Neo-Ryo — Japan’s New Hybrid Hotels
By Marian Goldberg
Here is a scenario that may sound familiar: you have chosen to come to Japan for a much-needed vacation. You’ve found a lovely Japanese inn (or ryokan) in the historic mountain village of, let’s say, Kusatsu; famed for its natural hot springs (onsen). Just two hours outside of Tokyo by train or bus, you can feel your worries dissipating as you begin to connect with your environment. Everything is carefully laid out in the traditional fashion—including the rules. Shoes off, breakfast at 8 o’clock sharp—sure, they’re little things, but this is a vacation after all. Well, there are a number of Japanese hoteliers who are starting to take notice. Enter the new “hybrid hotels,” or something that, is starting to be called “Neo-Ryo.” These are Japan’s latest efforts to combine the old-world luxury and hospitality of traditional Japanese ryokan with the modern comforts of Western-style guest rooms.
One such company is Hoshinoya. In 2005, Mr. Yoshiharu Hoshino, a graduate of Cornell University’s Hotel School, founded the first Hoshino Resort, Hoshinoya Karuizawa (www.hoshinoya.com) in a resort town in the Japanese Alps, just an hour north of Tokyo on the Nagano Shinkansen (bullet train) and about 90 minutes by mountain bus. This was followed with the opening on December 12, 2009 of a second Hoshinoya in Japan’s former Imperial and present day cultural capital of Kyoto. Traditional comforts like the cotton yukata lounge robes and easy sliding pocket doors offset modern creature comforts like imported Italian futons set on raised wooden platforms above heated wooden floors. The dining area is sunk beneath raised platform tables to preserve the low table look without forcing guests to sit with their legs twisted underneath them. The bathrooms are also larger and more luxurious than traditional ryokan in-room facilities.
Hoshinoya Karuizawa takes the onsen spa experience to a new level. Tombo-no-yu Hot Springs is the property’s complete indoor and outdoor open-air bath; similar to other onsen soak baths that I have experienced at traditional ryokan but with large indoor “Hikari” (light) and “Yami” (dark) meditation baths that wind through a maze of connected rooms, making this spa bath truly special. While actually swimming from the light to the dark room, I felt the uplifting sensation of sunlight through the frosted glass windows turn to a warm, relaxing and pensive solitude. The resort also offers Japanese-influenced luxury spa treatments including Shiatsu massage and the BIWA medicinal herb—not typically a part of the authentic ryokan experience.
Hoshinoya Kyoto (kyoto.hoshinoya.com) unfortunately does not have a spa, but like traditional ryokan, it offers numerous specialized cultural activities for its guests. This one is keenly aware of what Westerners want to experience, like soba noodlemaking classes, rickshaw rides in the Arashiyama district with English speaking guides, morning temple worship, kimono dress-up, ikebana or Japanese flower arranging and ceremonial incense burning.
At Arcana Resort (www.arcanaresorts.com) in the Izu Peninsula, two hours south of Tokyo, we see another example of “Neo-Ryo.” Each guest room has its own outdoor hot spring bath or rotenburo on a private balcony, accessible through sliding glass doors from the guest suite or bathroom. The balconies overlook a spectacular mountain vista draped in rich foliage and the sounds of a rushing stream. Although this is a typical Japanese-style bath, the room showcases two Western beds and a contemporary sofa atop carpeting and wood floors, instead of the traditional futons and tatami mats. In addition, there is a complimentary mini bar stocked with Western and Asian candies and drinks, an Italian cappuccino machine and hot water dispenser for green tea. As in Hoshinoya, meals are served in one of the property restaurants and not in the guest room, and that inflexible ryokan time schedule does not apply. One interesting point about Arcana is that this resort is located very near a historic ryokan, and it offers packages combining room nights, meals or even just tours between the two.
The same concept was refined at Sankara Resort and Spa (sankarahotel-spa.com), which just opened on March 15, 2010 on the UNESCO World Heritage island of Yakushima (just south of Kyushu Island by high-speed boat). In addition to the private balconies and French-fusion cuisine, the Sankara “auberge” concierge offers eco-tours to explore the Yakusugi cedar forests where there are trees as old as 7,000 years.
For more information about new hotels and accommodations in Japan, contact the Japan National Tourism Organization at 212-757-5640 or visit www.japantravelinfo.com
2010 is Visit Japan Year
By Marian Goldberg
Japan is buzzing with excitement for 2010 Visit Japan Year (VJY). The target goal is 10 million international visitors by the end of this year, with the largest push for visitors this fall with time-limited special offers at cultural attractions, accommodations and shopping venues between September 1 and November 20, 2010.
The objective behind VJY is promoting Japan’s uniqueness. One aspect is Japan’s numerous and very specialized festivals. A calendar with description of major festivals can be found on the VJY website at www.vjy2010.jp/event/. Click on the month in the left-hand column to get specific information by date.
The City Nara (Heijo-kyo) Turns 1300
Built in the 8th Century (710 AD to 784 AD), Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan, even before Kyoto. Anniversary events are taking place all year but will kick into high gear on April 24th, when the recently reconstructed former Imperial Audience Hall will reopen to the public. There will also be exhibitions on the history of Nara, a life-size replica of a ship used for diplomatic relations with the Asian mainland, parades, hands-on experiences, music and light shows. www.1300.jp/foreign/english
Setouchi International Art Festival
The often-dubbed “Art Island” of Naoshima, with its Tadeo Ando designed structures, will hold this 100-day art extravaganza from July 19th – October 31 in collaboration with the neighboring islands of Teshima, Megijima, Ogijima, Shodoshima, Oshima and Inujima; as well as the Takamatsu Port Area of Shikoku. The event will feature works and demonstrations by the most recognized Japanese artists and performers as well as select international artists. Visit setouchi-artfest.jp/en/about/
Shinshu Destination Campaign
The third of the three major events is actually a series of themed “healthy, eco-friendly walking tours” in Nagano Prefecture in the Japan Alps. Dubbed the Shinshu Destination Campaign with the tag line “Walk Unknown Trails in Shinshu,” it runs from October to December 2010. Packages include a culinary tour visiting wine and miso bean paste cellars, a historical and cultural tour, a guided natural history tour in Japan’s Northern Alps, a fall foliage and color tour in Kamikochi, with hot springs and the Tenryu river in close proximity. Additionally, a new type of hybrid electric-diesel resort train is expected to begin service in the fall of 2010, making the ride more pleasant and more environmentally friendly. Visit www.vjy2010.jp/bigevent
Watch This: The other important focus of Visit Japan Year goes beyond festivals and events to the unique people and their personal stories. VJY’s “Love Japan 50” interviews 50 people in Japan – some of them resident foreigners – who discuss their love of their country on video. There is also one particular personal story from Hidetoshi Nakata, a three-time Japan FIFA World Cup soccer star – retired in 2006 – who, after traveling to 90 different countries, has settled down to promote his home nation of Japan. Visit www.vjy2010.jp/lovejapan and www.vjy2010.jp/revalue
The Japan Tourism Agency unveiled a new campaign logo on April 6th, designed with Japan’s iconic cherry blossom and accompanied by a new tagline: “Japan. Endless Discovery.” The new logo and copy are intended to encourage travelers from all age groups to see Japan as a multi-faceted destination with cultural interests both ancient and modern; one that must be visited more than once.
Luxury Travel Forums
Japan is now moving forward in promoting luxury-quality tourism rather than just looking at increasing traveler numbers. To explain and encourage this more focused approach, the Ministry of the Economy (METI) hosted the Second Japan Luxury Travel Forum (www.jltf.net/english/) February 22-26, 2010 in Japan’s historic cultural capital of Kyoto. The forum followed the model set forth at the first JLTF in Tokyo in October 2008. METI invited 26 international luxury-focused travel agents (including 9 agents and three tour operators from North America) and ten media (five from the United States). For the agents, a full day cultural introduction was followed by two days of one-on-one business meetings with Japan-based suppliers and a mini-conference. For the media, Kyoto’s cultural allure was matched by the beckoning of Okinawa’s own rich culture and two days in Okinawa’s sand and surf.
Following the JLTF, Ishikawa Prefecture on Japan’s seacoast hosted its Second International Luxury Lifestyle Forum in Kanazawa (www.illf.jp/en/) on February 27th. Symposium speakers included renowned chefs Alain Ducasse from France, Shinichiro Takagi of Kanazawa’s own Zeniya and Jyugatsuya restaurants, Japanese industrial designer Mamoru Nakagawa, architect Paul Noritake Tange, New York-based artist Alexander Gelman and hospitality guru Horst Schulze. Schulze was the founder of the Ritz Carlton hotel chain, and he is currently developing the luxury Niseko Capella Hotel in the Japan Alps ski resort region. The conference highlighted the wants, needs, and growing importance of the international luxury traveler and Ishikawa’s abundant natural and cultural tourism resources to attract this highly selective FIT client.
The next big luxury forum and marketplace will be the new invitation-only Blossom Japan (www.blossomjapan.com) to be held in Tokyo January 18-21, 2011.
For more information on Japan and Visit Japan Year 2010, contact the Japan National Tourism Organization or visit their VJY special website link at www.japantravelinfo.com/2010