Shirayama Hime Shrine, at the Foot of the Hallowed Mount Haku

At 2,702 meters tall, Mt. Hakusan is one of Japan's three venerated peaks. Its snowmelt nourishes rivers and fields, nurturing the region's bountiful crops, catch, and game. For centuries, locals have revered its snow-capped peak as the sacred "Throne of the Snow-white Gods,” a holy site and an object of faith and gratitude.

The historic Shirayama Hime Shrine was founded over 2,100 years ago, and remains a beacon of faith for visitors to Mount Haku today. Enveloped by forest, its solemn grounds include a central hall and a cypress-wood worship pavilion. The shrine is the vital spiritual heart and anchor for those who live in the shadow of Mount Haku, in harmony with its gifts, and in connection with its gods.

A Welcoming Sanctuary in the Sacred Woods

Within these sanctified woods resides Wataya. This 160-year-old ryokan originally founded as a restaurant along Mount Haku’s Tedori River is a solitary place of repose, nourishment, and culinary delight for those who pass through. Wataya moved to its current location on the shrine grounds in 1950 upon the invitation of the head priest, after its original location suffered multiple floods. Since then, it has shared a deep spiritual and ecological connection with the mountain and its shrine, coexisting with the bounties and threats of nature alike and operating by the grace of the gods.

A Stay with a Sense of Place

Experience the Warm Hospitality and Thoughtfulness of the Hosts

The current innkeeper, Satoko Wada welcomes every guest with a smile – a level of warm hospitality recognized by the 2021 Gault & Millau Japan guide with that year’s Best Service and Hospitality Award. Her inn too is a tranquil escape whose grounds are filled with the by turns stirring and comforting sounds of birdsong, the rustling whispers of trees, and breathtaking garden views bursting with seasonal color.

A Time-Honored Wooden Building and Guest Rooms That Bring History to Life

The Wataya structure is a masterwork of traditional wood architecture. Soft light filters through shoji screens, falling across polished floors, lacquered fittings, and other intricate features carefully appointed down to the last detail in this beautiful atmospheric space. Each of the six guest rooms feature an irori sunken charcoal hearth, plus interior accents like casual arrangements of Wada’s handpicked wildflowers. There is warm and heartfelt welcome in every touch, sure to put a smile on your face.

Pre-Selected Rooms

The rooms are elegant wooden structures, each with its own hearth. Long-standing beams and pillars convey the history and warmth of countryside life. Originally a restaurant, the inn’s guest rooms do not have private baths or toilets, but you can enjoy a comfortable and restful stay, accompanied by birdsong and the changing sounds of nature throughout the seasons.

Moments at the Table

Feast of the Foothills: Savor the Flavors of Mount Haku

For seven generations and counting since the founding of the original restaurant, the cooks of Wataya have handed down their mountain village cuisine, showcasing the plenty of Mount Haku and its wider region: blessings like river fish, wild herbs, mushrooms, and game. Its menu bursts with seasonal selections like tempura mountain vegetables in spring, ayu sweetfish in summer, charcoal-grilled mushrooms in autumn, and shabu-shabu hot pot of bear meat in winter.

The star of the course dinner is river fish grilled right at the irori sunken charcoal hearth in your room, done just as it has been since the inn's founding over a century and a half ago. Soak up the fragrance, delight in the low crackling roar of the fire, and warm yourself in a rustic and timeless luxury that’s hard to come by elsewhere.

Deepen Your Connection to the Region

Purify Mind and Body in the Waters of Mount Haku with a Shinto Misogi Ritual (Additional Option)

On your second day, feel free to avail yourself of the opportunity for a private experience at the adjoining Shirayama Hime Shrine, and partake in a sacred Shinto purification ceremony rooted in Japanese mythology under the guidance of a Shinto priest. This is misogi, a ritual cleansing the soul and body alike of sin and impurity. Shirayama Hime Shrine is one of vanishingly few in Japan with a dedicated basin for this ritual, utilizing the life-giving waters of Mount Haku.

*Other visitors or worshippers may be present at the shrine during your visit.

After receiving the priest’s instruction in the rites, don the ritual white robes and step into the bracing water of the misogi basin. This cleansing of body, mind, and soul is an unforgettable immersion in ancient spiritual traditions in the shadow of Mount Haku, sure to leave you feeling refreshed, light, and clear. 

Ascend to the Shrine’s Altar and Offer Prayers to the Mountain Gods (Additional Option)

You can also enjoy a guided ascent to the shoden sanpai prayer ceremony, touring the shrine grounds on your way up to the worship hall to perform a simple but profound act of formal prayer at the worship hall with a bow. Face the gods to convey your gratitude and your earnest prayers alike in this solemn space, glimpsing meanwhile the foundations of Japan’s culture as it has been passed down since time immemorial.

The norito chants of the priest and the kagura dance of the shrine maiden are solemn and mystical offerings of prayer to the gods of the shrine – sure to leave behind a deep impression. After the ceremony, participants receive omamori charms and osagari sweets, once ritual offerings to the gods. This is a chance to partake in an ancient tradition while feeling gratitude for the divine connection.

Feel the Divine Presence and Experience Abundance

Wataya is a sanctuary in the woods, a retreat from city bustle swathed in wildflowers, birdsong, profound calm, and the bounties of mountain fare. Time here at the foot of the divine Mount Haku is soulful and flows by in quiet tranquility. Feel the divine presence and sacred nature, seeking your own inner peace through timeless spiritual traditions, and in so doing come face to face with the true abundance that lies within you.