Here we discover the art and aesthetics of the Japanese hot spring (onsen) experience. Twenty-eight exquisite inns (ryokan) are featured in some 400 incredibly beautiful, lush photographs taken by Akihiko Seki. One can sense the intimacy of the inns and the pampering that awaits. We discover beautiful entrances, entrancing gardens, lovely baths, cozy rooms, muted lighting, sunken hearths (irori), stunning screens and mouthwatering food. The ryokan range from resolutely traditional to more modern designs scattered throughout the archipelago.
This is a work of love that celebrates the curative powers of onsen. Here we escape from a more hectic pace to an oasis of repose and quiet contemplation where the hardest decision all day is when and where to bathe. Staring into gardens through the steam rising over rippling water, one can almost hear the susurrus of a nearby stream. Tranquillity rediscovered.
Elizabeth Brooke's text deftly evokes ambience and stirs the imagination with richly layered descriptions. At Higashiyama in Aizu-Wakamatsu she writes, "To sleep, perhaps to dream among blossoms of azalea or cherry pink. These verdant trees are awash in fiesta colors in March and April and May. Views from the Momiji (Maple) Room make guests feel like their futon are floating among the trees."