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The Earth
Ryunosu Nakanoyama Ijika-cho
Toba-shi, Mie, Japan
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Quiet
16 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
It’s almost impossible to overstate how central the onsen bath is to the ryokan experience, a point which is underlined rather forcefully by a stay at The Earth, a sixteen-suite inn on the Pacific coast near Toba City, within the Ise Shima national park. It’s aptly named, as the immersion in the natural environment is near-total — surroundings include primeval forest, Toba Bay, and the islands in the middle distance. All suites share the two sex-segregated hot spring baths, de rigueur for any onsen worth the name, but the Earth goes one further, with a private open-air spring-fed bath attached to every suite. Views vary — not every single one takes in a commanding view of the distant ocean — but they’re all well worth the price of admission.
The Earth’s common spaces are laid out and furnished in the traditional, floor-level tatami style, but the bedrooms are hotel-style for maximum comfort. The cuisine is traditional as well, a multi-course kaiseki presentation, drawing on ingredients from the land and sea in and around the national park. It may not encompass the whole of the planet, but The Earth puts you firmly in touch with this little corner of it.
How to get there:
The Earth is 2 hours and 45 minutes by car from Nagoya, then a 1 hour 40 minutes by train from Nagoya station to Toba and a 35 minutes by complementary shuttle bus, scheduled at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 from Toba station. 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.
