The Ryokan Collection features ryokan owners in a series titled “Pride of Ryokan.” This installment spotlights Kohei Yamada, proprietor of Hanamurasaki ryokan in Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Yamanaka Onsen is among Ishikawa’s most prestigious hot-spring resorts, its renowned waters said to have been discovered 1300 years ago by the priest Gyōki. Hanamurasaki, a long‑standing ryokan, began drawing notice around 2024, with rumors of it “becoming something incredible”—thanks to bold renovations led by its young proprietor, Kohei Yamada, that even reached Tokyo.

As one walks through Hanamurasaki’s entrance through a large noren curtain bearing the double‑circle emblem on white, the first striking impression is the youthful staff greeting guests with bright smiles and a warm welcome.

Such consistently uplifting hospitality in a ryokan feels like stepping into a high‑end resort. It’s enough to completely transform typical expectations of a ryokan. The ryokan is run by a young team, led by the proprietor and his wife. We spoke with the Yamadas about the ideas behind their renovation and reform.

What they want to convey through omotenashi

“The catalyst was the COVID‑XNUMX lockdown,” he said. “Until then, we were so busy we couldn’t really reflect. The shutdown gave us space to pause and consider the nature of lodging and travel—questions that had been lingering in our minds. In that sense, the closure was a silver lining from the pandemic.

“When the pandemic waned, I questioned whether we should continue business as usual. I felt there must be something we wanted to convey through omotenashi, or traditional Japanese hospitality, and had a vision for what a ryokan should be. That led me to decide: let’s renovate.”

Yamada-san continued: “My foremost goal was: how do we remake this ryokan so guests feel more deeply satisfied? Beyond the basics of bathing, eating, and sleeping, what added ‘value’ can we create—something guests can sense during their stay? I absolutely wanted to generate new value.

“Previously, our approach was exhausting—we served guests relentlessly, wearing ourselves out. That energy has its place, but I believed our aim should be different: to offer guests a unique value found nowhere else. By doing so, the ryokan’s inherent value would naturally increase.”

Becoming a hub of Japanese culture

“That unique value lies in presenting Japanese culture not as an ancient relic, but in a modern form. Through the lodging experience, we want guests to feel the best of Japan and this region. Concretely, that means new culinary proposals and fresh ways to enjoy the baths, plus establishing the ryokan as a hub for the Hokuriku region’s crafts, art, tea, and food culture.

Invoking “terroir”—the unique character of a place—is common with food and drink. At Hanamurasaki, they go further: even the dishes, spaces, hot-springs, and art embody the land’s terroir.

Regarding crafts and art, they not only display works inside, but also offer encounters with local Hokuriku artists—guests can be surrounded by locally made pieces, and if they wish, visit the artists’ workshops. Yamada-san believes the ryokan’s role is to let guests experience the appeal of the entire region. “This land has a charm that you can't find in the city. "

“Ishikawa and the Hokuriku region have many artists, continuing a cultural legacy from the Kaga Maeda clan. The Maedas were such great patrons! Beyond crafts, this includes vegetable farmers, expert fishermen offering superb buri yellowtail tuna, rice farmers, and tea growers. I view the ryokan as a vehicle to let guests fully experience the land’s appeal through all five senses. Isn’t that the essence of what a ryokan can be?”

A ‘surprise attack’ networking style

How do they build their network of artists?
“Our style is basically surprise‑attack,” Yamada-san said, laughing. “We visit exhibitions or use the internet and social media to discover artists we want to meet, then approach them directly. If we can’t reach them that way, we seek introductions.”

Some artists dislike the spotlight, so Yamada-san aims to be a translator or mediator between them and guests—if they struggle to express their value, he helps them communicate it. “For example, we have lacquer artists create art panels to exhibit and sell. We cover everything from lifestyle crafts to contemporary art, including experimental pieces.”

Currently displayed artists include photographer Yukito Kōno, Buddhist sculptor Takumi Hasegawa, contemporary artist LAKA, glass craftsman Rui Sasaki, lacquer artist Yoshihiko Murata, ceramicist Hisako Nakajima, and lacquer artist Kohei Ukai—all based in Hokuriku. Last year they hosted a dialogue on the whole lobby floor between artists and curators to present works. “We hope to continue expanding this space—we’re still exploring how far it can go.”

The serene aura of the tea salon ‘Sabo’

The selling point of the lobby is the "Sabo” tea salon, which gives off a sophisticated aura. Guests arrive on the XNUMXth floor, and immediately notice the abundance of art and crafts throughout the space. Past the front desk lies a lounge with full‑height windows overlooking a natural gorge of vibrant green. Adjacent is Sabo, set amidst shaded calm, and with a counter made from Kaga cedar. The space exudes a serene, refined atmosphere.

Initially, they considered a self‑service lounge for coffee and tea to improve efficiency. But they realized that streamlining had no meaningful place in a ryokan. If efficiency doesn’t fulfill both staff and guests, what’s the point? To convey Japanese culture, tea is indispensable.

“So, when we renovated the lobby floor, we built a tea room. By carefully brewing selected tea by hand, customers come and feel its value. I thought that this was a point of differentiation, so I went all out in that direction. We dropped coffee service altogether,” Yamada-san said. “However, many international guests prefer coffee, so we serve it in the rooms instead.”Japanese aesthetic sense, is the way to go.

Tea brewed by trained professionals

Tea brewed by trained professionals

The Yamadas on design and training

Packaging a new concept

The previous owner built Hanamurasaki as a beautiful ryokan in the Sukiya style, but "perhaps because I had seen too many Sukiya-style buildings since I was little, I no longer felt anything for it, and I had been thinking for a long time that I wanted to fundamentally change it,” Yamada-san said.“However, when I studied abroad in San Francisco for about two years as a university student, I realized that there were many beautiful things in Japan when viewed from the outside. At the same time, I felt that this would not be conveyed to people today if it remained as it was.”

“That's when I started looking for a way to convey that. After visiting various ryokan and researching various Japanese designs, I came across Shinichiro Ogata of SIMPLICITY."

Designer Ogata is known for his design and direction of architecture, interiors, products, graphics, and other things. He has worked on the design of his own store “Ogata Paris,” as well as Aesop stores and five-star hotels.

"Ogata-san uses traditional techniques, but the designs he produces are very modern. That really suited me. When we were renovating the building this time, I thought we would start with the design, but Ogata-san worked with us from the concept onwards. I told him about my concept, and he gave me a lot of suggestions. All that tinkering led to the current look."
The building has undergone a complete transformation from its previous Sukiya style. There are other groundbreaking ideas that Yamada-san came up with in the lobby on the fourth floor.

"Generally, ryokan are very closed off to the public. It's been a long-standing challenge for me to open it up to non-guests as well. So we've created a lounge on the lobby floor, where we can serve coffee and tea in a tea room from 9am to 5:30pm. We also offer afternoon tea by reservation, and in the summer we'll be offering shaved ice and other treats. We want locals to feel welcome to use it."

Stylish, modern‑Japanese guest rooms

Exquisite kaiseki cuisine and breakfast

Of course, dinner is a truly special experience of kaiseki traditional haute cuisine by head chef Masakazu Nakamura: local vegetables, sashimi, clams, seaweed, Noto beef, specially grown Koshihikari rice—the dishes, all of which are made using the bounty of Ishikawa's sea and mountains, are so tasty that one wants to exclaim in admiration. Noto tuna sashimi comes topped not with soy sauce but with nori seaweed tsukudani—a novel twist. Particularly memorable were the steamed tiger pufferfish milt, steamed clam rice, and roasted Noto beef. Sake lovers can savor local favorites like the Matsuura Brewery’s Shishi no Sato and Yoshida Brewery’s Tedorigawa. Careful -- they’re so good it’s easy to drink too much!

Each dish in the Japanese breakfast is infused with soul. Grilled over a traditional shichirin charcoal stove, the dried nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) and hotaru ika (firefly squid) are packed with deep umami flavor. The juicy, richly flavored dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet) is itself worth waking up for in the morning. Especially noteworthy is the delicious, locally grown Koshihikari rice. Even the four kinds of pickles and the seaweed tsukudani are carefully selected—every bite is irresistible.

Young staff and a positive work culture

Returning to the youthful staff: Over half are in their twenties, with an average age of 32. The ryokan now actively recruits new graduates nationwide. Ryokan work has a reputation for being tough, but they close on Wednesdays and Thursdays to improve work-life balance. Staff receive specialized training—language, tea ceremony, flower arranging and sommelier classes—so they can continually improve their skills. The Yamadas hope people will see this and think, “This is a place I want to work.”

Yamada-san’s ambitions continue to grow: “I can’t say much yet, but I’m planning a new project I've wanted to do for a long time. Please wait a little longer for the announcement,” he said.

Profile: Kohei Yamada

Sixth-generation head of the 120-year-old Yamanaka Onsen ryokan Hanamurasaki. In 2021 he inherited the ryokan. In his teens he was drawn to street art, studying art and photography at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After returning to Japan, he applied his sensibility to overhaul Hanamurasaki in 2022. He created a gallery space showcasing contemporary art and crafts by local young local artists, and established the Sabo tea salon to build community and engage with Japanese culture. Inspired by Yamanaka’s rich nature, craftsmanship, and lifestyle, he continues to transform his ryokan into a one-of-a-kind experience.

Address: 1‑17‑1 Higashimachi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture>

Phone: +81-0761‑78‑0077

Check‑in: 14:00 (last 18:00); check‑out: 11:00

Composition/Written by:Toshizumi Ishibashi

He is a freelance editor‑writer and contributing editor at Premium Japan. He is former editor‑in‑chief of CREA Traveller and CREA.

Photo by Toshiyuki Furuya