JAPAN IN FOCUS

For rent: Entire island ryokan inn, ¥1 million a night

Courtesy of Kumano-bettei Nakanoshima
Nakanoshima ryokan inn, front, is seen in Katsuura Bay, in Wakayama Prefecture.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:28 JST, June 6, 2021

A Japanese ryokan inn is offering a rental plan for an entire island at a cost of ¥1 million for an overnight stay.

The island is located in Katsuura Bay in Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, and the whole of the island belongs to the ryokan Kumano-bettei Nakanoshima. An exclusive ferry transports guests from Katsuura Port to the island in about five minutes.

The ¥1 million rental fee is for a party of two people, including consumption tax. The rental plan is being offered until Dec. 27, available only on Mondays and Tuesdays, when the inn regularly closes.

Though the ryokan inn has 44 guest rooms, the special rental service is limited to only one party each time. If the number of guests increases from two, the fee rises by ¥200,000 per person.

The main room to accommodate the special overnight guests is named the Nagi-no-sho Luxury Deluxe and measures about 75 square meters. The interior is mainly wooden and has a modern but Japanese-style atmosphere. From inside the room, guests can enjoy the scenery of Katsuura Bay.

Guests will find a bottle of French high-grade champagne in the room’s refrigerator. Dinner is served in one of the inn’s lounges. The inn’s grand chef will prepare iseebi Japanese spiny lobster, Kumano-brand beef, Kishu-brand raw tuna and other local specialties.

There is an onsen hot spring bath on the premises where sea waves approach very close. Guests can also enjoy fishing in a private spot.

Officials of the inn said that so far, only one party has used the whole rental service.

General manager Takumi Igarashi said, “By renting out the entire island, we hope that guests can enjoy a trip without worrying about crowded situations in the midst of the novel coronavirus crisis.”