The world’s oldest hotel was founded in Japan

The Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is officially the world’s oldest hotel. According to the Guinness World Records, the hotel was founded in 705 AD by statesman Fujiwara Mahito to host both samurais and shoguns.

Keiunkan is certified as ‘the world's most historical inn’ in the Guinness Book of World Records. The inn is located the foot of the South Japanese Alps in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The hotel has been run by the same family for 52 generations. The inn boasts its own natural spring, serving the guests fresh hot spring water (producing 1,630 litres of hot spring water per minute) for the 1,310th consecutive year of business. The hotel has had many distinguished guests over the centuries of operation. Among them were prominent leaders like shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen, a medieval feudal lord.

At the Keiunkan guests can soak both indoors and out while surrounded by views of the mountains.

Image by Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan