A Two Key Ryokan Renews the Lost Charm of the Past

"Rooted in the little spa town of Kinosaki Onsen two hours from Kyoto, this storied ryokan delivers modern luxury through the purest expression of tradition: sukiya architecture and tatami-mat living that reveal their magic from the floor. In room 51, sitting down puts you eye level with a serene pond and garden cleverly borrowed from the neighboring suite, which is raised on stilts to share the view without surrendering privacy; in the Matsu Suite, a stairway window frames a pine so that even the shadow it casts becomes part of the design—an ode to nature and the “simple yet deep” spirit of Japanese guest rooms. Now in its seventh generation since 1854 and celebrated on lists of the most beautiful and luxurious ryokan, it reads as “traditional” to foreign guests and “retro” to locals, but the essence is the same: intimate, meticulous hospitality. Each room has a dedicated attendant (nakai-san/heyakakari-san) who acts as personal concierge, serves a leisurely two-hour kaiseki dinner showcasing seasonal treasures like Matsuba crab or Tajima beef, then clears the table and transforms the dining room into your bedroom. Tranquility flows through a lantern- and koi-dotted public garden and into three on-site hot spring baths—kept modest in size per local custom—while a free pass encourages lingering soaks at the town’s seven public baths and strolls along willow- and cherry blossom-lined rivers in a yukata. If you’re seeking the “lost charm” of the past, this is where it’s been carefully kept." - Mitchell Friedman