STEAM & SNOW
Japan’s Luxurious Onsen Ryokans
The act of bathing is almost a ritual in Japanese culture, with its own set of customs, practices and etiquette. Baths cleanse and heal – in particular natural hot springs, locally called onsen, which have long been acknowledged for their litany of restorative effects. The Japanese word tõji refers to convalescence through hot springs, where people spend extended periods of time in onsen towns to take advantage of the water’s therapeutic properties. Winter months are especially suited for soaking in these natural springs. One simply must experience the sensation of bathing in very hot water in the midst of cold air and a snowy landscape; the piquant touch of frost on warm skin is a form of poetry only nature can conjure.
While the water fetches the people, it is the ryõkan that keeps them there. A fine onsen ryõkan brings together adjacent streams of Japanese traditions, striving towards harmony of man and the environment. In a respectable ryõkan, the architecture, interior, and cuisine reflect a deep respect for nature and its movement through the seasons, as well as for the locality. Those who do it well create a space that – like other manifestations of Japanese luxury – is at once utopic yet austere.
This understated grandeur has evaded translation in the English language, for it is much tied to the underlying Japanese aesthetic, in particular the Way of Tea. It is also rarely well transposed outside of the thick foliage of Japanese mountains. Writers tend to settle with lexicons of Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi probably being one that English has co-opted and inadvertently misused in an attempt to describe spaces and objects that give profound rest to both body and mind. The easiest way to understand, then, is to make the journey. The destination? We have four suggestions.
GORAKADAN
The walls of Gorakadan are relics of the building’s illustrious past. Prior to its transformation into a ryõkan, the estate was owned by members of the imperial family who sought out the hilly town of Hakone to escape Tokyo’s suffocating summers. That said, Gorakadan is a beauty that transcends seasons. Its best suite, Kakou – named after the delicate scent of flowers – is a detached villa house with three tatami rooms (12.5 mats + 8.5 mats + 6 mats; one mat measures approximately 0.88m by 1.76 m), a balcony and an outdoor garden. The bedroom opens to an outdoor stone bath with weakly alkaline waters from Hakone’s natural spring.
The light wood rooms are lined with tatami mats and separated by wooden sliding doors latticed with translucent paper and glass to soften the sunrays. Fresh daily floral arrangements and modern comforts are designed to blend with the estate’s traditional roots, along with dishes that reflect the passage of seasons.
Beyond the villa, one can view Hakone’s famed mountainous snowscapes, and glimpse Mount Fuji from the southern shore of Lake Ashinoko if the weather relents. If not, find a room with a view at the Kadan Spa housed within the ryõkan. www.gorakadan.com
YAGYU-NO-SHO
Built in the sukiya- style, which finds its roots back to the aesthetic of the Way of Tea,Yagyu-no-Sho pays great attention to the interplay of shadow and light, object and space. Its founder, a life-long practitioner of Kendo, was taken by the beauty of the Shuzenji hills in the northern pocket of the Izu Peninsula, and so made it the site of his inn in 1970. It is now with its second-generation owner.
Its most spacious accommodation is Matsu-no-O, a semidetached villa with a name alluding to the pine tree. The suite comes with three rooms (12 mats + 7.5 mats + 8 mats), each with a view of the surrounding bamboo copse – green in spring, blue in winter. The open-air bath is sheltered by a traditional hipped roof, and offers a view of the Japanese maple in the garden. The spring water is ‘soft’ and said to improve one’s skin. For those who want a change of scenery, the ryõkan also houses two large outdoor baths that are open to all guests.
Aside from its mountains, Izu is also famous for its coastline and prides itself for its main catch: the golden eye snapper, a brilliantly red fish with large eyes. www.yagyu-no-sho.com/en
A fine onsen ryokan brings together adjacent streams of Japanese traditions
KAYOTEI
Kayotei is located in Kaga, a small town on the western side of the Japanese main island encircled by mountain ranges. But as isolated as it may be, it is far from inaccessible. Its nearest major station, Kanazawa, can be reached via high-speed rail from both Tokyo and Osaka, from which the ryõkan’s hired car will fetch you. The town’s Yamanaka Onsen replenishes Kayotei’s baths and has been known to relieve muscle-related pains and hardening of the arteries.
To have a view of both the river and mountains, pick the Higashiyama suite, which comes with two tatami rooms (14.5 mats + 4.5 mats) and an indoor bath. The palette is muted but the textures are plenty – think straw, wood, bamboo and paper. On request, the suite can be connected to neighbouring rooms, adding space (9.5 mats + 3 mats) and an outdoor bath with a forest view.
Kayotei is deeply connected to the community of Yamanaka Onsen, and all food produce is sourced locally. Guests can also learn traditional crafts with local artisans who have been passing on their trades for generations. www.ryokancollection.com
ASABA
Asaba, like Yagyu-no-Sho, is tucked away in the onsen town of Shuzenji in Northern Izu. Driving up towards the ryõkan, it is hard to miss its distinct karahafu gable, a smooth greyish blue concave arch that resembles a samurai helmet. The Moegi suite, situated on Asaba’s second floor, commands a view of the lake, across from which stands a historical roofed theatre where seasonal performances of Noh and Kyogen are staged. The panoramic view from the suite is dramatic – performances take place under the moonlight and in the shadows of nearby maples, while a boat of musicians floats by on the lake.
The rooms are wide (10 mats + 10 mats + 6 mats) and minimalistic; multiple sliding doors allow you to play with the space like a game of Tetris. The name of the suite evokes the imagery of a newly sprouted bulb of onion, whose colour connotes the coming of spring. The room has its own private bath, but guests may also use the common outdoor bath that opens towards a grove of bamboo and maples. Private baths may also be requested for families. www.asaba-ryokan.com/en