Hotels

At first sight of its imposing, varnished wooden gate, one knows Yuyuza is something special. It’s a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn — replete with tatami mats, futon-style beds, ikebana and the exquisite combination of minimalist design and the play of subtle light and shadow which characterizes classic Japanese architecture. There’s no better place to experience this than the hinoki cedar bathtub, which you’ll share with some therapeutic, floating yuzu fruit. The Gion district of Kyoto is a bustling hub, known as the capital of geisha entertainment, having been erected around the Yasaka Shrine, a 1,400-year-old Shinto construction mere steps from Yuyuza. The restaurant, Isshinkyo, serves traditional kaiseki meals — impeccably planned, subtle and authentic Japanese dishes for which everything is taken into account, meant to be savored with entertainment from the hosts over the course of hours.