Kushiro, JapanAkan Onsen
Akan Tsuruga Bessou HINANOZA
Lakeside woodcraft ryokan
Akan Onsen Kushiro, Japan
Opened
2004
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe LocalOutside the door
The house
TsurugaLakeside woodcraft ryokan
Carved timber and open hearths shape this quiet ryokan, where days revolve around private hot springs beside Lake Akan.
What it’s good at
Notable
Interiors blend sukiya woodwork with a ten-meter tree-trunk bar overlooking the water.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Each one has a tatami mat room, a living room, bathroom and… a private open-air bath.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Lake Akan sits right outside, and the woodcarving workshops of Akanko Onsen are an easy walk away.
The rooms
Each suite has its own outdoor onsen bath, with tatami rooms looking toward the lake or the forest.
The onsen
Soak slowly.
Top-floor baths look out over Lake Akan from timber pavilions, and indoor chambers hold hewn-stone tubs and stone saunas.
At the table
Dinners bring multi-course kaiseki from Eastern Hokkaido waters. Later, Za・Bar pours evening sakes looking out over the lake.
How it began
The name joins hina, meaning a longing for home, with za, the custom of gathering together around a hearth.
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.