Ryokan: Japan's Finest Spas and Inns Review

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(More customer reviews)The book is introducing 36 Ryokans throughout Japan.
13 for Tokyos area
6 for Kyoto, Nara and Kansai
7 for central Japan
4 for northern Japan
6 for southern Japan
One of the particularly well done features of the book are the exceptionally well written texts and a very sensitive introduction about the "Ryokan and Onsen Etiquette".
This 3 page introduction alone lists up cases which probably make up more than 80% of common pitfalls when "guests" are lacking the cultural background.
Years back I have been in those or similar situations myself and would have wished to have had such a quick rundown of what to do and what to better avoid. A few things that could be improved on the book.
1) Some pictures have homepage or newspaper like quality.
(low resolution picture zoomed up to a full page)
2) The introduced Ryokans should be numbered throughout the book as it was done on the map in the front.
3) More seasonal information should be included. Blossom of certain trees and flowers, festivals etc.
4) Perhaps a smaller sized edition would accommodate better for some of the lower quality pictures and would help making the book more portable.Summary:
With each single well crafted textual descriptions of the Ryokans you get invaluable sensitive introductions to Japans cultural background.
If you are going to Japan for business you will want to consider the book an investment into an cultural introduction.
The other above mentioned points are no deal breakers in an way, but are actually devalueing an another wise excellent book.
The book is highly recommended !!


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This book features Japanese inns, or ryokan, both old and new-from inns with a history dating back a thousand years to modern inns with the latest facilities that nonetheless capture the spirit of old Japan. Each of the properties has been handpicked by the authors for their strong design aesthetic, commitment to service and purity of their spring waters. The photographs showcase the resorts at their best, and accurately express the unique architectural design of each ryokan.Each chapter begins by introducing the area surrounding the inns and their spas, or onsen, and provides a background of its local history, culture and traditions, as well as the natural environment. The text provides information on the design and development of each ryokan, and descriptions of the owners and their clientele. For those planning a visit to an onsen, this book provides contact details and information on the number of rooms, type of facilities and food, as well as vital information on travel and booking procedures and whether English is spoken. For those fascinated by Japanese culture and design, this book is an absolute delight.

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The Hotel Book: Great Escapes Asia Review

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(More customer reviews)There are a number of books out there profiling the most luxurious hotels in Asia- this is one of my favorites. The book covers a good variety of hotels in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, India, Myanmar and a couple other countries. Well-known hotels like Amankila, Amanpulo, and Amanjiwo are profiled, but lesser known hotels make up the majority that are featured. The pictures are largely crisp and clear, something that can't be said for some other comparable books. Like other Taschen books, this book employs the multi-language formula where all editorial is written in several different languages. Some might find this annoying. Not a lot is written about the hotels either. Overall, a good effort.

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Find your inner ZenMuch more than a travel or holiday guide, Great Escapes Asia is first and foremost a paradisiacal photo album. Featuring opulent photographs of places that seem too perfect to be real, some of which look like James Bond movie sets or National Geographic subjects, this book will quickly convince you that an Asian sojourn is crucial to your mental and physical wellbeing. The icing on the cake is that not only do these hotels really exist, but—thanks to the pricing and contact information provided—you can succumb to their mysterious charms and book yourself a room (or houseboat, hut, or tree house, whatever the case may be).Among the gems waiting for you in Great Escapes Asia:• In Kerala, India, choose between luxurious tree houses suspended 25 meters off the ground or futuristic-looking, Star Wars-style houseboats made of bamboo poles, palm leaves, and coconut fibers• Are you more the resplendent-resort or budget-bungalow type? Find the best of both in Bali• The best place for a delectable cup of joe: a luxury lodge and spa on a java plantation in (you guessed it) Java• In the Philippines, an organic resort composed of superimposed huts whose every room affords instant access to the beach via rope ladder• Tadao Ando's sprawling minimalist concrete-and-steel hotel attached to the contemporary art museum in Naoshima, Japan—the perfect place to contemplate on the relationship between humans and nature• An exclusive hotel on a private island in Sri Lanka, once owned by Paul Bowles and frequented by Arthur C. Clarke and Peggy Guggenheim• Thatched-roof cottages in India whose gardens overflow with mangos, nutmeg, and cardamom• An Ayurvedic spa in the Himalayas where nothing matters but peace and relaxation• In Myanmar, an elegant river cruise boat and a hotel on a breathtaking archeological site• Chairman Mao's former getaway in Beijing, where you can rent his lavish, traditionally-decorated suite complete with adjoining concubine roomsCountries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam

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Love Hotels: The Hidden Fantasy Rooms of Japan Review

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(More customer reviews)I am of two minds on this book. On one hand, it is full of great fantasy-land photos representing a slice of Japan that I love; the bizarre, the outrageous, the unashamed blending of cute/sexy/violent and anything else that can be thrown into the mix. On the other hand, this book completely misrepresents what love hotels are, the purpose they serve in Japanese society, and pretty much every other aspect of this unique aspect of Japanese life. Anyone reading this book, then going to a love hotel in Japan, would be sorely disappointed.
I lived in Japan for many years, and during that time I went to many, many love hotels. The vast majority are nothing like these photographs, and the themed rooms are actually quite rare. If you notice, most of these photographs are from the same couple of establishments, Hotel Adonis, Hotel Loire and Hotel Snowman (not the actual name of the hotel, which is really Gang Snowman), because they are the few out of the thousands of hotels that offer these kinds of rooms. Most love hotels are...somewhat boring in décor. They are nice rooms, with lots of services such as free movies, karaoke and a big bathtub, which are usually cheaper to stay in than regular hotels. Yes, there are some outrageous love hotels, like the ones in this book, and those are the kind worth seeking out because they are so much fun, but they are hardly the norm.
The introduction to this book, by Natsuo Kirino, author of the book Out, is depressing and also misrepresentative of love hotels in Japan. She would have you believe that they are some sort of seedy place where men live out their dark fantasies while cheating on their wives and abusing women in general. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. Oh yes, there are those who use them as "cheating hotels", but all of my Japanese friends and co-workers, teachers and chefs, young and old, used love hotels without embarrassment. Why? Well, for one thing because Japanese houses are small, with thin walls and families often sleeping in the same room together. Privacy is a valuable commodity. For another reason, they are just fun. It is nice to get out of the house, out of the routine, and go with your partner and indulge in a love hotel for the night. People would chat at work at which hotels they liked, in the same way people swapped good restaurants. My wife and I stayed at a great love hotel for our anniversary, complete with private roof-top pool, huge bed and massive bath. It was fantastic.
On another note, in the introduction Kirino calls Japan "a land without religion" and blames that for the moral failing of the country. Japan is indeed a "land without Christianity", but that is not the same thing as being "without religion". I was quite shocked at how poorly she represented her native country, and with such spite and venom she discussed the Japanese people. I dearly hope no one takes her opinion as indicative of the country and its populace.
So, in other words, great photos and a nice look at the more bizarre and fringe love hotels, but no one should take this as representative of the industry or the country as a whole. Without Kirino's introduction, this would have been a much better book, buts its inclusion drags it down to a sad and misinformed level.

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Sex creates odd cultural conventions everywhere, but nowhere has an institution quite like the Japanese love hotel. To be rented by the hour for amorous liaisons, the theme rooms revealed in this provocative collection of photographs are steeped in fantasy, their elaborate décor ranging from simulated subway cars to religious bondage with much kink in between. These brash rooms are fascinating in themselves, but also present a window into a very classified aspect of this society. The foreword by best-selling author Natsuo Kirino and passages from hotel guest books lend humor and context to these 80 haunting room portraits, creating an astonishing document of sex and romance, public and private space in Japan.

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