Idle Diner Readings

I was sitting in Sumner, Washington - self proclaimed rhubarb capitol of the world, waiting for my slice of morning rhubarb pie.  I love rhubarb in any form and I maybe the only person in the world whom can not grow it!  As I waited, I was reading, The Coffee News, a little flyer you sometimes find in diners.

Of their considered important stories to print was such variety as a cat which sailed on the RMS  Empress, but the voyage it missed, the ship went to the bottom.  The annual Santa Claus gathering every year in Copenhagen.  Or, crazy people whom believe they are Barbie characters ... really???????   And the intriguing story of a hotel that is almost 1,300 years old!

What must those rooms look like?!?!?!?!?

The Hoshi Ryokan in Komatsu is a type of traditional Japanese inn which became a common Japanese institution when they served travelers along Japan’s highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner.

This Ryokan has been in operation for over 1,300 years dating back to its opening in 718; the guesthouse has been run by the same family for 46 generations. The Ryokan has evolved through the centuries. Today, it offers a hundred rooms and can accomodate up to 450 guests. Guests are welcomed with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. For relaxation, guests can walk through the traditional Japanese gardens or slip into their ‘yukata’, a cotton kimono, provided for their use after soaking in either the indoor or outdoor hot springs.

According to legend, the god of Mount Hakusan visited a Buddhist priest, telling him to uncover an underground hot spring in a nearby village. The hot spring was found, and the priest requested that his disciple, a woodcutter’s son named Garyo Saskiri, build and run a spa on the site. His family, known as Hoshi, have run a hotel in Komatsu ever since. Zengoro Hoshi is the current patriarch.

Houshi proprietors have all borne the name Zengoro Houshi. The first Zengoro was Garyo Houshi, the second son of Gengoro Sasakiri, who guided the Buddhist priest to the top of Mt. Hakusan.

Many people suffering from illnesses of one kind or another visited the spa built by Garyo Houshi. People began making donations to the magical spa and to Garyo Houshi for his services. He then used these funds to expand the services he provided. The number of visitors to the spa gradually increased and the hotel grew.