Benesse House is a contemporary art museum and luxury hotel rolled into one – what’s not to love? Not only a key attraction of Japan’s favourite ‘art island’, this art-site-come-museum has the best rooms in town; each housing its own unique…

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The prime incentive to venture into the forgotten Iya Valley is the chance to stay in a painstakingly restored 300-year-old farmstead called Chiiori (‘House of the Flute’). After a visit to the area in the 1990s, American author Alex Kerr d…

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Tucked away in an eastern suburb of Matsuyama near Dogo Park, this is a great option if you want to experience a scrupulously authentic ryokan. Although English is spoken, the majority of its clientele are discerning Japanese travellers who…

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On the banks of the Haya River, this tranquil hot spring hotel in a pagoda-style building dating from 1630 is a 4-minute walk from Tōnosawa train station and 8 km from the Hakone Open-Air Museum.Simple suites feature living areas and floor-…

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