10 Exclusive Ryokan

• Home

Autumn 2003 - Ryokan Basics - 10 Exclusive Ryokan - The Yukata and the Bath 10 Exclusive Ryokan

		Asebino Lately this inn has been attracting considerable attention and welcoming a large number of repeat visitors. The secret to its popularity is the mountain greenery, a ravine surrounding the inn, and a 20-meter-wide open-air bath from which to enjoy the natural surroundings. The inn contains 18 guestrooms, each with its own exclusive open-air bath made of rock and a terrace overlooking the ravine. Water for the baths is drawn from the hot spring itself and guests can have a constant flow of hot water in their bathtubs around the clock. Not a drop of cold water is added, because it is said that if it were, the effects of the hot spring would diminish dramatically. According to Mr. Ueda, the proprietor, this is why the hot spring of Tanigawa no Yu Asebino is so very effective in boosting metabolism. Although the inn opened just one year ago, its reputation has spread by word of mouth. It has a beautifully produced Web site, which though written only in Japanese presents the atmosphere, setting, and facilities in a way that will encourage international guests to visit. Address: 1931-1 Yugashima, Amagi Yugashima-cho Tagata-gun, Shizuoka-ken, 410-3206 Tel: 0558-85-1926 Fax: 0558-85-2120 Rooms: 8 Japanese style, 10 semi-Western style Rooms with beds: 1 Hot-spring communal bath with an open-air bath: One each for men and women Private open-air bath: Available Rooms with open-air bath: All Rate: ¥26,000 to ¥33,000 Single occupancy: Not accepted Web Site: www.asebino.com (in Japanese; good photographs)

		Iwanoyu This inn is known for its unusual cave-like hot spring, said to be popular long ago among ascetics in the Shugendosect of Buddhism that worshiped mountains. The mineral-rich waters flow over a small waterfall into the rock bathtub. The environment inside is soothingly steamy. This summer, the inn added a new private open-air bath, where guests can enjoy the cool mountain air, refreshing both mind and body. "The signature feature of our inn is the surrounding nature," the proprietor says. "You can see it from the guestrooms, the hallways, and the bathtub. The scene comprises dark, lush greenery in summer and turns into a complete white snow-covered world in winter." In fact, just beyond the open-air relaxing areas of the inn a curtain of green bamboo and other vegetation fills the view with beauty like a many-paneled screen any artist would envy. Nature in the form of gathered greens is also a backdrop for the exquisite meals. Iwanoyu also added a teahouse to its grounds last fall. In rather modern surroundings, guests can enjoy jazz along with herb teas, coffees, and home-made cake. Address: 3159 Suzaka-shi, Nagano-ken, 382-0034 Tel: 026-245-2453 Fax: 026-248-0047 Rooms: 19 Japanese style (you may need to book a year in advance) Hot-spring communal bath: One each for men and women Private open-air bath: Available Rooms with open-air bath: Available Rate: ¥26,000 to ¥36,000 Single occupancy: Not accepted

		Tamanoyu Tamonoyu at Yufuin Hot Spring is an inn any Japanese woman longs to visit at least once. The garden, which reminds one of a leafy coppice, is dotted with 18 detached rooms built of wood. Every guestroom is constructed as a suite, consisting of more than two semi-Western or Japanese-style rooms, a hot-spring bath, a spacious washroom, and a terrace with chairs, which allows guests to feel as if they were staying at a cozy, private villa instead of an inn. Even the check-in/check-out hours are extended to 1 PM and noon, allowing guests a little bit of extra time to ensure their stay is as relaxing and leisurely as possible. Among all Japanese-style inns, Tamanoyu took the initiative as the forerunner in introducing some of the convenient elements of Western-style hotels and is still leading the industry in this endeavor. Established as a resort accommodation of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism in 1953, it was remodeled into the present style in 1975. Tamanoyu has a helpful Web site in English that tells how its managers traveled to Europe to bring back the best ideas from European spas to add to their inn. Address: Yunotsubo, Yufuin-cho Ota-gun, Ota-ken, 879-5197 Tel: 0977-84-2158 Fax: 0977-84-4179 Rooms: 3 Japanese style, 15 semi-Western style Communal open-air bath: One each for men and women Rooms with bath: Available Rate: ¥30,000 to ¥48,000 Single occupancy: Accepted Web Site: www.tamanoyu.co.jp (in English and Japanese)

		Miyama Sou The specialty of this inn is tsumikusa-ryori (young herb cuisine), available only on the premises. The proprietor goes into the mountains to gather ingredients, picking up delicacies in the fields, forest, and rivers. Cooking brings out the particular characteristics, hidden flavors, and aroma of each ingredient. Food is served in simple but refined dishware. Young herb cuisine, developed by the late proprietor, enables guests to appreciate each season to its fullest. It is not as stoical as vegetarian cooking. One can sense the light, spirited undercurrents that so often are typical of Kyoto. It is said that the distinct flavors of this cuisine could only have developed in the deep mountain village of Hanase, where spring is heralded by budding horsetail and Japanese parsley, summer by the flicker of fireflies, autumn by turning leaves, and winter by a blanket of white snow. This cozy inn offers the best of each season in the aesthetic dishes it presents, the attentive preparations and arrangements, as well as the beauty of the natural surroundings. Address: 375 Harachi-cho Hanase, Sakyoku, Kyoto-shi, 601-1102 Tel: 075-746-0231 Fax: 075-746-0233 Rooms: 9 Japanese style (up to four parties accepted per day) Family baths: two (without hot spring) Rate: ¥35,000 to ¥45,000 Single occupancy: Not accepted Web Site: www.miyamasou.co.jp (in Japanese; good photos)

		Tawaraya Immediately upon entering the gate, guests can sense the beauty and tranquility of Tawaraya, as if they had slipped back 300 years in time. A world completely removed from the surrounding city unfolds inside. Each room differs from the others in design. Views into the garden from each room are calculated so meticulously that each scene resembles a Japanese painting. Both the inner garden (where flowers are arranged in a stone basin) and the dimly lit corridors (where pager lanterns create plays of light and shadow) are truly artistic. This is an inn that not only conveys tradition but also has been designed with a fresh, modern perspective. From the timber used in its construction to the towels, bedding, nightwear, amenities, and meals, the inn presents the best quality possible. A night at Tawaraya is a most memorable experience because the inn exudes at every turn the aesthetic sensitivity of its 11th-generation proprietress, Toshi Sato. Sixty staff tend the needs of guests in the inn's 18 rooms. Address: Anekoji-agaru, Fuya-cho Nakagyoku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu, 604-8094 Tel: 075-211-5566 Fax: 075-211-2204 Rooms: 18 Japanese style Rooms with bath: All Rate: ¥40,250 to ¥103,500 Single occupancy: Accepted

		Asaba Address: 3450-1 Shuzenji, Shuzenji-cho Tagata-gun, Shizuoka-ken, 410-2416 Tel: 0558-72-7000 Fax: 0558-72-7077 Rooms: 19 Japanese style Communal bath: One each for men and women Open-air bath: One used alternately by men and women Rooms with bath: Available (two family baths) Rate: ¥33,000 to ¥55,000 Single occupancy: Accepted

		Kuramure Address: 2-685 Asarigawa Onsen, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido, 047-0154 Tel: 0134-51-5151 Fax: 0134-51-5000 Rooms: 15 semi-Western style, 4 Japanese style Hot-spring communal bath: two each (including one open-air bath) for men and women Rooms with bath: Available Rate: ¥30,000 to ¥35,000 Single occupancy: Not accepted Web Site: www.kuramure.com (in Japanese; good photos)

		Hourai Address: 750-6 Izuyama, Atami-shi, Shizuoka-ken, 413-0002 Tel: 0557-80-5151 Fax: 0557-80-0205 Rooms: 16 Japanese style Hot-spring communal bath: One each for men and women Rooms with bath: Available Rate: ¥40,000 to ¥70,000 Single occupancy: Accepted Web Site: www.villa-del-sol.co.jp (in Japanese; shared Web site)

		Gourakadan Address: Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa-ken, 250-0408 Tel: 0460-2-3331 Fax: 0460-2-3334 Rooms: 36 Japanese style, 2 Western style Hot-spring communal bath: One each for men and women Hot-spring open-air bath: One each for men and women Private open-air bath: Available Rooms with bath: All Rate: ¥50,000 to ¥75,000 Single occupancy: Accepted Web Site: www.gorakadan.com (English and Japanese)

		Kamenoi Bessou Address: 2633-1 O-aza Kawakami, Yufuin-cho Oita-gun, Oita-ken, 879-5198 Tel: 0977-84-3166 Fax: 0977-84-2356 Rooms: 15 detached Japanese style, 6 Western-style Hot-spring communal bath with open-air bath: One each for men and women Rooms with open-air bath: Available Rate: ¥30,000 to ¥40,000 Single occupancy: Accepted