NEOLD Private House
B · 7.7 / 10right inn, right place
A one-party kominka retreat in sacred Yoshino that offers the widest range of traditional Japanese activities KI-NRT has seen anywhere: Noh, geisha, tea ceremony, calligraphy, river fishing, and a full Shogun experience with an Osaka action cast. He calls it one-of-a-kind and a must-visit for private cultural immersion, and he is certain to return. That verdict puts it higher than the lodging alone would, since the beddings trail the top houses and the baths are heated water with no onsen.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
The GM, Kimihiro Ogino, is also the chef and cooking is his true love: he is a sushi master and will make whatever you ask, sushi, tempura, kaiseki or Western dishes. KI-NRT ordered the usual omakase kaiseki and found it handsomely presented and nicely prepared, with fewer courses than top ryokan kitchens, Yamato beef and vegetables from Ogino's own garden. Lunch the next day brought incredible kuzu soba, kuzu udon and tempura, all of it light.
Bath 3 / 5
There is no onsen at NEOLD. The house has an indoor bath and an outdoor open-air bath, both heated water, plus a shower and another bathroom in the detached hanare, and KI-NRT mentions them only in passing.
Service 4 / 5
KI-NRT found the service friendly and attentive, as it should be for a private house. The GM, Kimihiro Ogino, runs the place with three other staff, and Ahmed, an English speaker, comes from the Osaka office when foreign guests stay. Whatever activities you choose, they bring in the specialists: for the Shogun and Ninja days a cast of five actors and producers came from Osaka, and costumed vassals welcomed KI-NRT home as their lord.
Room 3.5 / 5
The whole two-storey kominka is yours, with three bedrooms, a dining area around an irori hearth, a tea room, a counter dining room and a detached hanare with a basement bar; eight to ten people fit comfortably. The Shogun armor in the main tatami room is by the artisans behind the 2024 Shogun series, but beddings and toiletries fall a bit short of Asaba, and KI-NRT says you can do better for pure accommodation, though not in this region.
Place 4.5 / 5
NEOLD is about 20 minutes by car from central Mount Yoshino, in the interior of the Kii Peninsula, one of the most sacred parts of Japan and uncrowded on weekdays. Yoshino itself is a World Heritage site with Kimpusen-ji temple and over 30,000 cherry trees in April. The grounds are vast, with a gorgeous Noh stage used for private performances and a lawn big enough to film a samurai battle on. Koyasan is 90 minutes away and Kumano Hongu 2.5 hours.
Getting there
- Kyoto — 0h45, 0 transfers. Kintetsu Kyoto→Kintetsu-Nara (~45 min), ~5-min taxi.
- Osaka — 1h, 0 transfers. Reverse of: Kintetsu Nara Line Rapid Express Kintetsu-Nara→Osaka-Namba (~36 min, direct, ~every 15 min).
Sources
FlyerTalk review #362 · TripAdvisor 5★ · #332 (thread mentions)