Shourotei

A hot spring ryokan tucked away behind Chie no Monjudo Temple in Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views. It traces its origins to Kanhichi Chaya, founded in 1690, and opened in 1954 at Monjuto Misaki as a sukiya-style inn built entirely as a single-story wooden structure by master craftsmen from Kyoto. In 1983, the ryokan was featured as the setting for a commercial starring Ken Uehara and Mieko Takamine that helped spark the Full Moon travel boom during the Japan National Railways era. Today, this rare all-wooden, single-story sukiya-style building charms guests with views of the Aso Sea and the pine groves of Amanohashidate stretching beyond its lush garden.

Its six guest rooms range from “Shokin,” which includes two Japanese-style rooms, to the “Special Room Kumoi,” which comes with a tea room, shoin study, and a semi-open-air bath. Every room has its own garden, a highlight that lets you enjoy scenery that feels seamlessly connected to the landscape of Amanohashidate.

The hot spring facilities include a large public bath and an open-air bath filled with the gentle waters of Amanohashidate Onsen, and the bath spaces, finished with Japanese cypress and chestnut wood, are full of natural warmth.

You’ll also want to take your time savoring kaiseki cuisine made with seasonal specialties: wild mountain vegetables in spring, pike conger in summer, matsutake mushrooms in fall, and crab in winter.