An inside guide to Tohoku—Japan’s historic ryokan region

The Tohoku region of Japan is synonymous with the great 17^th-century writer Matsuo Basho — whose journey into the north of his country was recorded in his masterpiece, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The land he described was one of holy mountains, samurai castles, pine forests and wayside inns strung along post roads: a wild and beautiful frontier where the landscapes stirred the poet’s pen. In the 21st century, Tohoku is served by ultra-fast Shinkansen trains and crossed by multilane highways. But in the midst of it, you can still find bucolic scenes that would have been familiar to Basho, for this is a region still mercifully distant from Japan’s well-trodden tourist path. And, indeed, you might lodge as the poet did, in a ryokan, which (despite the addition of mains electricity and wi-fi) have remained, in essence, unchanged for generations.

What is a ryokan?

Ryokans can be traced back to the eighth century; however, they came of age during the early Edo period (1603 to 1867) — during which Basho was travelling — when merchants and samurai were on the move. Step inside a ryokan today, and you immediately cross a threshold into the past. The hubbub of the wider world subsides to a reverent hush; shoes are exchanged for slippers and hard floors for tatami mats. Your host may offer you a matcha tea; the water poured from a blackened kettle boiled on an ancient hearth. Here, you might begin to grasp the philosophy of omotenashi — a word that approximates to ‘wholehearted hospitality’. Many ryokans have been in the same family for centuries, and for their staff, hosting guests isn’t merely a career, but a higher calling.

The accommodation in ryokans bears little resemblance to what’s found in Western-style hotels (also available across Japan). Paper screens exist within guestrooms to act as dividers instead of walls, and futons are generally offered rather than beds (though tatami bed options are still available in some ryokans). Indeed, you’ll notice little adornment inside, save for the tokonoma — alcoves in which objects such as flowers and calligraphy are placed to reflect the changing seasons. Guests are encouraged to wear yukata — a kind of light kimono — to harmonise with the setting. This also makes for a kind of equality — a kinship with the other guests, as well as all those who have stayed before.

One of the main appeals of lodging at a ryokan is quieting the mind: gazing out over pebble gardens or stands of bamboo in courtyards, listening to the creak of ancient timbers and the gurgle of rain in the gutters. But a stay in one is also about refreshing the body. Ryokans often have their own onsen — the thermal springs found across Japan. These naturally heated baths often exist in place of conventional bathtubs — and can either take the form of private facilities in individual guest rooms or communal affairs (in turn, divided into men’s and women’s facilities, and only in rare instances mixed).

In all cases, however, you’ll have to adhere to strict onsen etiquette. First shower thoroughly, then pat yourself dry with a washcloth before entering the waters. All bathers must be naked — no swimwear is allowed, though the most seasoned onsen goers deftly balance their washcloths on their heads. The onsen waters vary depending on location and mineral content: some are straw-coloured with a distinct smell, while others have a milky hue and are odourless. Many are visited for their reputed anti-ageing powers, and a few supposedly help with ailments like rheumatism. In all cases, they’re richly soothing: there’s no feeling quite like gazing out over a ryokan garden while submerged in warm waters fresh from the ground below.

An onsen is often enjoyed before kaiseki — the meal served to ryokan guests in their rooms or private dining areas. Kaiseki involves a number of courses served in a specific order, with a strong focus on seasonality. Such a meal evokes the banquets served to noble travellers in centuries past.

How to visit the ryokans of Tohoku

Ryokans exist throughout Japan, but some of the most characterful are in Tohoku. Head to the little town of Dake Onsen — set among the mountains of Fukushima Prefecture — to check in at Hanakanzashi, a ryokan that’s been in the same family for seven generations. The onsen is supplied by a spring on the lower slopes of the Mount Adatara stratovolcano, five miles away. Another good choice is Tendoso — a ryokan with its origins in the 19th century, in the town of Tendo Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture. From its very beginnings, Tendoso was known for serving unagi — freshwater eel — a dish that features in kaiseki banquets, cooked in a sauce whose recipe has never been shared outside the owners’ family. It’s a short hop from Tendo Onsen to the ancient mountaintop temple of Yamadera — visited by Basho in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, where the poet famously heard the sound of cicadas among the rocks.

Further north, and right by the Kurikoma Quasi-National Park, is the town of Naruko Onsen, home to Ryokan Ohnuma, which is distinguished by an indoor onsen adorned with ceramic murals, in addition to an al fresco onsen in the woods nearby. It’s a charmingly rustic affair, in contrast to the rather palatial ryokan at Wabizakura, where new lodgings have been constructed around a 200-year-old merchant’s house outside the samurai town of Kakunodate. The highlight here is another outdoor onsen set on the edge of a magnolia forest: an oasis of deep peace in the deep north of Tohoku.

This paid content article was created for the Japan Tourism Agency. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.

To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).