A Review of Three Nara Guesthouses

The October breeze brushes past the stone lanterns in the garden, and these three guesthouses are like three different books of kimono, each recording the magic of sleeping alongside deer.

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🦌 Hiiragiya Machiya

Location: Sanjo Street, north side of Nara Park
Sleeping embraced by the beams of the Edo period in a merchant’s residence from a hundred years ago. At 5:30 AM, fawns gently tap the wooden fence with their antlers, and the host teaches you to wrap deer rice crackers in persimmon leaves for breakfast. The attic skylight faces Mount Wakakusa, where at midnight you can see the Milky Way hanging over the eaves.

🍵 Suian Tea House

Location: Beside the approach to Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Converted from a Meiji-era tea master’s residence, each room is equipped with handmade tea scoops and Raku ware tea bowls. The hostess will teach you how to prepare tea on the terrace, while deer share matcha yokan at your feet. Be sure to experience the nighttime tea ceremony—when the deer calls resonate with the sound of boiling water, it feels like hearing the Buddhist bell from the era of Emperor Shomu.

🎑 Hoshijuku Hanare

Location: Detached house by the Saho River
In a century-old warehouse beside ancient wisteria trees, the ceiling still retains the sliding rails used for transporting goods. The bath is carved from Yoshino cedar, and opening the window reveals white deer wading through the water. Every morning, the host places handwritten waka poetry booklets, the ink mingling with the scent of the forest.

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"These guesthouses taught me: true luxury is not expensive, but waking up to see the same autumn from a thousand years ago reflected in a deer’s eyes."