Scapes

If we have a mission when it comes to these rural Japanese escapes, it’s this: to make the classic ryokan-style country inn every bit as familiar an image, in foreigners’ minds, as the iconic Western-style luxury hotels or the only-in-Japan capsule hotels and love hotels. All the Japanese hoteliers need to do, in order to hold up their end of the bargain, is go on creating places as stunning, as memorably luxurious, as Scapes.

It may seem a world apart, but Scapes is particularly convenient to Tokyo; the seaside location in Hayama is about an hour from Tokyo, by train or by car. If it feels remote, it’s the size — just four rooms — and the setting, with ocean views that might put you in mind of the Mediterranean or the Aegean but for Mt. Fuji's mystical silhouette towering in the distance. And the design is endlessly calming in itself, without resorting to tired international minimalism or easy Zen clichés — the polished hardwoods and earth-tone modernist furnishings may feel slightly retro, but never dated.

There’s just enough to do. The rooms invite late sleeping, with plush bedding, spa-like bathrooms and views of the sea. Reserve the jacuzzi room for a soak, spend a quiet hour in the library, or pop in to the chapel to take care of the spiritual side. There are sights to be seen on the Kanagawa seaside, but the first order of business here is simply to escape.