THE RYOKAN COLLECTION

ryugon has preserved the detached kitchen from the original farmhouse as a space for guests to experience local gastronomy workshops, offering them a unique chance not only to learn simple recipes to prepare the healthy natural bounty of Snow Country, but also to chat with born-and-bred locals about food culture in Niigata and share a freshly cooked meal together. The spacious kitchen still uses an old-fashioned wood-fired stove and is festooned with food being preserved in time-honored ways, from vegetables pickling in massive jars to fish and game being strung from the rafters to cure in the dry winter air.