Hiroshima and Miyajima Island , Japan

Ryokan Kurashiki

Name: Ryokan Kurashiki
Address: Japan

Historic ryokan overlooking Kurashiki’s canal district

Exterior of a traditional Japanese tile-roofed building along a canal with wooden canoes and willow trees and an old street lamp.

Family-run inn in an old sugar warehouse

Ryokan Kurashiki occupies a carefully restored sugar merchant’s warehouse in the Bikan Historical Quarter, the canal-lined heart of Kurashiki – one of Japan’s most atmospheric historic districts. White-walled storehouses, willow trees and stone bridges surround the ryokan, which also has its own zen garden, coffee shop and onsen. Family-owned since 1957, there are just eight rooms renovated out of the old storehouses for rice and tools, plus one separate private residence for larger groups.

The rooms follow traditional ryokan design, with tatami mat floors, shoji paper screens, handcrafted furniture and views across either the canal district or the ryokan’s Japanese garden. Each is individually styled with details such as hinoki cypress baths, antique ceramics and seasonal flower arrangements showcasing Japanese craftsmanship and simplicity. Most of the rooms also have western-style beds and modern bathrooms.

Dining at Ryokan Kurashiki is a highlight. Its kaiseki restaurant serves traditional multi-course seasonal menus crafted around ingredients from Okayama Prefecture and the Seto Inland Sea. Dishes change throughout the year and are presented on carefully selected Japanese ceramics and lacquerware. Just outside, the Ohara Museum of Art, greenery-covered Kurashiki Ivy Square, the quaint stone Nakabashi Bridge and the district’s traditional merchant houses are all a short stroll away, making this an excellent base for exploring Bikan Historical Quarter, one of Japan’s most distinctive old towns.

Highlights

Stay in a traditional ryokan in Kurashiki’s Bikan Historical Quarter

Sleep in a tatami-floored room with a hinoki cypress bath

Dine on seasonal kaiseki cuisine featuring ingredients from Okayama and the Seto Inland Sea

Visit the Ohara Museum of Art, Japan’s first museum of Western art

Walk beside old Kurashiki's willow-lined canals and preserved merchant houses

Interior bedroom with a white, minimalist bed and a plain screen window looking out to a zen courtyard with a single small tree.

Traditional Japanese garden with curving trees, vines and pathways and a carved stone lantern marker in the foreground.

Interior of a ryokan berdroom with a western-style bed with white bedding and a small minimalist bedside table with a lamp on.

Canal with an old tree and a wooden boat with purple flowers hanging off the front.

Low-lit dining room with a simple wooden table in the foreground set for dinner, a paper screen in the background and a darkened garden outside a set of windows in the background.

Exterior of the historic tile-roofed ryokan with a small stone shrine in the foreground.

Interior of a ryokan bedroom with a floor-seated tatami table in the foreground and a western-style bed, and high ceilings with wooden beams.

Traditional square Japanese stone onsen bath inside a wooden room with large windows looking out onto a garden

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Places to combine Ryokan Kurashiki with

Tokyo

Aman Tokyo

Embracing the minimalism of traditional Japanese architecture, Aman is a stylish, bespoke hotel that will offer you an array of amenities and easy accessibility to the city’s sights.

Each of the 84 guest rooms and suites have unique layouts with uncompromising city views and every contemporary convenience. You’ll find the design inspiration evident throughout the hotel, from traditional Japanese residential structures to the use of classical materials such as camphor wood, washi paper and stone alongside modern luxurious fabrics. The hotel also offers an exquisite dining experience in their elegant mediterranean fine dining restaurant on the 33rd floor with views of the Imperial Palace Gardens and Mount Fuji.

Take a dip in the infinity pool on the 34th floor, high above the hustle and bustle of the city or head to the spa to relax after a long day of exploring the city. You’ll also enjoy Ginza, the upmarket shopping area just a pleasant 15 minute walk away.

Hiroshima and Miyajima Island

Iwaso Miyajama Ryokan

Located at the heart of the World Heritage Miyajima Island, relax in this luxury ryokan. Located in the woods of Momijidani, this inn offers a serene, flawless service ensuring authentic Japanese hospitality throughout your stay.

Built in 1893, Iwaso was the first ryokan built on this island. The 38 rooms merge into the stunning nature that surrounds them. The Japanese concept of light and space is clear throughout, from the floor to ceiling windows, to the tatami-mat floor to the sliding partitions. Nature’s influence is echoed in the cuisine provided at this ryokan. During your stay, dine in your room and taste the local delicacies in a traditional Japanese feast.

Relax in the peaceful library or tea lounge; unwind in the hotel’s hot spring onsen and sample the beautiful surroundings of this magnificent island. Make sure to visit the Itsukushima Shrine just moments away from your hotel.

Hakone

Gora Kadan Ryokan

Immerse yourself into the ancient Japanese way of life at Gora Kadan, the former retreat of the Imperial Family. Situated in the heart of Hakone National Park, this traditional Japanese ryokan – meaning inn – echoes the country’s longstanding cultural emphasis on beauty and purity of form, and was designed to exist in harmony with the nearby mountain range.

With just 39 guest rooms and suites, this luxury ryokan provides a retreat from the often-hectic pace of city life through the use of Japanese Zen minimalism. You’ll find sliding walls made of rice paper, fragrant floral incense and modern luxury commodities. This calming retreat is located in an area known for its hot springs from which mineral rich water flows into the open-air baths.

During your stay enjoy the traditional Kaiseki cuisine, consisting of a variety of small dishes, which will be served in your room for complete tranquility.

Mount Fuji

Hoshinoya Fuji

Nestled within a pristine red pine forest overlooking Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji is Hoshinoya Fuji, a beautiful glamping hideaway that allows guests to enjoy the tranquility of their natural surroundings.

On arrival at reception guests are presented with a camping kit containing binoculars, headlamp, map and blanket before being driven up to the main site. Here you will find the cabins, restaurant and the Cloud Terrace – a network of walkways and wooden platforms seemingly suspended in the air.

You’ll find 40 cubic concrete blocks nestled with the forest, minimalist in design but featuring everything you could possibly need. Large windows look out over the beautiful landscape and every cabin features a balcony where you can light a fire. Lighting in the cabins is soft, and around the site only the pathways are illuminated so as not to detract from the natural environment.

The main restaurant features a grill station in the middle where chefs cook up succulent steaks which are served with a seasoning rack. Alternatively, head up to the top of the Cloud Terrace and have a go at cooking in the wood-fired oven. For complete privacy, you can choose to dine in the comfort of your cabin.

Volcanic activity 10,000 years ago created a landscape of craters and ice caves, and the surrounding area is ripe for exploring. Canoe on the lake, go horse riding through the forest or take a lesson in stargazing and marvel at the night sky.