Otaru Retreat Kuramure by Onko Chishin

The row of low-slung structures near Otaru looks like it might have warehoused something once, which is exactly the point: Hokkaido architect Makoto Nakayama kept the industrial vernacular and hid the luxury inside. This small, high-end ryokan-style retreat sits in the Asarigawa Onsen area and is run by Onko Chishin, a group with a reputation for doing this kind of understated, immaculate hospitality at several properties across Japan.