedly from the website, the total indoor living space is 100 square meters. Seems a little bit uh more spacious than that, but uh anyways, it’s it’s plenty for two people and plenty for more than two people. So if you have a huge gang, you know, they’ll roll out the the futons in this room and in this room for instance. So, uh, not a problem if if you have a big family. And since there’s three bathrooms, it’s convenient. You won’t be fighting for the loot. All right, coming up. It’s a little cute sitting area here. Right. Coming around. So the this is the main living quarters upstairs. Again, another area where you can roll out the futons if you have a large group. Beyond that door is the third bathroom. Here you have coffee mach coffee or a kettle. Um you have some drinks complimentary, [Music] right? And then this is the final bathroom with a proper wash basin. Okay. So from here you have the best view. So So this is nice, right? You have the you have a futon room. if you need it. And then you have the actual bedroom and then a very large seating area beyond that. You can see there’s a lot of craftsmanship that’s goes into making something like this. And you can see even like the AC unit here, it’s covered in kind of a wooden artwork so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. So this is where you sleep and then this is where you sit. Some nice artful touches, some fine craftsmanship. So, Shea is uh not known for much uh given its proximity to Kyoto. Um it’s historic but not like oh my god uh his historic. It’s more of a stopping point between the Sea of Japan and Kyoto. Um as I mentioned earlier, the Sabakaido among other things, but it’s close enough in proximity to Kyoto that you do get a fair number of tourists, mainly domestic. Um, but you know, in the summer there’s water sports. You, you know, you can rent a boat, hang out. There’s there there’s things to do around here. But, uh, this is particularly unique and that you get to experience this. Okay. So, that pretty much covers it. That’s the deck um from uh the the uh the bath on the first floor. Um so if you open the door, you can let the air in and you can even hang out there on the deck if you choose to do so. So what do you think? 130 square meters. It seems a little more spacious than that. Um one group of guests per day. Um meal included uh in Shiga Prefecture along Lake Biwa called Fuku Da. One group of guests per day. Hope you enjoyed.
A walkthrough of Fukudaya (福田屋), a luxury ryokan limited to 1 group of guests per day. It was part of a much larger property that originally opened over 140 years ago, but the current incarnation is a small portion of what still remains of the original structure, and opened in 2022 after extensive renovations. Fukudaya is located along the banks of Lake Biwa (琵琶湖 – “Biwako”), with stunning views, in Imazu, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県高島市今津町今津.)
