The Best Hotels in Nagato

Floor-to-ceiling windows face the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is a long way from anywhere by design. Bettei Otozure is a ryokan reconsidered for people who appreciate both tatami floors and mid-century furniture, and the combination sits more comfortably than it has any right to. Suites have private outdoor baths; communal ones are available too. It holds a Michelin Key. No guests under 13, which keeps the mood exactly where it wants to be.

A riverside inn in a hot spring village where a 600-year-old bathing tradition is still very much the point. Rooms face the Otozure River, the historic Onto bathhouse runs on fresh mineral waters, and a wood-fired restaurant handles dinner. Days fill up between saunas, Hagi-yaki kiln visits, and paddleboarding in the surrounding mountains, which is a more convincing argument for slowing down than any spa brochure has ever managed.