Hanamurasaki

Yamanaka Onsen is among Ishikawa’s most prestigious hot-spring resorts, its renowned waters said to have been discovered 1,300 years ago by the priest Gyōki. Hanamurasaki, a long‑standing ryokan, began drawing notice around 2024, with rumors of it “becoming something incredible”—thanks to bold renovations led by its young proprietor, Kohei Yamada, that even reached Tokyo. The name of the ryokan Hanamurasaki is derived from the phrase “Sanshi Suimei”, which praises the natural beauty of the region. As one walks through Hanamurasaki’s entrance through a large noren curtain bearing the double‑circle emblem on white, the first striking impression is the youthful staff greeting guests with bright smiles and a warm welcome. Such consistently uplifting hospitality in a ryokan feels like stepping into a high‑end resort. It’s enough to completely transform typical expectations of a ryokan. The ryokan is run by a young team, led by the proprietor and his wife. The proprietor, Mr. Yamada, offered insights into the driving ideas behind the renovation and reform.

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A massage carried through omotenashi

“The catalyst was the COVID‑19 lockdown. Until then, we were so busy we couldn’t really reflect. The shutdown gave us space to pause and consider the nature of lodging and travel—questions that had been lingering in our minds. In that sense, the closure was a silver lining from the pandemic. When the pandemic waned, I started wonder whether we should continue business as usual. I felt there was something more we wanted to share through omotenashi, or traditional Japanese hospitality, and had a vision for what a ryokan should be. That’s when I knew: it was time to renovate.”

“My foremost goal was how do we remake this ryokan, so guests feel more deeply satisfied? Beyond the basics of bathing, eating, and sleeping, what added ‘value’ can we create—something guests can sense during their stay? I absolutely wanted to generate new value. Previously, our approach to hospitality was exhausting—we served guests relentlessly and ended up wearing ourselves out. That energy has its place, but I believed our aim should be different to offer guests a unique value found nowhere else. By doing so, the ryokan’s inherent value would naturally increase.”

Becoming a local hub of Japanese culture

“That unique value lies in presenting Japanese culture not as an ancient relic, but in a modern form. Through the experience of staying with us, we want guests to feel the best of Japan and this region. Concretely, that means new culinary proposals and fresh ways to enjoy the baths, plus establishing the ryokan as a hub for the Hokuriku region’s crafts, art, tea, and food culture. Invoking ‘terroir’—the unique character of a place—is common with food and drink. At Hanamurasaki, however, it goes further: the dishes, spaces, hot springs, and even the art all embodies the terroir of the land.”

“Regarding crafts and art, they not only display works inside, but also offer encounters with local Hokuriku artists—guests can be surrounded by locally made pieces, and if they wish, visit the artists’ workshops. We believe the ryokan’s role is to let guests experience the appeal of the entire region. This land has a charm that you can’t find in the city.”

“Ishikawa and the Hokuriku region have many artists, it feels like a continuation of the rich cultural legacy of the Kaga Maeda clan. The Maedas were such great patrons! Beyond crafts, this includes vegetable farmers, expert fishermen offering superb buri yellowtail tuna, rice farmers, and tea growers. I view the ryokan as a vessel to let guests fully experience the land’s appeal through all five senses. Isn’t that the essence of what a ryokan can be?”

A ‘charge-in’ networking style

How do they build their network of artists?
“Our style is basically charge‑in. We go to exhibitions or use the internet and social media to discover artists we want to meet, then approach them directly. If we can’t reach them that way, we seek introductions. Some artists prefer to stay out of the spotlight, so we aim to be a translator or mediator between them and guests—if they struggle to express their value, we help them communicate it. For example, we have lacquer artists to create and display art panels for sale. We cover everything from lifestyle crafts to contemporary art, including experimental pieces.”

“Artist currently displayed within the ryokan include photographer Yukito Kōno, Buddhist sculptor Takumi Hasegawa, contemporary artist LAKA, glass craftsman Rui Sasaki, lacquer artist Yoshihiko Murata, ceramicist Hisako Nakajima, and lacquer artist Kohei Ukai—all based in Hokuriku. Last year they hosted a dialogue on the whole lobby floor between artists and curators to present works. We hope to continue expanding this space—we’re still exploring how far it can go.”

The serene aura of the tea salon ‘Sabo’

“The selling point of the lobby is the ‘Sabo’ tea salon, which gives off a sophisticated aura. Guests arrive on the 4th floor and immediately notice the abundance of art and crafts throughout the space. Past the front desk lies a lounge with full‑height windows overlooking a natural gorge of vibrant green. Adjacent is the Sabo, set amidst shaded calm, and with a counter made from Kaga cedar. The space exudes a serene, refined atmosphere.”

“Initially, we considered a self‑service lounge for coffee and tea to improve efficiency. But we realized that streamlining had no meaningful place in a ryokan. If efficiency doesn’t fulfill both staff and guests, what’s the point? Tea is an essential part of expressing Japanese culture. So, when we renovated the lobby floor, we built a tea room. By carefully brewing selected tea by hand, customers come and feel its value. I thought that this was a point of differentiation, so I went all out in that direction. We dropped coffee service altogether, however, many international guests prefer coffee, so we serve it in the rooms instead.”

Tea brewed by trained professionals

That said, the level of sophistication of the resulting teahouse is on a whole different level.
“Our trained Sabo staff serve over a dozen types of tea—sencha, Kaga bōcha, matcha, Japanese black tea—and even tea cocktails. Each drink is served in a special vessel we co-created with local artists, from Kutani and Suzu pottery to lacquerware and glass, chosen to perfectly complement each tea.”

“When new members join the Sabo team, they first go through training in Tokyo and learn the art of tea firsthand. After that, experts come from Tokyo each season for follow-up lessons. They’re tested each time, and we keep improving based on their feedback. Just making tea isn’t enough—we want every cup to carry real value. Through platforms like Instagram, more people are discovering our Sabo, and now some even join our company specifically because they want to work there. Most are from Ishikawa, but we also have applicants from outside the prefecture. For young professionals who want to work in a ryokan and gain real skills, it’s the best of both worlds,” says Manami Yamada, Mr. Yamada’s wife and head of planning and PR.

“We host several tea gatherings each year, offering participants the chance to experience tea served in vessels crafted by featured artists. The current head of the Sabo team has been with us since before the Sabo was established. Back then, she and I used to brew and pour coffee together from a pot all day long. Now, she leads the team and teaches others about tea. It’s been a real opportunity for her to develop her skills, and I think she feels a sense of added value in her work. In the service industry, if there isn’t that kind of personal growth, it’s hard for younger staff to stay motivated these days.”

Packaging a new concept

“The previous owner built Hanamurasaki as a beautiful ryokan in the Sukiya style, but perhaps because I grew up surrounded by Sukiya-style since I was little, I no longer felt anything for it, and I had been thinking for a long time that I wanted to fundamentally change it. However, when I studied abroad in San Francisco for about two years as a university student, I realized that there were many beautiful things in Japan when viewed from the outside. At the same time, I felt that this would not be conveyed to people today if it remained as it was. That’s when I started looking for a way to convey that. After visiting various ryokan and researching various Japanese designs, I came across Shinichiro Ogata of SIMPLICITY.”
Designer Ogata is known for his design and direction of architecture, interiors, products, graphics, and other things. He has worked on the design of his own store “Ogata Paris,” as well as Aesop stores and five-star hotels.

“Mr. Ogata uses traditional techniques, but the designs he produces are very modern. That really suited me. When we were renovating the building this time, I thought we would start with the design, but Mr. Ogata worked with us from the concept onwards. I told him about my concept, and he gave me a lot of suggestions. All that tinkering led to the current look.”
The building has undergone a complete transformation from its previous Sukiya style. There are other groundbreaking ideas that Mr. Yamada came up with in the lobby on the fourth floor.

“Generally, ryokans are very closed off to the public. It’s been a long-standing challenge for me to open it up to non-guests as well. So, we’ve created a lounge on the lobby floor, where we can serve coffee and tea in the Sabo from 9am to 5:30pm. We also offer afternoon tea by reservation, and in the summer, we’ll be offering shaved ice and other treats. We want locals to feel welcome to use it.”
Although it’s not a hotel lobby, it’s a surprising idea for a traditional ryokan. This is no doubt an idea that arises from his ‘customer first’ mindset.”

Stylish, modern-Japanese guest rooms

In fact, the guest rooms on the 3rd to 1st floors have also been redesigned with a splendid modern Japanese style. The first‑floor Modern Suite’s bath design is breathtaking: twin tubs—one indoor and another adjoining, a semi-open-air outdoor bath separated by glass—plus a sauna and cold plunge.
“Bedding comes from Kanazawa-based ISHITAYA—feather-light yet wonderfully warm. The firm mattresses are also delightfully comfortable.”

Exquisite kaiseki cuisine and breakfast

Of course, dinner is a truly special experience of kaiseki traditional haute cuisine by head chef Masakazu Nakamura: local vegetables, sashimi, clams, seaweed, Noto beef, specially grown Koshihikari rice—the dishes, all of which are made using the bounty of Ishikawa’s sea and mountains, are so tasty that one wants to exclaim in admiration. Noto tuna sashimi comes topped not with soy sauce but with nori seaweed tsukudani—a novel twist. Particularly memorable were the steamed tiger pufferfish milt, steamed clam rice, and roasted Noto beef. Sake lovers can savor local favorites like the Matsuura Brewery’s Shishi no Sato and Yoshida Brewery’s Tedorigawa.
Each dish in the Japanese breakfast is infused with soul. Grilled over a traditional shichirin charcoal stove, the dried nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) and hotaru ika (firefly squid) are packed with deep umami flavor. The juicy, richly flavored dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet) is itself worth waking up for in the morning. Especially noteworthy is the delicious, locally grown Koshihikari rice. Even the four kinds of pickles and the seaweed tsukudani are carefully selected, every bite is irresistible.

Young staff and a positive work culture

“Returning to the story of the young staff mentioned earlier, more than half of our staff are now in their twenties, with an average age of 32. We’ve been now actively recruiting new graduates nationwide. Ryokan work has a reputation for being tough, but we close on Wednesdays and Thursdays to improve work-life balance. We also provide training—language, tea ceremony, flower arranging and sommelier classes—so our staff can continually improve their skills. We hope people will see this and think, ‘this is a place I want to work’.”
Mr. Yamada’s ambitions continue to grow: “I can’t say much yet, but I’m planning a new project I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Please stay tuned for the announcement”.

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