The entrance to the hot-spring baths. The swirly looking character is one ryokan and hot-spring fans will see often. It’s the phonetic hiragana character for “yu”, meaning hot water, but here signifying the hot baths.

      Like the baths, all the rooms come with Fuji views; some of the non-standard rooms have their own wood-decked terraces where guests can relax in loungers or soothe their feet in private footbaths while taking in the scenery; others have private open-air baths too. Looking inside, all are bright and airy, with light tatami, walls, and wood, and either futon or simple Western-style beds. Most guests will have dinner served in their room (though large groups can have their own dining rooms), and at the Kogetsu—like most ryokan—that means an elaborate kaiseki affair featuring mostly local, seasonal produce turned into dishes such as richly fragrant matsutake mushroom soup and a shabu shabu hot pot featuring pork from pigs that have been reared on Koshu wine.

      What makes Lake Kawaguchi great for a weekend away from Tokyo—besides the scenery, the ryokan, and the hot-spring baths—is the variety of things to do here. It’s an easy drive from Kawaguchiko to the amusement park Fuji-Q Highland, which has a terror-inducing selection of white-knuckle rides. In the lake area itself is the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum, which houses decorative tie-dyed kimono and other fabrics. Around the lake, there are also herb gardens and, in spring, vast fields of pink moss phlox that create a stark contrast to Fuji. The lake area is also close to trails that lead to Fuji’s peak, when the summer climbing season opens and thousands of hikers make the slow trek up to 12,388 feet (3,776 meters) in the hope of seeing the sunrise from Japan’s highest point. More than anything, there’s just something special about being so close to Fuji, soaking outside in a hot bath as the sun sets, or whiling away an afternoon on the decking taking in the views.

      Shuhoukaku kogetsu 湖月

      Address: 2312 kawaguchi, Fuji kawaguchiko, Minami-tsuru-gun, Yamanashi 401-0304

      Telephone: 0555-76-8888

      Website: www.kogetu.com

      Email: [email protected]

      number of rooms: 45

      Room rate: ¥¥¥

      The Kogetsu’s baths have Fuji views. If the conditions are right, some mornings you can get a glimpse of akafuji (when Fuji takes on a red hue) or of an evening kurofuji (when the mountain appears to float in the moonlight).

      The choice of serving dish is just as important as the arrangement of the food itself. During the dinner, you are invited to enjoy not just taste, but to appreciate design.

      A member of staff serves a welcome drink shortly after arriving at the guestroom. As well as being the first opportunity to unwind after traveling, the welcome drink service is also the first opportunity to get to know the staff member who (very likely) will be serving and looking after you throughout your stay.

      The rotemburo (outdoor bath) comes with lovely lake views, although if you stand up for long you run the risk of flashing any passing boats.

      With a shoreline just short of twelve miles (twenty kilometers) long, Lake Kawaguchi is the second-largest of the Fuji Five Lakes. As well as options to take to the water in tour boats or swan-shaped pedalos, there are also pretty walking trails around the lake and a good range of other attractions.

      This tipple might look like sake, but it’s actually wine. Japan is far from being a major winemaker, but within Japan, Yamanashi is known for its wines.

      The guest rooms have a wonderful simplicity in design, allowing the understated traditional elements to shine.

      ASABA SHUZENJI ONSEN, IZU

      The Asaba is a standout in so many ways. Not only has it been in the same family since the fifteenth century, it even has its own outdoor Noh stage, where performances take place several times a year.

      Ever since the monk Kobo Daishi (aka Kukai)—the founder of Shingon Buddhism—visited what is now the town of Shuzenji in the early 800s and discovered the area’s natural hot-spring source before then establishing the temple that gave its name to the town, Shuzenji has been synonymous with both Buddhism and bathing. With Shuzenji Temple at its heart, the town flourished as a regional center for Shingon Buddhism for nearly five hundred years. Then came a couple of hundred years of gradual decline under the Rinzai sect of Buddhism during the Kamakura era (1185–1333), when Japan was ruled from Kamakura by the Minamoto clan, before the temple was adopted by Soto Buddhism in the late 1400s. Since then, the temple has enjoyed centuries of prominence, despite going through the typical pattern of destruction and rebuild that has affected so many of Japan’s fire-prone historic structures.

      The entrance to the Asaba is almost temple like in design, although given Shuzenji’s long association with Buddhism and the Asaba’s own roots as a form of temple lodging, perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise.

      Shuzenji is a pretty hot-spring town. The river running through it is transformed by rusts and yellows in autumn, but it’s a pleasant place to stroll any time of year, and it’s close to the Asaba. You could also walk to historic sites like Shuzenji Temple, try the outdoor footbath on the river or just take in the sights with one of the matcha ice creams you can find around here.

      It was with the onset of Shuzenji’s Soto years that the town saw the creation of its now famed ryokan, the Asaba, established by the Asaba family in 1489 (and still run by them today). Asaba began as temple lodgings but eventually morphed into an exclusive retreat during the Meiji era (1868–1912)—complete with an outdoor Noh stage visible from guest rooms. Now it is one of a select few properties in Japan with membership of the Relais & Chateaux association of independently owned luxury hotels and restaurants.

      The room views, over a large pond toward the Noh stage and a wooded backdrop that turns red and yellow in the fall, are as alluring as the interiors. The rooms are classically appointed with tatami matting, sliding doors and other traditional touches, and the common areas are bright and spacious, featuring light woods, tatami-matted or carpeted hallways, and wide windows that open out onto the pond.

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