Shuzenji Onsen Kikuya

Shuzenji Onsen Kikuya is a distinguished traditional ryokan in Shuzenji Onsen, the oldest and most atmospheric hot spring resort on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, whose origins are attributed to the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi who is said to have struck the riverbed with his staff to release hot spring waters for the benefit of a sick traveler in the early 9th century, establishing a sacred and therapeutic spring tradition that has endured for over twelve centuries in this bamboo-shaded valley of Izu's forested interior. Shuzenji Temple, whose beautiful precincts preserve the tranquil atmosphere of a living religious site amid the resort, is associated with the tragic story of the young shogun Minamoto no Yorishige who was murdered here in 1193 in a story of political intrigue immortalized by the playwright Okamoto Kido in his Kabuki drama Shuzenji Monogatari, adding literary and historical resonance to the village's natural and spiritual beauty. The mild bicarbonate thermal waters flowing through the Kikiya ryokan's elegant traditional bath facilities, combined with the bamboo forest atmosphere, the sound of the Katsura River, and the traditional kaiseki cuisine of an Izu mountain inn, deliver one of Japan's most complete and refined classical hot spring ryokan experiences in a valley of exceptional natural and cultural depth.