Ryokan. Akihiko Seki
the eighth century. Its thermal waters and relative proximity to Tokyo made it a sensible setting for treating wounded soldiers during the Sino–Japanese War in 1894 and the Russo–Japanese War of 1904. In the 1920s, numerous inns and private besso (“villas”) were built in this area. Acclaimed Japanese writers, painters and movie producers have made Yugawara their place for creative retreat. Here in this place of peace Taikan Yokoyama painted images of Mount Fuji.
Tsubaki first opened about 25 years ago and is a cherished rest stop known for its exceptional cuisine. The emphasis here is on dining with attentiveness, savoring flavors, making a long evening of kaiseki fare with Kyoto flair. Upon arrival, guests are presented with warm towels, fragrant green tea and a little sweet, perhaps, a yokan or azuki bean jelly. Dinner and breakfast are served in guests’ rooms overlooking ponds fed by mountain streams and forests of beech and maple and bamboo.
Tsubaki offers tranquil garden views.
View from one of the deluxe gest rooms.
The parade of delicacies called kaiseki ryori comes from the ancient “slow” food origins of the tea ceremony. Each dish is a work of mastery—to see, to smell, to taste. A clear soy broth with floating carrot and fish cake is served in a demure bowl of lacquer. Marinated raw oysters and squid are served on the half shell and in vessels of lime rind. An unusual ceramic piece presents sashimi of maguru and squid with an artistic grace note of shredded daikon.
A private rotenburo.
One of the light, refreshing meals served to guests.
Some dishes are so artistically presented that it seems aggressive to destroy their delicate beauty for the indulgence of a tempting bite. The chefs of Tsubaki take such pride in presenting a joyous meal that they will even accommodate guests’ possible aversions or allergies. If the thought of some of the freshest tuna sashimi in all of Japan does not make your mouth water, grilled fish or meat can be substituted upon request. There is also a banquet room for entertaining business colleagues or clients.
All 29 rooms are in the Sukiya style of a Japanese tea-ceremony house, latticework shoji paper doors slide open and close along a corridor. Two rooms have private rotenburo. There are also two indoor spring baths and two outdoor baths.
With tangerine orchards and Pacific Ocean views nearby, this is a fond area for hiking. Take a walk in the woods, then, in a garden of pink, enlighten your taste buds.
Address: Oku-Yugawara, Yugawaracho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawaken 259-0314, Japan.
Tel: 81 (0)465 63 3333.
Fax: 81 (0)465 63 6640.
Website: www.tsubaki.net. E-mail: [email protected]. Rooms: 29. Access: 50 min from Tokyo to Atami Station by Tokaido Shinkansen and 10 min to Tsubaki by taxi, or 2 hrs drive from Tokyo to Oku-Yugawara through Tomei Kosoku, Odawara-Atsugi Doro and Manazuru-Doro.
Shoji screens mark the space between a corridor and the courtyard.
The banquet room.
Common rotenburo bath area.
ATAMI SEKITEI Atami, Izu Peninsula
Rock and stones exalted. It is said that the beauty of a flower or a tree is quite easy to see and understand. Yet the exquisite nature of a stone requires a state of inner peace. Sekitei is a stone pavilion, and this ryokan set in a quiet residential neighborhood of fragile pink weeping cherry blossoms, golden fields of rape and bows of acorn-dotted pine trees overlooking Atami Bay honors stone as sculpture, as protector, as mighty foundation.
This onsen area, a mere 60 miles southwest of Tokyo, less than an hour by bullet train, has long been a favorite weekend refuge for businessmen and families. Atami translates as “hot sea,” and a tale is told that a geyser used to rain hot waters into the sea, killing fishermen’s harvest and endangering their livelihood. Thanks to the prayers of a Buddhist monk, the geyser moved into shore and Atami became famous as a source of hot spring waters.
Originally built in 1952 as an exclusive club of villas with private chefs, Atami Sekitei is now affiliated with the leading South Asian resort chain, the Banyan Tree Group. Every year Japan’s Master Go Tournament is held here. Many of Atami Sekitei’s 29 rooms have views of a pond colorfully swirling with orange and white carp. Sakuragaoka-Saryo (“Teahouse on Cherry Blossom Hill”) is an annex of the original 10 rooms, all with private hot spring baths. From these rooms it is possible to watch the weekend performances of geisha spinning parasols and dancing on a Noh stage set in the garden. Artistically arranged trays and platters of kaiseki delicacies are served in guests’ rooms. A broth of enoki mushrooms, young bamboo shoots, sweet ginger and finely cut egg cake is served in a gold and China red lacquer bowl. Lobster, sea bream and tuna are features of the sashimi course. A little basket might arrive with fine slivers of lotus root, a few pods of edamame, and a gingko nut under the frilly shade of tiny maple leaves.
Geishas performing a dance.
A bamboo garden provides a quiet area for guests.
This rock garden doubles as a footpath.
An open courtyard located in the compound.
Private rotenburo.
Room used for—shogi a traditional Japanese game.
Alcove area in a guest room.
The mineral waters of Atami attract, but there is also the Atami Castle and the Mokichi Okada Association (MOA) Art Museum to visit. The museum overlooks Atami Bay and houses the rich collection of Mokichi Okada, founder of the World Church of Messianity. In a dramatic modern complex, there are ceramics, lacquerware, a cherished tea jar by Edo artist Ninsei, a screen of “Red and White Plum Trees” by Korin Ogata, woodblock prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai among a collection of 3,500 pieces, only 200 of which are on view at any time. Collector Okada believed that it was “spiritually elevating” to view great art in an “ideal natural setting.”
Atami Sekitei displays nature as art.
Address: 6-17 Wada-cho, Atami-shi, Shizuoka-ken 413-0024, Japan.
Tel: 81 (0)557 83 2841.
Fax: 81 (0)557 82 2840.
Website: www.sekitei.co.jp. E-mail: [email protected]. Rooms: Sekitei 29, Sakuragaoka-Saryo 10. Access: 50 min from Tokyo to Atami Station by Tokaido