Sasayuri-Ann Ozunu is set amid scenic mountains in one of Japan’s national parks. Photo / Kudo Kenji
Sasayuri-Ann Ozunu is set amid scenic mountains in one of Japan’s national parks. Photo / Kudo Kenji
You may think of Japan’s traditional ryokan inns as rustic, but things are getting increasingly luxurious, writes Julian Ryall
Japan’s ryokan inns have been greeting travellers since the eighth century with the warm welcome that the locals know as “omotenashi” - a term for which no single English word exists, but means to wholeheartedly look after one’s guests.
Typically found in the “onsen” hot spring resorts for which Japan is famous, in the past ryokan offered tatami-mat rooms, sliding paper doors, fluffy futons laid out each evening, a steaming communal bath and “kaiseki” meals that feature local and seasonal specialities.
Ryokan can still be found and continue to reflect traditional hospitality and charm, but Japan’s booming travel industry has fuelled interest in more contemporary and luxury-end properties across the country.
And whether you opt for a traditional or a more modern stay, the experience will be uniquely Japanese.
Ryokan continue to reflect Japan's traditional hospitality and charm. Photo / Supplied; Raku Suisan
Hakone Retreat Fore
Set amid a dense forest of pine and silver birches and with deer, monkeys and foxes frequent visitors, Hakone Retreat Fore has been designed to meld with its environment.
Just two hours by car to the west of Tokyo, the ryokan and its neighbouring property of 11 individual villas are a few kilometres further up the valley from the historic town of Hakone and a similar distance from Lake Ashinoko. Pleasure boats dot the lake throughout the summer months and a cable car from its northern end takes visitors up to the pungent sulphur fields on the flanks of volcanic Mount Hakone.
Interior room at Hakone Retreat Fore.
Photo / Supplied
The even more imposing outline of Mount Fuji looms over the entire area, its peak resplendent in a cap of snow for much of the year.
Hakone Retreat Fore’s rooms are refreshingly simple and bright, yet cosy in the months that snow is on the ground thanks to the wood-burning stoves that give off a fierce heat.
A highlight of any stay has to be the onsen that occupies its own wooden building set into the steep hillside. Tapping into a natural hot spring far below the ground, the gender-segregated pools look across the valley. Each has communal indoor and outdoor baths, with tendrils of steam rising from the surface. A soak is utterly relaxing and guarantees a good night’s sleep.
All the adjoining villas enjoy their own private onsen, either on their decks or within the villa.
Adjoining villas enjoy their own private onsen at Hakone Retreat Fore. Photo / Supplied
The properties have bicycles to explore the local area, although the less energetic can relax in the cafe or surrounded by greenery on the Free Bird Terrace.
The restaurant, Woodside Dining, serves up French-inspired cuisine, although with a very definite local flavour. The chef incorporates vegetables, meat and fish from the surrounding Suruga district into his dishes, with fresh fish brought in from the ports daily. Do not miss the wagyu sirloin or the grilled Ezo venison served with a sauce of local blueberries.
Sasayuri-Ann Ozunu
Set amid scenic mountains in one of Japan’s national parks, Sasayuri-Ann Ozunu only accepts one booking a night, making it a truly exclusive experience.
In the Nara Prefecture village of Fukano Muro – famous as the birthplace of “Noh” theatre and in the past a hotbed of ninja activity – the property is a traditional farmhouse that has been modernised yet retains its fundamental charm, with a thatched roof, earthen walls and a carefully tended garden of raked gravel.
The living room has an open “irori” hearth and the bath is a round tub of wood with views across the valley. A 100-year-old tea room stands a little way off and the owner, a practitioner of Shugendo asceticism, is happy to lead his guests in a series of mindfulness experiences.
Roka only opened in April 2022, but it brings together modernity and luxury with countless traditional elements of design and functionality, as well as contemporary art.
The 11-room ryokan is on Naoshima Island, in the heart of the Seto Inland Sea that separates Honshu from Shikoku, and plays an important role in the Setouchi International Art Festival.
As well as an exquisite place to stay – all suites have open-air baths and the restaurant serves a uniquely modern take on kaiseki sushi – the ryokan is also an incubator for emerging art talent and has earned itself a reputation as a gathering place for art lovers and collectors.
All suites at Roka have open-air baths. Photo / Supplied
Sowaka
From the outside, Sowaka is all traditional wood panelling, curved tiles and sliding doors. Inside, it has the same design features but refined and elevated to the needs of the modern traveller.
Sowaka is in the historic Gion district of Kyoto, the ancient capital, meaning that a “maiko” apprentice geisha could clip-clop by on her wooden sandals at any time.
The main building dates back more than 100 years and was previously a high-end restaurant. The original timber and the work of local craftsmen have been preserved and enhanced by the elegant touches of the artisans for which Kyoto is famous.
For anyone in search of serenity, take a seat in the courtyard garden and listen to the water falling gently into the pond.
For anyone in search of serenity, Sowaka offers a sanctuary of elegance. Photo / Supplied
Raku Suisan
Nestled between the stunning peaks of Mt Yotei and Mt Annupuri on the most northerly island of Hokkaido, there is arguably nowhere better to enjoy Japan’s four distinct seasons than Raku Suisan.
The nearby slopes of Niseko are widely considered to offer some of the best powder snow in the world – so good that winter sports connoisseurs refer to it as “Japow!” – but this part of Hokkaido has a spectacular “green season”, and countless opportunities to explore the great outdoors.
Raku Suisan has just 18 rooms, all of which have a private bath from where Mt Yotei and the surrounding panorama can be enjoyed.
The evening meal is “omakase”, meaning that there is no menu and guests are completely in the hands of a chef who knows how to make the very most of regional and seasonal delicacies.
Raku Suisan is nestled between the stunning peaks of Mt Yotei and Mt Annupuri. Photo / Supplied
