Akan Tsuruga Bessou Hinanoza

A bar built from a thirty-foot tree trunk tells you something about this ryokan's relationship with the forest around it. Hinanoza sits on Lake Akan in old-growth Eastern Hokkaido, within reach of four national parks, though the private open-air baths and kaiseki meals served in tatami rooms make a strong argument for never leaving the suite. Local woodcarving fills the interiors, and the place smells accordingly. No guests under twelve, which keeps the mood exactly as the name promises.