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 Onsen ryokan in
Japan are famous spa destinations to achieve a total
relaxing vacation. The most appropriate way of
experiencing a traditional Japanese lifestyle is
to spend a day or two at these spa inns which
also provide guests an ideal place of rest. If
you are traveling in the southern part of Japan,
then you should head to Murata. The word Murata
implies immeasurable hospitality in the language
of Buddhism. Owner Koji Fujibayashi has managed
to create a comforting area around this famous onsen ryokan. Before
Photo: Murata at Yufuin Onsen
achieving a wonderful
harmonious stay at this spa inn, getting to the
pastoral highland plateau of Murata and Yufuin
Onsen on the east coast of Kyushu will take you
about one hour's drive from Oita Airport. Murata
is one of the top spas in Oita.
Hidden among the
lush surroundings at the foot of Mount Yufudake
is the serene Murata onsen village as opposed to
the famous tourist attraction of neighboring
Beppu Onsen, the largest onsen resort in
Japan, known for having a huge amount of natural
spring waters. Yufuin Onsen, a famous spa
destination, gained its reputation as a
new appeal of a pleasant getaway rather than the
huge impersonal space of resorts catering to
large group of tourists and conventions is
mainly due to innovative innkeepers such as
Fujibayashi. One reason that makes Murata more
special and unique is that it is a collection of
rugged, century-old farmhouses that have been
preserved and relocated from Niigata and from
Shiga, near Kyoto. This spa inn is different
from the rest is that many of the eight
independent cottages, private apartments, are
gassho zukuri, multi-storied fairytale
farmhouses with pampas thatched roofs.
Fujibayashi has successfully taken these
beautiful residential shells and changed their
interiors into open, airy spaces of Western and
Eastern comfort. A good example can be seen from
the 130-year-old Meiji farmhouse in which the
second floor silkworm room has been taken out to
change the interior space into a majestic room
with a lofty ceiling of incredible wooden beams.
Each villa has three
to five rooms, a large living room and a private
hot spring ofuro (bathtub) of stone. The bathing
area is walled in natural cypress, and there
picture windows to capture the the view of
seasons changing. Items seen here include
luxuries such as the Le Corbusier sofas, Persian
carpets, antiques, Western beds, down
comforters, sufficient reading light and
Japanese tatami rooms for those who prefer to
sleep on a futon (one or two floor mattresses
and a cover quilt). Dinner and breakfast are
served and prepared over the hearth in the
Saihidou dining room located in the main
building. Some of the mouth watering dishes
prepared specially for the guest here include
steaming sweet bean or jam buns (also known as
omanju) and the zaru-soba, a bamboo basket of
buckwheat noodles with tangy soy sauce. To cater
for the different eating preferences of guests,
a variety of set menus are being offered at the
restaurant here. For those who yearn for some
tea or sake, then Tan's Bar is the place to
visit besides the newly set up B-speak cafe. Places
of interest found here include the chocolate
shop, Chocolatier and a next-door museum called
the Artegio displaying changing exhibitions and
pieces from the collections of Fujibayashi.
Japan has now recognizes that foreign visitors
has begin to treasure all that is special about
Japanese hospitality and culture including its
inns and spas whereby innkeepers are now given
the honor of teaching ryokan and onsen
expectations and customs to their guests so that
they can feel more at home and nowadays these
top spa destinations in Japan are drawing more
and more tourists from all over the world.
Located at :
1264-2 Kawakami,
Yufuin-cho,
Oita-gun,
Oita-ken
879-51,
Japan.
Telephone :
81 (0)977 84 5000
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