HISTORY

Our ryokan began as Yamadaya, founded here in Yamanaka Onsen in 1902. Even back then, this town was known for its sō-yu, a shared public bath that drew visitors from across Japan, creating a place where inns gathered and stories were exchanged. There’s a phrase in Japanese onsen culture, hadaka no tsukiai, that speaks to the unguarded bonds formed by bathing together. It’s a reminder that hot springs are not just places to relax, but spaces where differences fade and connection grows. Over the years, this spirit helped shape the unique culture of hot spring towns, a heritage that lives on in Yamanaka today through folk songs, dances, and craft traditions passed down through generations.

While embracing this deep-rooted onsen culture, Yamadaya stood out early on for something new: offering an indoor bath inside the inn itself – a rarity at the time. That quiet spirit of innovation is still part of who we are today. At Hanamurasaki, we honor tradition not by preserving it exactly as it was, but by reimagining it through a fresh, thoughtful lens keeping its essence alive while allowing it to evolve.

The name Hanamurasaki was inspired by the phrase sanshi suimei, coined by the Edo-period thinker Rai Sanyō. It evokes a timeless landscape: purple-tinged mountains, clear streams, valleys wrapped in quiet beauty. It reminds us of nature’s ever-changing form, and of how no moment is ever the same. From every room at Hanamurasaki, you can gaze out at the seasonal beauty of Yamanaka Onsen’s valleys. Like the view, each guest experience is unique; shaped by the moment, the season, and the people sharing it. To spend time here is to step away from the everyday and into something more – a space for connection, reflection, and the gentle joys of travel. The name Hanamurasaki speaks to those fleeting, beautiful moments we share with our guests.

PHILOSOPHY

In 2022, we began the renewal of the ryokan passed down to us by our ancestors. But rather than simply renovate, our hope was to express the essence of Japanese architecture, craftsmanship, cuisine, and tea culture in ways that speak to today, rooted in deep respect for the traditions that shaped them.

Many of the artisans we call Living National Treasures were once bold innovators of their time. What we call tradition is not something fixed. It’s built on ideas that were once new, on creativity that was brave enough to endure. We believe that true craftsmanship grows from honoring what came before while continuing to explore what’s next. At first glance, inheritance and innovation may seem like opposites, but we believe they are two parts of the same story.

The ryokan is a uniquely Japanese expression of hospitality. Within just one night, through two shared meals, guests are invited to experience the gentle rhythms of Japanese daily life. As part of our renewal, we created a tearoom within the ryokan, a small but meaningful space. In Japan, tea has long held a special place, connecting people and celebrating the everyday. We hope this room offers a moment to reconnect with something quietly enduring, even for those who may have forgotten its place in their own lives.

Ryokans are often called “regional showrooms,” and we feel deeply connected to the community around us. Hot spring towns like Yamanaka have long drawn poets, potters, calligraphers, and other artists who found inspiration in the healing waters and left behind works that still speak today. That spirit of creativity is something we want to nurture, too. We collaborate with contemporary craftspeople and artists, sharing their work with guests while supporting their journeys in return. Just as ryokans once served as creative retreats, we hope Hanamurasaki can be a meeting place for today’s artists, a place where something meaningful can begin. To us, this is the true charm of a ryokan: not just a place to stay, but a cultural salon.

SUSTAINABILITY

If we could leave behind just one thing for the next hundred years, we would hope it to be the spirit of Japanese culture itself: a quiet appreciation for nature and the passing of time, a heart that finds richness in the present moment, a sense of beauty not in extravagance but in simplicity, and gratitude for each encounter. The skills of the craftspeople who shaped this world, and the values that guided them, may take different forms as time goes on, but they are part of something deeply human, and deeply Japanese.

We hope that guests who visit Hanamurasaki, no matter where they’re from, will feel something of this spirit, and perhaps carry a part of it with them. And just maybe, they’ll add their own story to the thread that continues into the next hundred years.