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Sekitei
3-5-27 Miyahama-onsen
Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Quiet
10 Rooms
What is a ryokan? These are the traditional Japanese travelers' inns, located along Japan's country roads, dating back hundreds of years, long ... more
Japan’s smallish size, somehow, doesn’t make its wildernesses feel any less remote. Forty minutes by car outside of Hiroshima and suddenly you’re at the edge of Japan’s Inland Sea, looking down on the famous Miyajima Shrine, whose iconic red gate floats over the water between the town and the island shrine.
All this and an onsen too. Just across from the shrine are the Miyahama hot springs, and when we start talking about hot springs, you know there’s a ryokan not far behind. This time is no exception: on a hillside overlooking the water (and the famous gate) is Sekitei, set amid spectacular gardens.
Here the ten rooms are actually detached villas, cascading down the terraced hillside. There’s water everywhere, from ponds to springs to plunge pools, and the style, with one foot in the ancient world and one in the modern, feels remarkably residential.
The diversions are fairly residential as well; one doesn’t visit a ryokan for the nightlife, unless your version of nightlife involves a bit of local sake and a stroll in the garden — not an unappealing prospect by any means. This is the Japanese country life we’re always going on about, at its finest — slow down and savor it a bit.
How to get there:
Sekitei is 40 minutes by car from Hiroshima or 30 minutes by train from JR Hiroshima station to Onoura and then 5 minutes by complementary transfer. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.
What's a ryokan?
These are the traditional Japanese travelers' inns, located along Japan's country roads, dating back hundreds of years, long before the days of motor travel. With their traditional decor and classic tatami-style furnishing, they're a window into a historical way of life - even the most modern and experimental of the ryokan offer a tranquil and sedate experience.
Dining
At a ryokan the rate includes two meals per day, beginning with an evening meal on the day of your arrival as well as breakfast the next day. These meals, most often served in-room, are no mere convenience, but an essential element of the experience; ryokan are chosen as much for the quality of the food as for the quality of the accommodation.
Dinners are traditional Japanese meals of up to thirteen courses, including zensai, the appetizer, otsukuri, sliced raw fish, nimono, a boiled dish, yakimono, a grilled dish, nabemono, food cooked in a pot at the table, agemono, a deep-fried dish, suimono, a vinegared dish, shokuji, rice, knonomo, Japanese pickles, and mizugashi, fruit. Ingredients are fresh and local, dishes are seasonal so that the dinner expresses the distinctive personality of the region. Locally brewed sake is also available, as are other beverages (drinks other than tea are extra). Details about each ryokan's specific meal options are displayed during the booking process.
Breakfasts consist of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, fried eggs, nori (seaweed) and Japanese-style pickles. Western breakfasts can be served on request.
Onsen
The onsen are the Japanese public baths, often fed by natural volcanic hot springs. It's no exaggeration to say that the onsen baths are the whole point of the ryokan experience, and are universally loved by the Japanese.
Large common baths in the ryokan are used not just for cleansing but for relaxation as well, both mental and physical. Big windows typically look out over lush gardens or dramatic mountain or ocean views. Some public baths contain several different types of tubs, whether cypress or stone or cascading baths. Rotenburo, the open-air baths, allow you to bathe in the sunshine, breathing in the brisk, cool air.
Etiquette
Onsen baths are segregated by sex, and bathing suits are not worn. It's customary to bathe yourself in an adjacent area before entering the onsen. And for those guests who are uncomfortable with the communal aspect, many high-end ryokan provide private open-air baths on terraces or balconies attached to the guest rooms.
Transportation
These country getaways are necessarily located in secluded areas, some of them quite remote. Tablet Hotels Customer Service will be happy to help you arrange train tickets, car hire or other transportation.
