Hanamurasaki is a traditional Japanese ryokan – with a fresh modern twist. Wrapped in nature, the family-run hotel overlooks the drama of a river flowing through a gorge in an ancient hot spring village in the Hokuriku region of central Japan. In addition to its classic ryokan mix of omotenashi hospitality, nature appreciation and hot spring soaking, the hotel has reimagined its 125-year heritage – with contemporary interiors, art installations, a gallery and a bespoke furniture collection, all brought to life through the sharp vision of sixth-generation owner Kohei Yamada and his wife Manami.
Measured yet modern, their contemporary interventions are serene, minimalist and crafted. Simplicity, the Tokyo studio run by Shinichiro Ogata, designed a light-flooded tea room called Sabo, as well as five escapist suites, with tactile material sweeps of stone, washi, mortar and soft white curves. Pared-back interiors are filled with curated scatterings of abstract sculptures and lighting by contemporary Japanese artists (in ceramics, lacquer, wood, paper, glass).
This autumn, the ryokan’s traditional tatami-mat Japanese rooms were also given a modern update, with the launch of Hanamurasaki’s new contemporary furniture collection: ‘Suminobi’. Low-lying, minimalist and softly curved, the furniture is designed to harmonise horizontally with its tatami setting, with clean modern lines shaped by traditional carpentry techniques.
The creative dialogue is ongoing, according to Yamada, who is as comfortable among street art as he is with generations-old craftsmanship. ‘In the past, onsen ryokan would often have artists-in-residence staying with them,’ he tells Wallpaper*. ‘Artists would come and stay and leave an artwork. We are very inspired by this idea at Hanamurasaki.’ The couple – who both previously lived overseas, Kohei in Singapore, Manami studying art and photography in San Francisco – also recently opened the art gallery Yamadart in nearby Kanazawa city.
Wallpaper* checks in at Hanamurasaki, Yamanaka Onsen
What’s on your doorstep?
Yamanaka Onsen is a speck of a village in Ishikawa Prefecture, known for more than 1,300 years of volcanic hot spring bathing and the beauty of its traditional lacquerware – and it’s worth heading off the beaten tourist trail to get there. The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train stops at nearby Kagaonsen Station (up to three hours from Tokyo, or 20 minutes from Kanazawa); the hotel is around 20 minutes away by shuttle or taxi.
What’s the story behind it?
It was in 1902 that the ryokan, initially called Yamadaya, first opened, becoming a much-loved local hot spring retreat. Yamada’s father relocated the hotel to a newly built property nearby in the 1980s and renamed it Hanamurasaki – its name inspired by the poetic phrase Sanshi Suimei – ‘purple mountains and clear waters’. Over the past four years, the hotel has steadily transformed through the vision of Yamada and his wife – with renovations, creative projects and artworks continuing to tap into the essence of Japanese culture, expressed through a fresh modern perspective.
What’s the arrival like?
A stroll through a small garden leads to a large white noren curtain with numerous vertical slits, etched with the calligraphic simplicity of a Zen-like circle. Crossing the threshold, the genkan entry is spacious and minimal – a sweep of stone flooring beneath white walls with a wood and lacquerware abstraction by artist Eiko Tanaka, a woody, temple-like incense burning in the air. The stillness continues in the monochrome lobby, alongside a small gallery space showcasing the lacquer creations of Daigo Ohmura and a sculptural circle of light – all setting the tone for a minimalist, modern and crafted stay.
First thing to do?
Have a cup of tea (or six) at Sabo. The Simplicity-designed space at the heart of the ground floor is deeply serene, with softly curved white surfaces, light hexagonal floor tiles, dark wood tables and a tea counter with walls of windows framing bursts of green. Afternoon tea is a highlight. Expertly curated teas, from original Kaga Bocha twig tea to local Ishikawa black tea, are quietly served in exquisite ceramics, alongside tiered trays of creative treats – recently including turnip sushi, candied kumquat, yuzu jelly and lemon-simmered sweet potato (matcha beer and sencha tea gin and tonic are also on the menu).
The room to book
The hotel has 25 rooms – and the most coveted are the five suites by Simplicity. Spacious and curated, these are modern temples of serenity, steeped in modern craftsmanship, with low Western-style beds and an organic material palette sharpened by clean lines and soft curves. Modern Suite has smooth swathes of mortar across floors, ceilings and walls; a sunken table by lacquer artist Akihiko Sugeta; a deep stone onsen bath and sauna, alongside framed greenery. Art Suite has mortar walls lightly imprinted with grid-like mesh; glowing glass panels and lights by artist Rui Sasaki containing flowers and plants collected near Hanamurasaki; softly curved white interior edges; sharp black tiled bathrooms and a large round ceramic onsen bath plus sauna.
Most of the hotel’s Japanese rooms were gently updated this autumn – with the launch of Hanamurasaki’s new furniture collection ‘Suminobi’ (its name inspired by the traditional architectural technique of lengthening temple eaves and roof corners). Designed to harmonise with the traditional Japanese setting, the furniture is low-lying with simple horizontal lines – from window-facing beds to monochrome sofas, with organic white textile forms hovering on low bases of darkened white ash.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
The restaurant is another highlight. Yamada’s father renovated the dining area 20 years ago, with dramatic washi wall abstractions by Kyoto artist Eriko Horiki and partitions between diners. Here, contemporary omakase kaiseki dining steals the show, with a constellation of crafted dishes, shifting according to Ishikawa’s seasonal ingredients from the sea and mountains. From November to March, a highlight is the Snow Crab menu, a celebration of a delicious local delicacy; unusually, vegetarian kaiseki is also available. Japanese breakfasts are expansive and high quality, with snow-white Koshihikari rice, sashimi and simmered tofu hot pots (Western-style omelettes and croissants are also available – again, something of a rarity in a ryokan).
Where to switch off
Aside from endless soaking in alkaline-rich onsen waters, the hotel offers innovative activities, many with local creatives, such as a painting experience with ceramic artist Eijyu Yaguchi. Another wintertime highlight is a snowshoe-making activity, with charismatic locals Aria and Masa, which aims to revive a dying tradition – hand-tying rope around curved bamboo to create kanjiki shoes, before putting them to the test in a nearby snow-wrapped mountain for a face-blastingly fresh hike, with warming tea in washi cups. Further projects are in the pipeline, from artist residencies to collaborations with regional artisans (retreats are scheduled next year with local author and illustrator Hannah Kirshner).
The verdict
Hanamurasaki is a perfectly pitched balance between past and present, materials and spaces, artists and guests. And best of all, it’s a living, breathing work in progress – likely to keep evolving, not only with Yamada and his wife at the helm, but with future generations too.
Hanamurasaki is located at 1-Ho17-1, Higashimachi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 922-0114, Japan