Yamashiro and Yamanaka, Japan

Beniya Mukayu

A hillside onsen ryokan rooted in Yamashiro’s healing traditions

Minimalist Japanese suite with dark floors, tatami mats, and a bright terrace overlooking a garden.

A restorative onsen retreat in the hills of Yamashiro

Beniya Mukayu sits on the hillside of Yakushiyama in Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. The setting has a long connection with healing: it was once home to Yakuoin Temple, where monks used hot spring baths and medicinal herbs to care for people.

This luxury onsen ryokan has 16 spacious guest rooms, each facing the forest garden and with its own private open-air hot spring bath. Interiors are calm and pared back with traditional materials such as tatami matting, Japanese paper, bamboo and diatomaceous earth, a natural breathable wall material.

Inside the ryokan, you can spend time in three libraries, or visit Spa Entei for treatments inspired by Yakushiyama’s hot spring water and medicinal herbs. Dinner is served at Kaiseki Horin, a fine dining restaurant with a spacious terrace overlooking the forest garden. The eight-course kaiseki dinner follows Japan’s omakase tradition, using seasonal local ingredients gathered across Kaga’s mountains, rivers, lakes and the Sea of Japan.

We especially recommend the tea ceremony with the owners, Mr and Mrs Nakamichi, as it offers a personal welcome through homemade tea and conversation. Workshop-style experiences include chashaku making, where you craft a bamboo tea scoop, and preparing nerikiri wagashi sweets, traditionally made with sweetened bean paste and yam potato.

You can also visit Kutani porcelain artists, seeing the techniques behind this distinctive local craft up close. Outdoors, heading out with a mountain master to Ozuchi village is a great opportunity to see old Japanese clay houses. Combine your stay with nearby Kanazawa, known for Kenroku-en Garden, samurai districts and geisha culture.

Highlights

Stay in one of 16 spacious guest rooms, each facing the forest garden

Soak in your own private open-air hot spring bath surrounded by the quiet greenery of Yakushiyama

Dine at Kaiseki Horin, where seasonal ingredients are gathered from across Kaga

Join a tea ceremony with the owners, Mr and Mrs Nakamichi, for homemade tea and conversation

Try local workshops, including crafting a bamboo tea scoop, making traditional Japanese sweets and visiting Kutani porcelain artists

A minimalist Zen suite seating area with a wooden chair, a side table, and a white plant bowl by a paper screen window.

Two woven armchairs on a wooden terrace at Beniya Mukayu with an intimate view of a lush green forest.

Minimalist lobby lounge at Beniya Mukayu with white chairs and expansive forest views through large glass walls.

A stone path winds through a vibrant, mossy forest garden at Beniya Mukayu under a canopy of lush green trees.

Hands tying a cloth herbal compress at Beniya Mukayu beside a wooden tray containing various dried medicinal herbs.

Quiet library at Beniya Mukayu with bookshelves, a glass table, and glowing shoji screen windows.

A wooden onsen bath at Beniya Mukayu in a peaceful room with a stunning view of a dense bamboo forest.

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Places to combine Beniya Mukayu Ryokan with

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.

Kyoto

Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto

Located in the heart of Kyoto, Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto is a modern reimagining of the traditional Japanese tearoom, with 161 rooms to choose from. The spaces, which beautifully reflect the tranquility and storied history of the area, feature carefully-chosen natural materials and the work of skilled artisans.

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.