Traditional hospitality served at Japan’s old inns

TOKYO - Nowhere is Japan’s quiet luxury more evident than in its onsen ryokans - traditional inns with hot springs.

Here, beauty lies in the depth of simplicity and comes in tiny packages like the dessert plates on dinner tables and the straw smell of the tatami floor mats.

Nestled in the mountainous town of Shuzenji on the Izu peninsula, about two hours by train from Tokyo, the 510-year-old Asaba Inn has been run by the Asaba family for 10 generations and is a good marriage of history and nature, of the traditional and the modern, according to a report in the China Daily.

The entrance is so inconspicuous - a wooden gate at the end of a narrow path - which seems like the front door of someone’s house.

However, as with many things in Japan, size quickly becomes unimportant amid the expansive charm and elegance one would encounter inside.

Japanese hospitality fills every nook and cranny. Kimono-clad staff greet people like old friends, with their gracious deep bows and pleasant smiles. The personalised service of the housemaids is unobtrusive and effective.

Slippers appear as soon as people would take off their shoes at the door. Hot towels, green tea and sweets appear one after another while one waits in the lobby. Guided by another round of bows, visitors are led to their suite. No language is needed - everything is perfectly understood.

Built in traditional Japanese style, the complex is defined by its intricate, carved landscape. A well-tended garden, surrounded by a bamboo grove, with a pond at its heart, is like a piece of living artwork, every detail meticulously crafted.

Beyond the pond is a stage, built with cypress wood at the end of Meiji era (1868-1912), where traditional Noh plays and modern productions are staged.

A large open-air pool, enclosed by smooth rocks, juts into the pond. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful landscape while taking a dip in the steaming water of a natural hot spring.

Creaking wooden corridors and stairs lead to 19 guest suites, each with a poetic name - instead of a number - and each with a fantastic view. Inside, the room’s minimalist style features clean, uncomplicated lines. Woven-rattan chairs covered in indigo-cotton cushions are arranged around a low lacquered table. A recessed alcove with a hanging scroll serves as the centrepiece.

Kazuhide Asaba, the family’s eldest son, says he wants to transform the inn into the kind of place he himself would want to stay in. A bar-cum-reading room outfitted with Bertoia chairs and a collection of books on art and fashion photography hints at his ambitions.

“Every year we keep improving our suites to meet the market demand,” says Airi Asaba, Kazuhide’s younger sister and the only English-speaking staff member in Asaba. The 40-year-old had once worked with the Japan Travel Bureau in Tokyo and the experience has helped a lot with the management of Asaba.

Most of the ryokans in Shuzenji, a town of 17,000, are family businesses. Local tourism was severely hit by the global economic downtown last year. About 20 of the ryokans were closed, leaving only 20 still in business. Asaba also saw a 15 percent decrease in business.

Usually, the inn receives about 8,000 visitors every year, most of them Japanese.

Courses, including steamed yuba (tofu skin), fried bamboo shoot, sashimi of tuna, grilled lotus, eel sushi with black rice, chicken soup, and pumpkin and ginger ice cream, offered at Asaba are a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. The unique and tranquil dining experience here can enchant the most jaded gourmet.

For years, Asaba has drawn the rich, the powerful and the famous, including former French president Jacques Chirac.

The hot springs in Shuzenji, where Asaba is located, are one of the oldest in the country. According to folklore, a Buddhist monk Kukai magically transformed the rushing waters of a river from cold to hot, some 1,200 years ago.