Entering Hakone Suishoen is like stepping into another world - a timeless world of serenity and calm, peace and tranquility, and unsurpassed luxury.
It can be a little surreal, too - only 40 minutes on the whispering Shinkansen bullet train brings you from the frenzied hustle and bustle of Tokyo to this beautiful luxury ryokan, which graces the top end of accommodation in the sleepy resort town of Hakone.
In the central courtyard of Suishoen is an elegant old building that was once the country home of the Mitsui family.
Built in 1925, this magnificent structure is not just beautiful - it's a piece of history, listed as a Registered Cultural Asset by the Japanese government.
It was transported here from its original location to serve as both the literal and the aesthetic center of Suishoen.
With its old-time feel and prewar atmosphere, the building is an elegant and timeless venue for dining in the Momiji restaurant and relaxing in the lounge.
Suishoen's interior design is a modern take on traditional design.
Carefully placed artworks and elegant furniture provide both a Japanese sense of place and warm, comfortable surroundings.
Traditional design elements, such as Edo karakami - a kind of paper that has been popular for centuries for decorating sliding doors and walls - grace the interiors of the ryokan's 23 rooms with ancient accents.
Amid the timeless sounds of birdsong, babbling water, and breezes rustling in the bamboo leaves and whistling in the pine forests, Hakone Suishoen is a place where you can be at peace, in an environment you will never forget.
This room, named "Negau", is Suishoen's largest and finest suite, outfitted like a fine luxury condominium.
A full 123 square meters in size, it boasts a kitchenette with IH stove, fridge and spacious granite countertops.
Sleeping is in twin beds in the Western-style bedroom, as well as a Japanese-style tatami room with kotatsu.
The dining room seats four around a spacious table and the living room boasts a leather couch and a huge 60-inch TV.
This is a two-level suite - the first floor has a veranda with a comfy hammock and settee, and a soothing view of tall pine trees soaring into the sky; it boasts a 52-inch 3D TV and Tivoli audio.
The second floor has a living/TV room and veranda and a tatami room with a nice toasty kotatsu under-table heating unit.
The bedroom has inviting twin Western-style beds and dark wood paneling.
The rotemburo is a big Hinoki wood tub with attached shower and bath.
This suite boasts two verandas, one with the rotemburo and a comfortable deck furniture, the other with a view over the tile roofs of the town and the mountains beyond.
The outdoor tub is made of Hinoki wood and slate, and filled with water from the ryokan's own source.
Bamboo trees provide shade and louvres diffuse the sunlight, combining to create a luxurious private bathing experience.
Indoors is a porcelain tub with jacuzzi; both baths are accessible from the living room.
These suites boast a huge king or double bed and a living room with comfortable couches and easy chairs, two TVs and plenty of space in which to stretch out.
The rotemburo, which is visible from the living room, is made of
a lovely purple granite - mikage-ishi - topped with black facing stone, and sheltered by louvres and bamboo leaves.
The attached deck has a comfortable hammock and a lounge chair with a view of the thick, tangled forest.
These rooms are compact and comfortable, with Western-style beds, along with a sofa and chair.
The rotemburo, which is accessible from the bedroom as well as the shower room, includes a lovely hot footbath, and they both
wait invitingly, steaming beneath tall fir trees, whispering bamboo and the open sky.
One of these rooms is wheelchair-accessible.
These are spacious two-room suites, with comfortable couch and chairs, a huge TV and cool marble walls.
The rotemburo steams invitingly on a spacious deck shaded by
louvres and a bamboo fence for privacy and reclining deck chairs for lounging in comfort; some of these suites have daybeds with a settee and couch, as well as in-tub lounging.
These are spacious two-room suites, with comfortable couch and chairs, a huge TV and cool marble walls; the rotemburo steams invitingly on a spacious deck shaded by louvres and a bamboo fence for privacy and reclining deck chairs for lounging in comfort.
Some of these suites have daybeds with a settee and couch, as well as in-tub lounging.
These are two-level suites (96-103 m2); the first floor has a Japanese-style tatami sitting room, with a space underneath for legs and a kotatsu for winter comfort; the deck looks down on a babbling brook, giving the room a lofty feel, and lounge chairs complete the package of comfort.
Dining room with four chairs around an expansive table.
On the second floor is another living room with big TV, king or
double bed, and a Japanese-style tatami room with kotatsu and a space beneath for stretching your legs.
The deck has a view through the window onto the courtyard, and the big, spacious rotemburo has louvres and bamboo screens to diffuse the light and ensure privacy.
The inside bath is a big porcelain tub with jacuzzi.
Bar Ito includes a comprehensive selection of fine Japanese sake and shochu.
Bar Ito is well equipped with a huge collection of bottles of every kind.
In the finely kept grounds are bamboo rock gardens surrounded by pine forests and bamboo copses; a magnificent 300-year-old maple tree spreads its boughs over the grounds. The traditional low roof tile-topped wall recalls the site's past and enhances the timeless atmosphere of elegance, serenity and quiet.
The Shop has some particularly fine examples of yosegi-zukuri, the Hakone area's lovely and distinctive parquet-style ornamentation, on boxes, tableware, chopsticks and other items.
With its old-time feel and Taisho period atmosphere, the building offers a friendly and timeless venue for dining in the Momiji restaurant and relaxing in the lounge.
Suishoen's Momiji restaurant offers kaiseki Japanese haute cuisine, as well as teppanyaki, which the chef cooks on a heavy iron griddle as customers sit at the counter and watch; his ingredients vary with the season, and may include steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki (a type of savory pancake), and yakisoba (panfried buckwheat noodles).
The menus change every month to ensure freshness as well as to mark the seasons in the traditional way - a practice that enhances both the flavor and the meaning of the food, as well as your enjoyment of the timeless surroundings.
In the relaxed, elegant atmosphere of the century-old building that Momiji calls home are 24 tables, expert chefs and an attentive staff who will make your meals here an experience to remember; in-room meals are also available.
Japanese
Suishoen Spa by the French cosmetics and luxury lifestyle company Sisley offers a full menu of massages, facials and full-body treatments to revitalize skin, body and soul, with two beds and a sitting room for relaxing before and after treatments.
There is also a public bathing area with enormous ofuro bathtubs, one rotemburo in the open air, set in a pretty garden, and one inside, both big, comfortable granite tubs.
The Spa uses an exclusive line of premium Sisley products, made of natural ingredients.
Lay back and let the professionals pamper you with a personally designed beautifying and reviving spa treatment session.
Travel from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji by private car; continue on your way by driving the scenic Fuji Subaru Line up to Mt. Fuji 5th station.
This is a great place for sightseeing, with incredible views of the surroundings. People who climb the mountain often start their trek here.
This 5th station is also known as Yoshidaguchi 5th station and is the most popular station of Mt. Fuji because of its easy access.
In summer, climbing up to the top of Mt. Fuji is very popular for both Japanese and foreigners.
Especially popular is to climb through the night to see the sunrise from the summit.
Mt. Fuji is considered one of the "Three Holy Mountains" along with Mt. Tate and Mt. Haku, and is a symbol of Japan, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site along with its environs.
At the mountain’s base is the beautiful Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine, dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto goddess of Mt. Fuji.
For centuries, pilgrims have passed through the shrine and offered a prayer to the sacred mountain before continuing their trek.
Behind the shrine is the Yoshida trailhead, which leads up the mountain to the summit, although most climbers start at the 5th station, which shortens the climb by about five hours.
If you are keen to learn more about Mt. Fuji, you may join one of
these three activities to discover the famous mountain.
Option 1 - Explore Mt. Fuji Lava Caves: if you want a truly special and unique experience in Japan, check out the Mt. Fuji Lava Caves.
In addition to the caves, the guides will introduce you to the wonders of the famous Aokigahara forest in the Mt. Fuji foothills, with its strange, mysterious world of eerie silence, darkness and tranquility.
Option 2 - Nature walk in the forest near Mt. Fuji: the foothills of Mt. Fuji are a great place for a nature hike to learn about the fascinating birds and plants of this area.
This tour is perfect for anyone interested in enjoying the natural world surrounding Mt. Fuji with a guide who is well versed in the local flora, fauna and geology.
This tour can take place in various locations, depending on which is the most convenient.
Option 3 - Trekking in Houei Crater: though it hasn’t erupted in hundreds of years, Mt. Fuji is still an active volcano.
The Houei Crater trekking tour starts from the 5th station, from where the team will hike to the 6th station and beyond to admire the magnificent views from the Houei Crater, as well as discover the tough, resilient plant life at the tree line and the craters formed in previous eruptions.
In the afternoon you will leave for Hakone, a city famous for its hot springs and beautiful views of Mt. Fuji.
This incredibly beautiful but relatively unknown - even to Japanese - temple is nestled amongst rich nature, with lovely, peaceful, beautifully kept grounds and timeless Buddhist architecture.
Is a spectacular facility, featuring artworks by Picasso, Henry Moore, Churyo Sato and many others. Many of the sculptures are displayed outdoors in a unique natural setting. The museum has over 1,000 artworks in total.
Meet with your guide in the lobby and embark by private car for a driving tour to admire Mt. Fuji. Panoramic views of the mountain, from base to peak, can be seen here on clear days.
Is an airy, spacious building, with exhibits of Asian art, mostly Japanese, Chinese and Korean, from ancient times to the present. The art is from the collection of Kazuo Okada.
Yosegi-zaiku is famous as a traditional craft of Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture, a town with 200 years of history. At Hakone Suishoen, you can see artworks by local artist Ken Ota, which give you a taste of Hakone’s rich history and natural beauty.
HAKONE SUISHOEN
519-9 KowakudaniHakone-machiAshigarashimo-gunKanagawa-ken 250-0406Japan