Ryokan: Japan's Finest Spas and Inns

If you are adding a Japanese bath or details to your home, this book is full of excellent examples that will inspire your creativity. If you are visiting Japan and plan to travel around and explore onsen and ryokans, this is a great book with beautiful photos that will give you a good idea of what to expect. This is a the big problem with most of the big name travel books, they mention the places but you never get to really see what they are like."The Japanese Spa" is divided in 5 geographical regions:1) Around Tokyo2) Kyoto & Nara3) Central Japan4) Northern Japan5) Southern JapanI have persoanlly stayed at both Hiragiya and Seikoro in Kyoto, and they are both excellent, though I prefer the former. The food and staff are exceptional at both, but the ambiance is superior at Hiragiya. We left an expensive camera in a cab in Kyoto and the Hiragiya staff called the cab companies, who delivered the camera to the ryokan a few hours later. Incredible. Only in Japan!There are tons of color photos on every page, and each place mentioned includes a good little description. Just a little more information to read would have made it a 5-star. This is a very nice book. If you are planning to visit Kyoto, be sure to bring a copy of "Old Kyoto" by Durston.

This book has many very beautiful pictures of -- mostly traditional -- Japanese architecture and gardens. That alone is a good reason to buy it. However, I purchased it for possible use in planning a future vacation trip to Japan, having previously visited the standard tourist places in and around Tokyo and Kyoto. For that purpose, it is a drawback that there is no information whatsoever about costs. I know these places are going to be very expensive. I guess that if you have to ask, you can't afford it. Websites are provided.

Geat ideas. Lovely pictures.

This book is a semi-advertising book for a number of high end Ryokan, traditional Japanese inns. This is the best way to stay when you visit Japan, however be advised due to the high level of personal service in these inns their price to stay is quite a bit higher than in a western style hotel. The book seems to cover inns throughout the country with gorgeous photos and "puff piece" narrative.

Beautiful photography. Thank you for providing a glimpse into another culture.

this book is full of imagination and great photos and it makes me wonder why we in the usa are subjected to the most uncomfortable bathtub in the universe.

I really wanted to like this book. I love Japan, have visited several times, and will go back again soon. The art, culture, and architecture appeal to many worldwide and do not need to be further explained by me here.However, this book cannot decide what it wants to be. The text, aside from a useful introduction regarding onsen etiquette, reads like a cheap tour guide, with incomplete sentences like "abundant trees in all their stalwart magnificence." Great, that's picturesque, what it doesn't really say anything. If this was intended to be a haiku version of a guidebook, perhaps that would be attractive, in its own way. But the text will glide from phrases like that to basic directions like "this ryokan is 2 hours from Tokyo by shinkansen." It would be preferable to pick one voice and stick with it.Because of the variation in tone, the coverage of the ryokan is variable too. Some are described quite fully, while others are more broadly sketched. Again, fine if it is just a celebration of Japanese style, but not as helpful from the guidebook and trip planning perspective.The pictures are good, but not special. Photographing architecture is a skill few possess or exercise well, and the photographer here tries, occasionally succeeding, but oftentimes leaving the viewer unclear about the dimensions or orientation of a picture. Probably this is the result of poor editing, as the presence of a few very good photos show there was potential here.In short, this fails as a guidebook, has too much text to be a picturebook, and is merely adequately photographed.

If you are into nature infused design this is a book of inspiration and awe. inside outside - wabi sabi - earth air fire water

Out of the 4 books I bought on Japan and its gardens, this one is my favourite. True some of the photos look like old ones but somehow it adds to the authenticity of the book. The subject concerns traditional spas and their landscapes - very inspiring ideas where gardens/ the outdoors meets open/semi-open sheltered space. No hesitation in recommending this book.

Ich bin ein großer Japan Fan und vor allem Onsen haben es mir angetan und in Kombination mit einem Hotel ist der richtige Ort auf Reisen zu bleiben.Bin noch nicht im klaren worauf die Auswahl beruht, da es Unmengen von diesen Hotels in Japan gibt, aber alleine die Fotos geben schon gute Inspirationen.