This modern ryokan immerses travellers in the history of the Old Tokaido Road

During Japan’s Edo Period, hundreds of feudal lords, samurai, priests, and tradesfolk traversed the Tokaido Road between Japan’s old and new capitals: Kyoto and Tokyo. Many inns welcomed travellers along the way, but there were none so rewarding as the ryokans of Hakone, where an abundance of natural hot springs soothed knotty muscles and weary feet. These days, standing out in the crush of Hakone’s modern-day ryokans isn’t easy, but a targeted renovation at KAI Hakone attempts to reinstate – and elevate – the restorative onsen stays of yesteryear.

Wallpaper* checks in at Kai Hakone

What’s on your doorstep?

KAI Hakone is located in Hakone Yumoto Onsen, Kanagawa Prefecture. An eight-minute drive from Hakone-Yumoto railway station, the ryokan is tucked into a wooded slope below a quiet, somewhat isolated stretch of the Old Tokaido Road. Transportation options are thin, but nature is plentiful. The property’s entrance is not grand, marked only by a squint-or-you’ll-miss-it sign leading to an unassuming parking lot next to the reception entrance. But once through the doors, serenity seeps in as the lamp-lit lounge and glass-walled forest and river views beckon.

Who is behind the design?

A 1987 inn was first reinvented by its new owners, the Hoshino Resorts Group, and Sakakura Associates Architects and Engineers in 2012. Now, a new chapter unfolds courtesy of the same architectural firm, along with Yuki Ito Architectural Design and head lead designer Hirofumi Inoue of Nomura Co., Ltd.

The renovation drew design cues from a condensed version of historic travellers’ many-week-long stays at spa retreats along the Tokaido Road. The addition of an outdoor tea house, Sawa Chaya, and a marquetry workshop invites convivial gatherings. Two sumptuous suites, housed above the workshop, offer private open-air onsens and intimate proximity to the complimentary coffee station, lounge and restaurant. Attention to detail is evident in several new art and design features, from a wood-scraps sculpture representing the elevation changes of the post towns along the old highway to bed throws depicting Edo-period tools that would have been unloaded at the foot of the futon.

The room to book

The ryokan offers just 34 rooms, all with expansive views and tatami flooring. Thirty-two are signature guest rooms with abstract artwork of essential Edo-period travel items, such as sandogasa – woven straw hats – or chochin – collapsible washi paper lanterns. Outdoor pathways of bamboo and stone connect the guestrooms ‘to represent material used to make the road in the Edo period,’ says manager Moeka Tsuyuki.

The two new 110 sq m Hakone Gokochi Suites steal the show with long, birch-hued corridors that lead past shoji-screened bedrooms to sunken, glass-walled living rooms. The open-air onsens off the shower room offer views of the Sugomo river that somehow feel both intimate and expansive. The connecting passage between living and bathing spaces is perhaps the most striking: A dark, spare ishi-no-ma (rock room) relaxation space with black walls, two simple wooden chairs, and cool, dark stone underfoot offers a small window to a terrace rock garden or a floor-to-ceiling window to the changing leaves outside.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Standard lodging plans include kaiseki course dinner and breakfast. The subterranean restaurant consists of semi-private dining spaces screened in wood and washi paper. A dearth of décor encourages focus on the cuisine, which begins with a soup made from chilled amazake, a fermented rice drink once consumed to restore energy after climbing the Hakone Pass. The procession of subsequent dishes follows the motif, with sashimi and other seasonal selections served in wooden boxes designed to look like old carrying cases. For breakfast, a wooden tray of jewel-like bites alongside a bubbling single-serve hot pot is served in one main course.

Staff at the lantern-lit tea house outside proffer complimentary herbal tea in the afternoons and a small variety of Japanese alcoholic drinks in the evenings.

Where to switch off

It’s all about the hot springs. Follow ‘The Immersion Path,’ a mural designed by Mitsuko Ogura that sports parading feudal lords alongside modern-day relay racers and skiers, down the lower corridor toward the two sex-segregated public onsens — 40-41°C baths powered by geothermal waters from sodium chloride springs. The baths are enclosed on three sides to protect against the elements, with one wall open to frame the Japanese maples and mountain stream like a painting. Each bath area also contains a dry sauna and a cold plunge pool.

The verdict

Kai Hakone remains a tranquil retreat in the heart of hot springs country. From Sawa Chaya, the simple outdoor tea room, to the gently cocooning rooms with framed views of forest and stream, it’s built for contemplation. The out-of-the-way location can be difficult for travellers without a car, but the point is to soak in the space, not use it as a base for exploration. For guests willing to spend a day or two sitting and savouring, the revived Kai Hakone is well worth the time.

Kai Hakone is located at 230 Yumotochaya, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa 250-0312, Japan