The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan's Finest Ryokan and Onsen (Paperback)

by Akihiko Seki (Author, Photographer), Elizabeth Heilman Brooke (Author)
Key Phrases: onsen ryokan, min flight, min drive, Kona Besso, Araya Totoan, The Kayotei Inn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The lavish photos of inns and hot springs collected in this book will provide homeowners with a wealth of inspiration.

With more than 250 color photographs, this is essential for anyone interested in luxury Japan. Each chapter discusses an extravagant inn, its local history, and its cultural traditions. Each of the properties has been handpicked by the author for their strong design aesthetic. The lodgings pictured here will bring a flush of new ideas to home decorators across the world.


About the Author
Akihiko Seki has managed aircraft, electronics and satellite projects in areas including London, Nairobi, Los Angeles, Singapore and Bangkok. He has also traveled all over Asia in search of the ultimate healing and relaxation experience. American writer and editor Elizabeth Heilman Brooke lives in Japan and is an ardent student of Japan's natural and cultural heritage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080483671X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804836715
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #504,693 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes A Good Guidebook, June 6, 2009

By	Ronin - See all my reviews

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 Tokyo
2) Kyoto & Nara
3) Central Japan
4) Northern Japan
5) Southern Japan

I 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.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for inspiration, November 5, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

THE JAPANESE SPA: A GUIDE TO JAPAN'S FINEST RYOKAN AND ONSEN provides a color survey of lovely Japanese spas. Perfect for inspiration to any who either wish to visit Japan or model a home redecoration after Japanese tradition.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Tatami - Not a lot of Onsen, July 29, 2008

By	W. Berry (Okinawa, Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lots of pictures in this book, but most are of the inside of the ryokans, tatami rooms, and scenery. Not a whole lot of pictures of the onsen's.