From the outside, the building is admittedly unremarkable - all concrete and main road. But step through the doors and something rather magical happens. The lobby opens up to a wall of glass and suddenly there it is: the vast, shimmering expanse of Beppu Bay, stretching out so far that sky and sea seem to merge into one. Perched right on the coastline of Japan's undisputed onsen capital, this is a contemporary resort that takes the region's 1,300-year bathing heritage and gives it a decidedly modern twist.
Every room has its own private open-air hot spring bath overlooking the water, the communal onsen on the ground floor sits so close to the ocean it's been nicknamed the "zero-metres-above-sea-level bath", and there are three distinct restaurants championing Oita Prefecture's exceptional produce. It's not a traditional ryokan in the tatami-and-futon sense, but the spirit of omotenashi runs deep, and the staff set the tone from the moment they hand you a welcome drink on the waterfront terrace.
Welcome to Japan's gloriously unpolished onsen capital where steam billows from every alleyway and meals are prepared in volcanic vents.
/131.50041962673725,33.316901671004544,6/600x400?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidGltYnVrdHV0cmF2ZWwiLCJhIjoiY2poMGw1eHpkMmRkbDJ6bW8xYWZ5OGpjYyJ9.PYvAO7lUJ40SOpGvwmQLqw&attribution=false&logo=false)
