Natural BEAUTY
Tapping into natural mineral-rich hot spring waters, Japan’s onsen experience has a curative effect on both body and mind.
Soaking in a private onsen (geothermically heated spring) while looking into the green canopy of maple, red pine and mountain cherry makes it nearly impossible not to relax. The silence is as powerful as the simplicity. Giving yourself up to nature to bathe in the curative waters of an onsen is absolutely unmissable on any visit to Japan. For thousands of years, the Japanese have whiled away hours in the country’s 3,000-plus indoor and outdoor
onsen scattered throughout the volcanic belt of the country’s 6,852 islands, often grouped together in key hot spring areas. Openly revered, the mineral-rich waters are considered to have restorative properties that heal aches and pains, ease and prevent illness and generally maintain a healthy body. According to Japanese onsenhou (hot spring law), to be officially classified as an onsen the water temperature must be at least 25 degrees at its point of release. Whether they’re seeking healing, cleansing or general relaxation, millions of Japanese flock to the onsen experience every day, making a private, luxury onsen experience particularly special.
Tucked away on a winding road at the foot of the hills in the onsen town of Yamashiro on Honshu’s west coast, Beniya Mukayu is rated as one of Japan’s best luxury boutique hotel experiences, with all the omotenashi of a family-run ryokan, drawing its healing 40-degree waters from the nearby Yamashiro spring. Billed as one of the country’s best hot-spring areas, Yamashiro has a 1,300-year history dating back to 725, when a holy priest named Gyoki reportedly found a crow healing its wounds in the spring water.
The ryokan tradition is a fascinating window into old-world Japan, where great pride is taken in the hospitality, dining and beautiful bathing facilities offered. Beniya Mukayu is no exception to this tradition, standing on a hill of the sacred Yakushiyama, with all the tranquil Zen-like simplicity to be expected; its modernist architectural design perfectly complementing the moss-covered Japanese garden at its centre. This is a retreat where less is more and the traditions of Japan are quietly incorporated into all 17 of the Western-style and traditional tatami- mat rooms and suites.
Downstairs from the main lounge are separate men’s and women’s onsen with sauna. While getting naked in front of strangers may be confronting, the onsen ritual of bathing on the wooden stool, rinsing and preparing for the hot spring waters is worth the journey, with every step as liberating as the next. The ryokan’s unique Yakushiyama natural body products add further sensuality to the preparation. Compared to a sento (Japanese public bathhouse), the onsen is a much more private experience at Beniya Mukayu; however, if the quiet communal area is still too much, each guest room also offers a private outdoor onsen ( known as a rotenburo) on the balcony of each room.
Melding the power of the spring waters with Japanese herbs, the ryokan also offers Yakushiyama facial and body treatments using customised herbal balls and creams blended according to the physical condition and constitution of each guest. A unique spa experience is guaranteed.
Beniya Mukayu is a modern ryokan at its very best, with impeccable attention to guests. As the sun rises, proprietress Sachiko Nakamichi hosts 7am yoga on the timber deck, a 45-minute stretching and contemplative experience that brings new meaning to the tree pose, as the perfect proportions of the branches of the region’s red pines rise up from the garden in front, while the sun moves steadily behind.
At night, guests gather in the ryokan’s black timber dining room while the resident chef prepares a traditional 10-course kaiseki meal made from locally sourced ingredients, with a particular focus on seafood from the Sea of Japan in the Honshu area, served on locally crafted ceramics.
Find Beniya Mukayu and other luxury ryokan with onsen in Japan at tablethotels.com.