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The Ryokan Collection Heritage Traditional Contemporary
Japan Treasured Journey - Experiences you'll treasure for life -
The Ryokan Collection is proud to propose a new itinerary, "Japan Treasured Journey," including Kyoto, Kurashiki and Yamaguchi. This itinerary is recommended for those who have been to Japan more than once or travelers seeking something "off the beaten path." Once you take this itinerary, you may want to keep it as a special secret!
 Day 01 
Upon arrival, the first thing to do in Kyoto is visit a temple to ease your mind. We usually visit a temple to find out about its history or see its garden or treasure. However, temples are also places to ease your mind. In the calm and peaceful temple, the song of a bird, a comfortable breeze, the aroma of incense, and trees and flowers in the garden allow our senses to awaken.

We will introduce you to temples that are not well known to tourists and also stop to admire seasonal flowers and trees such as Irises in May, green momiji (maple) in summer, plum trees in early spring, etc ...

You may wish to stop by a Japanese sweets café for a snack. Fluffy green tea pancakes at Umezono Café & Gallery, green tea parfait at Gion Komori, kakigori (shaved ice) at Gion NITI, and kuzumochi (arrowroot cake) at Gion Oku are some of our favorite sweets.

Late afternoon visit to Miyagawa-cho town. Miyagawa-cho is known for its Hanamachi geisha district, with several okiya, special houses where geisha (known as geiko in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice geisha) live, ochaya (tea houses) and kaburenjo theaters where geisha and maiko perform music and dance. Strolling in Miyagawa-cho, you can enjoy hearing the traditional Japanese music from kaburenjo, meeting geisha and maiko, and visiting okiya.

You can find narrow alleys with small crafts shops, bakeries and stationery shops. If you look carefully, you may also notice tiny torii gates on the shoulder of the road, Buddha statues on the roofs of houses, and all sorts of other quirky things in this town.

You can find Marishitenson-do across from Ebisu Shrine. This temple enshrines the god of victory. The most attractive point of this temple is its boar motif. The pair of carved stone guardian statues, the written oracles, the lucky charms ... everything features a cute boar. How many boars can you find there?

Check-in at the ryokan or hotel.



 Day 02 
Breakfast at the ryokan or hotel.

You may prefer to have a Japanese okayu (rice porridge) breakfast at Yayoi, famous for chirimenjyako (dried young sardines), a fine accompaniment for rice. The healthy ¥600 breakfast includes okayu and Kyoto-style home cooking with boiled vegetables and marinated foods, soup, and pickles.

Next, we'll have a morning tour of Shin-Monzen and Furu-Monzen streets, which are lined with shops selling fine arts, crafts and antiques. You should greet the staff when you enter a shop and check your belongings.

Then you can enjoy shopping while talking with the friendly staff or you can just enjoy looking at the various antiques and crafts displayed in the shop windows.



 Day 03 
Start your day with visit to Kawai Kanjiro Memorial Hall. Kawai was a master potter and sculptor and one of the leaders of the mingei (Japanese folk craft) movement. His lovely home and atelier have been turned into a museum for his artworks. You can soak in the ambience of charming old Japan in this museum.

Next, we will visit an open-air market. Kyoto has three big, age-old open-air markets, "Tenjin-san," "Kobo-san" and "Garakuta market." Here you can enjoy encounters with antiques and crafts made by hand which can be sold in the market. The key to the market is, "Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur," so snap decisions may be necessary when you find something to your liking.

Afternoon transfer to Kyoto station

JR Shinkansen Nozomi from Kyoto to Okayama (65 min), then to Kurashiki by car (50 min)

Welcome to beautiful Kurashiki!
When the shogunate took control of the Kurashiki area some 300 years ago, a magistrate's office was established, and the town and its canal were developed into a trade center. With its clusters of old-fashioned white-walled storehouses and rows of townhouses with lattice windows, the town still hearkens back to its past as an Edo period commercial center.

Check-in at Ryokan Kurashiki

Situated amid the waterways and streets of the city of Kurashiki's lovingly preserved Bikan Historical Quarter, by the banks of a pretty, willow-lined canal, the beautiful Ryokan Kurashiki is an oasis of elegant clam in the bustling, history-steeped district.

The ryokan was originally the home of a wealthy sugar merchant who outfitted the house with exquisite craftsmanship and fine antiques. All of the furniture and décor are carefully selected and blend into a lovingly preserved, centuries-old kura (warehouse) building. From the moment you step into this ryokan, you enter an exotic and nostalgic world. There are only five rooms, so you can experience friendly, attentive service.

After check-in, local sake tasting and tea are available on the terrace. Afterword, relax in your room, which has unique interior designs that blend traditional Japanese lines with Western details.



 Day 04 
In the morning, the lovely okami (proprietress) in a beautiful kimono takes you on a special tour of Kurashiki, including a sake brewery established in the Taisho period and the Institute of Dyeing and Hand-Weaving, which trains students in the techniques of hand-woven materials as well as teaching the traditional Japanese way of life. Both places are usually closed to the public. Also, Okami-san will introduce you the folk crafts shops, lovely variety goods shops, sweets shops and more.

Through this tour, you will find that Kurashiki is a place where we can feel the aesthetic to value fine old products. It is commonly said that Kurashiki is embedded in the culture of Japanese folk crafts.

While immersing yourself in the wonders of Kurashiki, you might enjoy the Ohara Museum of Art - one of the world's most comprehensive private museums - and Kurashiki Museum of Folkcrafts, where you can encounter objects crafted to bring beauty to everyday life.

  At twilight, take a few moments to stroll in the Bikan Historic Quarter once again. Just sit down by a canal and spend time doing nothing for a while. The beauty of the old houses and the river glowing in the sunset are beyond expression.



 Day 05 
Morning tour to Kojima Kojima, part of the city of Kurashiki, has flourished since ancient times as the "City of Textiles." We'll visit a famous indigo hand-dyeing atelier with 80-year history. You can try your hand at indigo dyeing under the eye of a friendly artisan.

Then we can enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with a spectacular view of the peaceful Seto Inland Sea.

The afternoon we'll spend at leisure. A session to experience traditional calligraphy and dressing in kimono can be arranged.



 Day 06 
To Okayama by private car - 50 min Board Shinkansen Nozomi from Okayama to Shin-Yamaguchi - 1 hour 15 min, then by private car to Otozure - 50 min

  An oasis of elegance surrounded by lush nature, lofty mountains, beautiful landscape and the Otozure river, the Otozure ryokan in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a good place to experience a traditional atmosphere in surroundings unique to Japan. This is the perfect place to experience the scenery of the countryside and ideal for those seeking "lost Japan" and hidden scenic charm.

Here the mountains don't care where you've been, the cascading sunshine and light winds that ease through the lobby don't care where you're going. All that matters is that you are right here, right.

The concept of Otozure is toji - hot spring recuperation - something Nagato hot spring town has flourished in for many years. This contemporary ryokan with only 18 rooms in a huge building combines the Japanese traditional ryokan culture and utility of Western hotels.

Check in the ryokan and savor the private open-air hot spring bath in your room.

Enjoy the outstanding cuisine - Japanese kaiseki, French or teppanyaki - and the impressive selection of sake, shochu and wines from around the world. Meals are served on elegant Hagi-yaki pottery.

After dinner, you may wish to go outside the ryokan dressed in a yukata (casual summer kimono) to enjoy the stars. Nothing will interrupt your view as you enjoy the panorama of sky ablaze with shining stars. A domed astronomical observatory is available at Otani Sanso next door.



 Day 07 
Morning at leisure. After breakfast, you can savor a peaceful moment on a sofa in the ryokan's entrance. The entrance with its low ceiling and Japanese garden brings a unique and exotic atmosphere to this ryokan.

You can relax in your private open-air bath as well as in the public bath with its adjacent stone sauna. A spa facility called "Grande Spa" is also available.

In the afternoon, we'll have a VIP visit to Hagi Pottery Artisan Studio - Hagi-yaki pottery is the local style of Japanese pottery and a favorite souvenir of a trip to Hagi. It is unique because of the way it reacts to water - over time, you'll notice delicate changes in its color. We'll visit the shop of a renowned Hagi artist, a 12th-generation master with whom the proprietor of Otozure has a special relationship, allowing you to make your own Hagi-yaki after strolling around the beautiful city of Hagi.

With its many old streets and residences that have survived untouched to the present day, Hagi is one of Japan's most beautiful castle towns.

Return to Otozure.



 Day 08 
Check-out from Otozure. On the way to the airport, we'll take a detour for a special visit to Asahi Sake Brewery where the world-famous Dassai sake is made. This brewery has pursued quality using a combination of tradition and cutting-edge technology. They brew only premium junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo sake, one of the few breweries in all of Japan that focus their efforts on making only the top grade of sake. Their passion is what makes Dassai so beloved by connoisseurs.

Then to Ube Airport by car and flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo or transfer to Fukuoka Airport by car (2 hours)

Please click here to view more sample itineraries.



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OUR RYOKAN IN THE AREA
Ryokan Kurashiki
Overlooking the Nakabashi Bridge at the center of the Bikan Historical Quarter, by the banks of a pretty, willow-lined canal, sits the beautiful Ryokan Kurashiki. Situated at the center of the waterways and streets of the city of Kurashiki's lovingly preserved Bikan quarter, Ryokan Kurashiki is an oasis of elegant calm in the bustling, history-steeped district.

The ryokan was originally the home of a wealthy sugar merchant who outfitted the house with exquisite craftsmanship and fine antiques. The ryokan itself consists of several buildings joined together into a single unit with old kura, or traditional warehouse buildings (the "kura" in Kurashiki), plus newer structures. The whole place was thoroughly renovated a few years ago and now boasts all the modern conveniences one expects in a fine hotel, including modern fixtures and flat-panel TVs, but it retains the essence of the Bikan quarter and its aura of solidity, wealth and luxury.

Overseeing the operation of the ryokan is the okami (proprietress), who is both knowledgeable about the area and fluent in English. She and her staff understand the needs of foreign visitors, having hosted numerous foreign celebrities in the past, and their local knowledge and connections in the community can open doors to a host of unique experiences.

With Ryokan Kurashiki as your base, you can explore the fascinating Bikan area and beyond, or simply stay at the ryokan, and let Okami and her friendly staff show you the timeless essence ofJapanese hospitality.

Factsheet
Area : Kurashiki
Name of Ryokan : Ryokan Kurashiki
Address : 4-1 Honmachi, Kurashiki, 710-0054
Total Number of Rooms : 5
Check-In Time : 15:00
Check-Out Time : 11:00
Credit Card : VISA/MASTER/DINERS/AMEX/JCB

For more information, click here
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Otozure
Bettei- OTOZURE located in Nagato-City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is surrounded by nature, the mountains, beautiful landscape and the river called Otuzure.

Here the mountains do not care where you've been, the cascading sunshine and light winds that ease through the lobby, do not care where you are going... All that matters is that you are right here! Every luxurious amenity you could want beckons to be discovered. The elegant surroundings, private walk ways and the views all take your breath away.

Bettei- OTOZURE allows you to experience a traditional atmosphere in surroundings unique to Japan. The service given to guests is based on what the staff proudly call, Omotenashi- compassion, hospitality from the heart.

Factsheet
Area : Yamaguchi, Nagato Yumoto Onsen
Name of Ryokan : OTOZURE
Address :Yumoto Onsen, Nagato-shi, Yamaguchi, 759-4103
Total Number of Rooms : 18
Check-In Time : 1400
Check-Out Time : 1100
Credit Card : Visa / Diners / Amex / JCB

For more information, click here


OUR RYOKAN IN KYOTO
Gion-Hatanaka
Hiiragiya
Seikoro
Sumiya
Ugenta
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