The ryokan certainly does not need reinventing. These Japanese country inns have remained among the world’s finest hospitality experiences since they first began appearing in the early eighth century. And when we revealed the MICHELIN Guide’s first Key distinctions for the most outstanding hotels in Japan, dozens of them made the list.
It was anything but a surprise. The oldest ryokan are the oldest existing hotels, and their formula — traditional materials, tranquil seclusion, hot spring onsen baths, ceremoniously prepared meals — is as good now as it ever was. For evidence of the classic form, look no further than Nishimuraya Honkan, a place that works tirelessly to preserve tradition while maintaining a standard of excellence to rival any contemporary luxury boutique hotel.
Like Nishimuraya, the original ryokans were places to relax and recharge; to pause and to enjoy the serenity and ritual on offer. They were the experience, not just where you sleep in between. But plenty of today’s ryokan have budged slightly in their interpretation, finding clever ways to retain that restorative spirit and meet the needs of globetrotting 21st-century travelers. That could mean anything from small concessions to technology to a wholesale reexamination of the concept.
Either way, they’re a new branch on the ryokan’s millennia-old family tree, and they’re helping to ensure its growth for another thousand years.
Zaborin
Hokkaido, JapanZaborin is every inch a classic ryokan, from its unspoiled natural setting to the elaborate artistry of its kaiseki dinners. But its unapologetically modernist influences is where it truly stands apart — most notably in the abundance of poured concrete in its decidedly non-traditional architecture. And like many of the 21st-century ryokan on this list, Zaborin offers technological luxuries as well. Once you’re properly restored by the unbroken tranquility of the natural setting, feel free to turn on your flatscreen television and Bluetooth sound system.
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Sekitei
Hatsukaichi-shi, JapanOn a hill overlooking Japan’s Inland Sea, and the famous red gates of the Miyajima Shrine, Sekitei’s ten rooms here nicely blend the modern with the ancient; in particular, the hotel has an affinity for original chairs that span eras and styles. The estate has a remarkably residential feel, too — rooms sit in detached villas, cascading down the terraced hillside along with ponds, springs, and plunge pools. The small, underground lounge space with its jazzy soundtrack is another interesting addition to the form.
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Beniya Mukayu
Kaga-Onsen, JapanAt some point in this story, you’ll notice that the clean lines and simple materials of modernist architecture provide a nice complement to the traditional forms of the ryokan. Beniya Mukayu is one of many strong examples of this convergence — further proof that the two traditions are even closer than we think.
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Suiran, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto
Kyoto, JapanSet upon the lazy Hozu River, Suiran is cast against the Arashiyama hill, a backdrop famous for its bamboo forest and evocative maple groves. The collection of rooms and suites, housed in a three-story Japanese estate, sport some of the most contemporary spaces on this list. Nonetheless, it’s not a hotel devoid of traditional touches, and many rooms offer their own onsen (with an open-air bath available to all guests). In the restaurant, you’ll find traditional Japanese fare combined with a Continental sensibility.
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Arcana Izu
Izu Peninsula, JapanVery much one part traditional ryokan and one part international boutique hotel, there’s a spring-fed hot tub on every balcony in lieu of any central onsen, and you’ll find a Caesar salad as well as rice balls on the room service menu. But the forest and river views harken back to the traditional ryokan setting, and the hotel butler follows in the traditional of impeccable service.
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Amanemu
Ise-Shima, JapanIt’s ryokan-inspired, but Amanemu — being an Aman Resort — is certainly no understated country inn. The wellness area has onsen-style baths, but those go with steam rooms, swimming pool, and fitness center. Rooms have a traditional sense of Japanese style (woven textile shutters), but they’re not meant as a recreation: these rooms are pure luxury Aman.
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Bettei Senjuan
Minakami, JapanOnce in the rooms you’ll find relatively little that breaks the mold of a traditional ryokan. But Exhibit A in Bettei Senjuan’s place in this story is the long, arcing main corridor, with the rooms on one side and an unbroken, double-height window running along the other side. If you’ve been to an aquarium with an underwater viewing tunnel then you know the idea: complete immersion, though sharks, thankfully, are replaced by lush greenery.
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Naoshima Ryokan Roka
Naoshima, JapanOn the Japanese art island of Naoshima, Naoshima Ryokan Roka is meant as the first luxury ryokan for the art-obsessives who flock here. To go with a contemporary Japanese style, the hotel flaunts serious artistic bonafides — pieces been curated by a Kyoto University of the Arts professor, and the mission is no less than to serve as an “epicenter for up-and-coming contemporary artists.”
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Kamenoi Besso
Yufu, JapanA 1930s villa on the wild eastern edge of Yufu provided the raw material for Kamenoi Besso, which, after a thorough restoration and renovation, is now a beautifully realized 20-room ryokan. Set on a substantial parcel of land at the foot of Mount Yufu, with views of gardens and forests at every turn; the interiors marry Japanese and European styles, making liberal use of Danish design furniture alongside traditional local crafts. Rooms come in both tatami and Western styles, while the cuisine is equally divided between Japanese and European-style dishes.
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Bettei Otozure
Nagato, JapanExpect kaiseki cuisine, private and communal onsen, and sublime views of the Japanese countryside through floor-to-ceiling windows. But electronic amenities and luxury-hotel comforts abound, and guests can choose between eight room types that mix traditional ryokan aesthetic with a more modern design-conscious one.
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Hero image: Suiran, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
