Shizuka Ryokan

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 share 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. The lounge, or ochanoma, with its views to the Zen garden and native bushland is tranquil and inviting. You follow the nakai-san 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 for contemplation.

As you put on the yukata, you notice the tranquillity that permeates the ryokan. As you sip green tea made by the nakai-san, you embrace the way of the ryokan, emboldening you to wear your yukata as you explore the grounds.

Dinner is a traditional feast of sashimi, tempura, seasonal vegetables, Japanese rice and simmering broths. Breakfast is traditional: grilled fish, Japanese omelette, vegetables, pickles, miso soup and Japanese rice. Meals feature local organic vegetables, locally fermented miso and traditional recipes passed down from grandma, and prepared with love.

Time at Shizuka Ryokan passes slowly, and the Japanese spa removes tension and shows the path to tranquility.

Time, experience, relationships are precious.

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