Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya: A Riverside Ryokan beside Kofukuji
Wake beside Sarusawa Pond, walk to Nara's temple district and choose between modern Japanese rooms, local kaiseki and a free-use private bath when available.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya: A Riverside Ryokan beside Kofukuji
Yoshidaya is a family-run inn on the edge of Sarusawa Pond, facing the pagoda precinct of Kofukuji. The operator dates its founding to 1868, when the inn served travellers moving between Osaka and Ise. Today, Japanese-modern bedrooms, a small public bath and an unreserved private bathing room sit within a short walk of Nara's central heritage district. The water, pagoda and evening views give the inn a practical place in an itinerary: guests can leave the station area behind, explore Naramachi and Kofukuji on foot, then return for seasonal cooking and a quieter lakeside morning. Room type and meal plan matter, so compare the live booking options rather than treating every room as a pond-view room.
Place your stay beside Sarusawa Pond
Yoshidaya says the inn has welcomed guests since 1868. Its current rooms include Japanese-modern twin rooms, tatami rooms, triple rooms and family rooms, with selected rooms facing Sarusawa Pond or equipped with a private family bath. The operator's room page posts sample starting prices such as ¥18,000 before tax per person for a standard pond-side twin and ¥14,000 before tax for a 12-tatami Japanese room; actual rates depend on date, occupancy and included meals. Check the live reservation calendar for the total and room features. The inn is not an onsen resort: its appeal is the location, local hospitality and bathing facilities within the inn.
Use the baths with the inn's shared-house rules
The property has a public bath and a private bath called Tounoyu. The operator says Tounoyu is not reservation-based: check the entrance sign and use it if it is vacant, locking the inside door while bathing. The bath page lists 15:00–23:00, while the FAQ lists 15:00–22:00; use the current on-site notice or ask staff rather than relying on the later time. Each use is 45 minutes and free for guests. The public bath is listed 15:00–23:00 and 06:30–09:00. Bring the towels supplied in your room. These facilities are shared by staying guests, so wait if occupied and follow any updated notice at the bath entrance.
Taste a seasonal Nara dinner and a distinctive breakfast
The operator describes dinner as a seasonal Japanese kaiseki, with ingredients and dishes changing through the year. Its sample autumn menu includes local-style hot pot and seasonal produce, but it warns that supply changes can alter the actual meal. Breakfast pairs rice cooked in a traditional kamado with Nara's tea porridge, miso soup, grilled fish and side dishes; the inn notes tea porridge is not served around year-end and New Year. Special plans feature Yamato beef, Nara sake tastings or Asuka nabe. These are plan-specific, so choose the matching option in the booking system and ask about food allergies before arrival.
Walk from the station and explore the old city
The operator gives an eight-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and an 18-minute walk from JR Nara Station to 246 Takabatakecho. The Official Nara Travel Guide lists the property nine minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station, so use the inn's directions and allow extra time with luggage or in busy periods. Sarusawa Pond and Kofukuji are just outside; the inn says major temples and sights are within roughly a 20-minute walk. The location is especially useful before opening hours and after day visitors have left. Use the official map and current local access notices rather than assuming a bus is faster for this short central route.
Check arrival, parking and reservation details
The inn lists check-in from 15:00 and final check-in at 21:00; check-out is 10:00. A contracted parking lot about two minutes away is free from 15:00 on arrival day through 10:00 on departure day; first stop at the inn so staff can direct you to it. One 38 m² superior twin room is specifically described as barrier-free, but the site does not detail the full step-free route, bathroom dimensions or equipment, so confirm your requirements and room availability directly. Call 0742-23-2225 to book or confirm room, meal and bath details. The operator offers English, Simplified Chinese and Korean site versions. No general photography licence was found for interiors or other guests.
What to look for
A 150-year inn directly beside Sarusawa Pond and Kofukuji
Free, unreserved 45-minute private bath sessions when the room is vacant
Seasonal kaiseki, kamado rice, Nara tea porridge and special Yamato beef plans
Photo notes
No commercial photography or filming permission is published. Ask before photographing the lobby, rooms, baths, meals, staff or other guests. Sarusawa Pond is a public landscape, but avoid capturing guests or residents in a way that identifies them, and do not block the inn's entrance or walkways.
SEASONAL CALENDAR
Events connected with Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya: A Riverside Ryokan beside Kofukuji
These records are shared with MyNara’s event calendar, so dates and notices have one source. Recurring patterns are not confirmed dated editions; check the organizer’s latest guidance.
20th Arukunara Central Nara Stamp Rally (2026)
The 20th Arukunara campaign invites visitors to explore eight shopping streets between Kintetsu Nara and JR Nara. The official 2026 participant list names registered MyNara stops including Hotel New Wakasa, Kasuga Hotel, Hotel OBANA, Hotel Nikko Nara, Nara Washington Hotel Plaza, Asukaso, Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya, Nara Guesthouse 3F, Kakinoha-zushi Tanaka, Cafe Fluke, Umasshu, Com Ngon, Sakura Burger, Kamaiki, Yamazakiya, Genkishin, Manshodo, Shubo Aya, Hiyori, Mafu Okai, Nakatanido, Mentoan, Nara Izumi Yusai, Manmando, Kaki no Senmon, Yatagarasu, Isshindo, Konjaku Kimono Akio, Salon Naramachi, Bambuno, Cherry's Spoon and LAMP BAR. A stamp is earned only when using a participating shop's service, buying something or dining there, while a stay earns two. Collect three stamps in the campaign booklet for one no-blank draw, up to three draws per booklet. The organizer lists more than 420 points and one booklet per person. The prize-draw goal is in front of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten Sanjo on Sanjo-dori; it is not one of the Higashimuki shop venues. Confirm the official point list and each shop's opening before visiting. The 2026 edition ends November 9; no 2027 dates are confirmed.
Check organizer informationUneme Festival
At Uneme Shrine beside Sarusawa Pond, a procession and a pair of music-bearing boats honour the spirit of a court lady in local legend. Kasuga Taisha's official annual calendar identifies this as the festival of its subsidiary Uneme Shrine; the actual procession and rites take place at Sarusawa Pond, not at the main shrine. The festival follows the mid-autumn moon and its Gregorian dates vary; the shrine and Nara City Tourism Association publish the year's programme and viewing details. Sarusawa Pond Yoshidaya advertised pond-facing rooms for watching the 2023 edition, but no current or later viewing offer is confirmed; ask the inn about the specific year's rooms and availability.
Check organizer informationMake a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Yoshidaya — inn history and guest services
- Yoshidaya — room types and posted starting rates
- Yoshidaya — private and public bath hours and rules
- Yoshidaya — seasonal dinners, breakfast and Nara meal plans
- Yoshidaya — station walking routes, arrival and parking
- Official Nara Travel Guide — location, check-in and visitor details