Where the mist settles, the day slows down.
A ryokan in the mountains of Japan
Twelve rooms, a mountain-fed bath and a kitchen that follows the season — ninety minutes from Tokyo, a world away from it.
Fig. 01 — The entrance at dusk, after rain
Kiri Valley — a fictional demo property
01 — Philosophy
Few things, carefully made. A bath drawn from the mountain, a table set by the season, a room that opens onto the garden — and very little else.
KIRI is a twelve-room retreat on a cedar-lined slope above a quiet mountain lake. One family has kept the house since 1952, adding only what quiet allows: timber, stone, linen and light.
12
Rooms, suites & villas
1952
Kept by one family
90
Minutes from Tokyo
Fig. 02 — The north room, late afternoon
Fig. 03 — The moss garden after rain
03 — Wellness
Water drawn from the mountain.
Two open-air baths and two indoor baths are fed by a spring above the house. Come at dawn, when the steam meets the mist, or late in the evening, when the lanterns are lit and the garden is quiet.
Baths
Open 5 am – midnight
Water
Spring-fed, 42 °C
Treatments
Shiatsu and bath rituals
04 — Dining
A table set by the season.
Dinner is a slow sequence of small courses from the mountains, the lake and the farms below the house. The menu changes every few weeks; this is what the kitchen is cooking now.
01
Mountain greens with sesame
02
Clear dashi with autumn mushrooms
03
Lake trout, yuzu and shiso
04
Charcoal-grilled river fish
05
Clay-pot rice, miso and pickles
06
Chestnut sweet and roasted tea
Wellness
The Evening Bath Ritual
Steam, cypress and cold mountain water: a guided sequence through the outdoor baths at dusk.
Daily, 5 – 7 pm
60 minutes
Complimentary
Nature
Forest Bathing
A slow, guided walk through the cedar forest above the house, ending with tea in a clearing.
Mornings, April – November
2 hours
¥8,000 per guest
Culture
Tea in the North Room
An unhurried introduction to whisked tea with our tea master, using bowls made in the valley.
Afternoons
45 minutes
¥6,000 per guest
“
The quietest three days I have had in years. We arrived tired and left without noticing when that changed.
Claire M.
London, United Kingdom
Engawa Suite
“
Dinner was a slow conversation with the season. Every plate felt considered, never fussy.
Daniel & Mia R.
Melbourne, Australia
Garden Room
“
The bath at dusk, the mist in the morning, the lantern left by the door. Small things, done perfectly.
Sofia L.
Milan, Italy
Villa Kasumi
