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Bettei Senjyuan
614 Nishidaira, Tanigawa, Minakami-machi
Tone-gun, Tokyo Suburbs, Japan
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Quiet
18 Rooms
What is a ryokan? These are the traditional Japanese travelers' inns, located along Japan's country roads, dating back hundreds of years, long ... more
Just a few years ago a trip to a ryokan almost certainly meant a trip back in time — architectural time, at least — as the traditional ways of hospitality went hand in hand with traditional ways of building. Bettei Senjyuan, by contrast, is obviously of a more recent vintage, and it’s proof that contemporary design need not clash with the ryokan’s timeless charms.
Exhibit A 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.
Once in the rooms, however, you’ll find relatively little in the way of design innovation. The tatami-style Japanese rooms, with their floor-level furniture, are perfect just as they are — which is, of course, just as they’ve always been. Western-style rooms take some aesthetic cues from the tatami rooms, though in a more vertical orientation, and the Japanese-Western rooms, naturally, split the difference.
The point isn’t necessarily the rooms, however. You’re here for forest views framed through well-placed windows, and for the baths. Minakami is an onsen town, and Bettei Senjyuan’s baths offer the archetypal experience, all of them with two walls (or more) open to the surrounding greenery. Nearby Mt. Tanigawa-dake is capped with snow year-round, and its environs are the perfect setting for some mountain-based sports, from hiking to rafting to skiing.
How to get there:
Bettei Senjyuan is 1.5 hours from Tokyo to Jomo-Kogen station by bullet train and 20 minutes from Jomo-Kogen station by taxi. Alternatively, Bettei Senjyuan is 2 hours from Tokyo by car. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
What's a ryokan?
These are the traditional Japanese travelers' inns, located along Japan's country roads, dating back hundreds of years, long before the days of motor travel. With their traditional decor and classic tatami-style furnishing, they're a window into a historical way of life - even the most modern and experimental of the ryokan offer a tranquil and sedate experience.
Dining
At a ryokan the rate includes two meals per day, beginning with an evening meal on the day of your arrival as well as breakfast the next day. These meals, most often served in-room, are no mere convenience, but an essential element of the experience; ryokan are chosen as much for the quality of the food as for the quality of the accommodation.
Dinners are traditional Japanese meals of up to thirteen courses, including zensai, the appetizer, otsukuri, sliced raw fish, nimono, a boiled dish, yakimono, a grilled dish, nabemono, food cooked in a pot at the table, agemono, a deep-fried dish, suimono, a vinegared dish, shokuji, rice, knonomo, Japanese pickles, and mizugashi, fruit. Ingredients are fresh and local, dishes are seasonal so that the dinner expresses the distinctive personality of the region. Locally brewed sake is also available, as are other beverages (drinks other than tea are extra). Details about each ryokan's specific meal options are displayed during the booking process.
Breakfasts consist of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, fried eggs, nori (seaweed) and Japanese-style pickles. Western breakfasts can be served on request.
Onsen
The onsen are the Japanese public baths, often fed by natural volcanic hot springs. It's no exaggeration to say that the onsen baths are the whole point of the ryokan experience, and are universally loved by the Japanese.
Large common baths in the ryokan are used not just for cleansing but for relaxation as well, both mental and physical. Big windows typically look out over lush gardens or dramatic mountain or ocean views. Some public baths contain several different types of tubs, whether cypress or stone or cascading baths. Rotenburo, the open-air baths, allow you to bathe in the sunshine, breathing in the brisk, cool air.
Etiquette
Onsen baths are segregated by sex, and bathing suits are not worn. It's customary to bathe yourself in an adjacent area before entering the onsen. And for those guests who are uncomfortable with the communal aspect, many high-end ryokan provide private open-air baths on terraces or balconies attached to the guest rooms.
Transportation
These country getaways are necessarily located in secluded areas, some of them quite remote. Tablet Hotels Customer Service will be happy to help you arrange train tickets, car hire or other transportation.
