I mentioned upthread that ryokans often are more than just a place to stay - many of them are unique cultural experiences. In this regard, NEOLD Private House (ネオールド プライベートハウス, http://www.neold.co.jp) is a one-stop shop for partaking in a variety of traditional Japanese activities, making it a compelling destination on its own right.


NEOLD Private House

First off, a few things to note about NEOLD's location. It's in Yoshino in Nara Prefecture. When I say "Nara," I don't mean the city that is home to the deer park and a plethora of wonderful UNESCO temples. Nara Prefecture also calls part of the Kii Peninsula as its own (shared with Wakayama and Mie Prefectures, and a tiny portion is also part of Osaka); "Kii Hanto," as it's called in Japanese, is one of the most sacred locations in the country in Shinto, Buddhism and Shugendo, and the Kumano Kodo trail (along with three of its main Temples), Koyasan and Ise-Shima areas (the latter being home to Ise Jingu Shrine, which is 30 minutes from Amanemu) are three of the most iconic UNESCO sites in the country.


NEOLD Private House - Noh Stage

Although it lives in the shadow of its more famous brethren, Yoshino is also a historic, World Heritage Site itself - Mount Yoshino is sacred for adherents of the Shugendo religion, and has three historic temples and shrines, including the awe-inspiring Kimpusen-ji and the unique design of Mikumari-Jinja that was built during the reign of the famous Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Aside from that, Yoshino is arguably the most famous Sakura (cherry blossom) spot in all of Japan, with over 30,000 Sakura trees bursting with color, usually in April, and also is a major spot for Kuzu (Kudzu / Arrowroot starch) cultivation, which explains the variety of Kuzu specialty stores and restaurants that populate the area. Kuzukiri and Kuzu Mochi are definitely worth a try!


NEOLD Private House - Tatami room and dining room (Irori - Japanese sunken hearth)

One additional thing to note - lest you think it's easy to combine Koyasan, Kumano, Yoshino and Shima, think again: Kii Hanto is massive... it's far and away the largest peninsula on the main island of Honshu, extremely mountainous, and very undeveloped in the interior. And, public transportation is sporadic and inconvenient. Even with a car, it's 90 minutes from Yoshino to Koyasan, 2 hours to Ise-Shima, 2.5 hours to Kumano Hongu Taisha and even further (~3.5 hours) to Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi Falls. Kii Hanto is an amazing place that really embodies the "soul of Japan." It is also quite uncrowded, especially on weekdays. But plan your itinerary carefully, as many of the major sites are extremely spread out.



NEOLD Private House is just as its name implies... a relatively large property that only accepts one party at a time, and is located about 20 minutes by car from central Mt. Yoshino. The house is a Kominka ("Old house") that the owner used as his own retreat before he modified it and turned it into a ryokan. Both the buildings and surrounding grounds are quite vast - the two-story house itself has numerous rooms (with 3 bedrooms, if I recall correctly), including a living room with a dining area with an irori (sunken hearth), a reception lounge, a tea room, a conference room for meetings, two bathrooms, a shower and both indoor and outdoor baths (not Onsen) as well as a dedicated dining room for countertop dining (sushi style.) There is also a "hanare" (detached building) that has another bedroom and bathroom, as well as a bar/lounge in the basement. All told, up to 8-10 people can comfortably stay at once, although they will accept up to 14 guests if necessary.


NEOLD Private House - Outdoor open-air bath. Not onsen.

Outside, there's a gorgeous Noh stage that is actually used for private performances, and a large lawn area which is set up for some of the outdoor activities, including for the filming of the Shogun battle sequence (more on that later.) Is it luxury? I would say so; first of all, the entire place is yours, the architecture is stunning and service is friendly and attentive (as it should be for a private house.) While not as intricate of a setting as Kyoto's Tawaraya ryokan, there are many charming aspects of NEOLD. The Shogun armor displays in the main tatami room are masterpieces and are meticulously crafted - the replica is made by the same artisans that were responsible for the armor and gear used in the Shogun TV series (the 2024 FX and Hulu one.) In terms of things like beddings and amenities (such as toiletries), it falls a bit short compared to, say, Asaba, but there's no shame in that - for top-notch accommodations, you can do better, although you'd be hard pressed to find better alternatives in the Yoshino, Koyasan and Kumano region.


NEOLD Private House - Lounge/bar in the basement of the detached house.

The main person in charge of the on-site operations is the GM, Mr. Kimihiro Ogino, who is supported by three other staff members. That's just the start - depending on what activities (if any) you choose, they'll bring along experts in the various disciplines. For our Shogun and Ninja experiences, there was a large cast of actors and producers (5 in total) that came from Osaka to support the cause. In case you're wondering, NEOLD has an English speaker (Ahmed) who mainly works in their Osaka office, but who comes to NEOLD when foreign guests stay there.


NEOLD Private House - Matsunoan counter dining room

Mr. Ogino is also the chef at NEOLD, and it's his main claim to fame and true love. He'll make anything you desire - for instance, he's a sushi master and can prepare a sushi course if that's what you want. He can also make Tempura, a variety of Kaiseki dishes or even Western courses if you desire that - basically, it's all bespoke. We asked for an "omakase" (chef's choise) kaiseki, which is the most common choice. While the dinner has a few less courses than some of the more elaborate kaiseki cuisine in other top ryokans and is not as voluminous, the dishes are beautifully presented and very nicely prepared. While he does serve local delicacies (including Yamato beef), and the vast majority of vegetables are grown in his own garden, curiously many of the fish came from all over Japan, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And as a bonus, we were served lunch on the following day - this just doesn't happen at ryokans (it was served before filming began.) His Kuzu Soba and Kuzu Udon, along with the Tempura servings, were incredible - we loved how everything was flavorful but light enough that we didn't feel bloated at the end of each meal.


NEOLD Private House - Kaiseki Dinner

While guests can certainly take advantage of NEOLD as a place to stay, the ryokan's true calling card is in the variety of experiences that it offers (and the main reason we chose to visit.) This includes Geisha/Maiko interactions, tea ceremony, Noh (traditional Japanese Kabuki theater) / Kyogen (a comedic form of Noh) / Tezuma (traditional Japanese magic) performances, Shaminsen (traditional string instrument), Nihon-buyo (traditional dance performance), Japanese Calligraphy, Cooking classes and even fishing excursions on the Yoshino River (followed by a BBQ of the freshly-caught fish.) NEOLD even offers an opportunity to fulfill one's dream of becoming a Shogun or Ninja - there are various options, such as the ability to dress up as a Lord (and his "Himesama" - Princess) or Ninja, and even be filmed engaging in a short battle sequence. If you don't care to do the complete experience, guests have the option to be dressed in a Shogun outfit (either in traditional clothing or in battle armor), princess outfit (ditto), and even Taisho (army general) and Ninja wear.


Together with NEOLD Private House's staff along with the cast from Samurai Cafe

Although NEOLD has been operating since February 2021, we were surprised to learn that we were the first guests to opt for the flagship, complete Shogun Experience (将軍体験.) I'm not sure if it's because of the cost or some other reason, and although it was pricey I definitely thought it was worth it - there's nowhere else that offers anything quite like it. Things began from the moment we arrived - the house is represented as the Shogun's residence, and while walking towards the entrance "my" servants and vassals (clad in various feudal-era outfits) were present to welcome me "back", and hosted a ceremony in their shogun's honor. Following this, we were dressed in regular (non-armored) home Shogun and Princess outfits and were served dinner by Mr. Ogino. In addition to the regular staff at NEOLD, for the Shogun Experience they brought in actors and coordinators from Aniki Action Team (https://www.aniki-actionteam.com/) and BJE (BElief JAPAN Entertainment - https://b-j-e.com/), which jointly operate and perform at the Samurai Cafe in Osaka (https://b-j-e.com/samuraicafe/). After dinner, the actors performed an abbreviated, private version of their Samurai Cafe performance in the main tatami room.


NEOLD Private House - The Shogun getting dressed

The next day, we were first dressed in Ninja garb and then shown the ropes on various Ninja tricks by two of the Aniki Action Team members. This was followed by fittings of the Shogun (and Himesama for Mrs. KI-NRT) battle armor accoutrements, and training in Iaido (Katana sword techniques.) After lunch, we led to the outdoor lawn where we practiced the various fight sequences before eventually shooting the scene that was filmed (and later edited) by a professional videographer. You can see the results here:


Note that the Shogun battle scene production is an extra charge (above and beyond the Shogun experience itself.) We also had them create a short film to document our entire stay (also at additional cost):


Not interested? No worries. As mentioned earlier, there are a variety of other experiences on offer. You can also choose not to do anything at all. You can elect to stay and not have any meals there. In fact, you can even rent the place just for a private lunch if you so choose. The a-la-carte manner in which choices are offered is almost too complex, actually. I'm guessing that the "have it any way you like" activity (and pricing) structure is a result of NEOLD still being relatively new since it opened during COVID, and will adjust in due time.

We really enjoyed our experience at NEOLD Private House. It's a one-of-a-kind place and a must-visit for those that are into private stays and eager to immerse themselves in traditional Japanese culture.


NEOLD Private House - Ready for battle

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