Sleep like a samurai – Travel provider offers one-night stay in a Japanese castle

Free package includes dinner modeled after meals eaten by feudal lords. 

Although I spent several years working in the hotel industry, my personal travel style makes me pretty flexible as far as picking as accommodations are concerned. As long as the location is good and the room clean, I don’t need a whole lot of other amenities, especially if I’m staying for just one night (if there’s a convenience store nearby that sells local beer, that’s just icing on the cake).

That said, I have to admit that one unique “hotel” being offered by travel provider Stay Japan is exactly the kind of place I’d love to spend the night, because it’s a Japanese castle.

And just to be clear, this isn’t a themed love hotel with really high production values. It’s a full-blown castle in the coastal city of Hirado in Nagasaki Prefecture. Originally constructed in 1225, Hirado Castle served as the fortified home of the heads of the Matsura samurai clan, before being largely dismantled in the 19th century as the feudal period came to a close. In 1962, though, the castle was reconstructed, and it now commands a beautiful view of the surrounding Kameoka Park and Hirado’s harbor.

Stay Japan, which specializes in unique accommodations for travelers with a deep interest in Japanese culture, is coordinating the offer to let two travelers spend the night in the castle’s keep on May 20. Selected by lottery, the lucky pair won’t pay a single yen., and will be given a guided tour the city’s sights. The package includes a meal, served in the keep, modeled after the fare eaten by samurai lords 400 years ago. Oh, an they’ll also receive official documents from the city of Hirado proclaiming them as “the one-day lords of Hirado Castle.”

Heartbreakingly, Stay Japan has already closed the application period for the lottery. Hopefully this isn’t the last time they’ll be offering such a package, though, because it’s ab absolute certainty that there are more than two people who’d like to stay in lodgings of such an amazing category.

Related: Stay Japan
Source: Japaaan
Images: Stay Japan

Credit: