Ryokan Kifu No Sato

Location: Kyoto, Southern Honshu & Kyushu | Japan

With a history going back 4 generations, Kifu No Sato combines the aesthetic of a authentic, traditional Japanese ryokan inn with modern elements, featuring tatami mats, onsen hot springs and beautifully presented kaiseki cuisine. The surrounding area of Okayama is rich in history, and a former stomping ground of the infamous samurai.
Perfect forRelaxing at a traditional Japanese ryokan.
In the know
  • Bathe in natural onsen hot springs
  • Beautiful kaiseki multi-course cuisine
  • Rich samurai history in Okayama

Recommended for...

  • Cultural Immersion
  • Guesthouse or Inn
  • History & Heritage
  • Service & Hospitality

Hotel Overview

Sense of place

The ryokan is situated in the mountain village of Yunogo, surrounded by beautiful gardens and renowned for its natural hot springs. The atmosphere combines traditional Japanese and contemporary elements, with Western-style beds in some rooms and futons in others.

Rooms at Ryokan Kifu No Sato

Rooms and suites at Kifu No Sato offer a choice of traditional Japanese style or a more contemporary fusion style. The Washitsu suite is classically Japanese in style, with tatami flooring, futon bedding and sliding shoji sliding doors. Other suites combine a Japanese aesthetic with Western design; the Leopard Lily suite, for example, features a sawara cypress open-air bath but Western-style beds. There is another traditional Japanese-style room which also features an open-air bath.

Food and drink

Kifu No Sato’s location, in the mountains halfway between the Sea of Japan and the Inland Sea, means it can make the most of the region’s rich and diverse natural produce. Wild mountain vegetables, legendary Okayama Chiya beef, and seafood like crab and the notorious fugu are all featured in beautiful, artistically presented kaiseki meals – a traditional Japanese feast. Meals can be enjoyed in the privacy of your room, as is the tradition in ryokans, or in the yama boshi – the communal dining hall.

Facilities

Okayama locals have been enjoying the benefits of the area’s natural hot springs for over a thousand years, with the water’s high mineral content said to be beneficial for a range of medical complaints. For a peaceful bathing experience, book the private open-air baths, one hewn from rough local stones and the other from granite, set in their own garden. Other public baths are built from local Japanese cypress.

Activities at Ryokan Kifu No Sato

Okayama is renowned for its rich history, particularly with reference to samurai culture. Nearby is the birthplace of Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary swordsman and artist who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries – at the 400-year-old Gorinbo, you can enjoy a traditional meal just like those eaten by the samurai. Tsuyama Castle is beautiful all year round but is particularly renowned as one of the best places in Japan to see the famous cherry blossom, while the ruins of Takeda Castle, known as the Macchu Picchu of Japan, are stunning; rising above a fog of cloud, it gives the impression of floating in the sky.

Best time to go

Best time to travel

Good time to travel (but some limitations)

Travel is possible (but it’s not the best time)

Travel is not recommended

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Best time to go

Hotel location

Kifu No Santo is around an hour’s drive away from Okayama Airport.

Stay at Ryokan Kifu No Sato on these trips

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