Shizuka Ryokan

Dew sparkles in the Zen garden where a crimson Japanese maple tree holds court.

Slip off your shoes and enter a world that is distinctly Japanese. At Shizuka Ryokan you are treated to hospitality of honour, authentic cuisine, and nourishing spa treatments. The simple Zen design, hushed intimacy of rooms behind sliding shoji screens, and ritualised routines quiet your mind and soothe your soul.

At Shizuka Ryokan we have a special pride in the rituals of Japanese hospitality…omotenashi. Upon arrival, you are greeted by a nakai-san who will look after you during your stay. As you exchange your shoes for slippers, your cares drift away and you follow her to your room. The earthy scent of the tatami flooring is grounding. Sunlight filters through the timber latticed shoji screens beyond which is a private courtyard garden tinted in rich Autumn hues. As you put on your yukata, you notice the tranquillity that permeates the ryokan. Sipping a green tea made by the nakai-san, time seems to slow as you embrace the ways of the ryokan.

The menu at Shizuka Ryokan changes as autumn ushers in abundant harvests. Dinner is a traditional country feast of sashimi, tempura, seasonal vegetables, Japanese rice and simmering broths. The breakfast is traditional: grilled fish, tamagoyaki, vegetables, miso soup and rice. Meals feature local organic vegetables, locally fermented miso and traditional recipes passed down from the chef’s Obaasan (grandma).

Time at Shizuka Ryokan passes slowly with the Japanese spa removing tension and guiding you towards the path to tranquillity.

7 Lakeside Drive, Hepburn Springs 03 5348 2030 shizuka.com.au @shizukaryokan