"Getting to Miyamasou is an experience unto itself. The hour-long drive from Kyoto on a narrow road passes Japanese cedar forests, small towns, temples, and shrines. The ryokan is famous for its two Michelin-starred, multicourse kaiseki dinners that showcase ingredients from the forest like gingko nuts and carp sashimi from a nearby river. After a hot bath in heated mountain spring water, guests dine in their yukatas in private rooms. The five immaculate tatami-floored accommodations feature sliding doors that lead out to terraces that hang over a rushing river, whose sound lulls guests to sleep at night. Book well in advance, given the inn’s diminutive size and outsize reputation." - Keith Flanagan, Sanjay Surana, Jennifer Flowers, Adam H. Graham