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Genmyoan Cafe
With our matchless view, what better place for a steaming, well-brewed cup of coffee or tea? ¥500 a cup -- call ahead please
About Genmyoan
The ancient inhabitants of this scenic length of the coast, fascinated by the shape of Amanohashidate land bridge, had a tale to explain where it came from. Up in the heavens, the gods and goddesses had made a ladder for their descents to earth. One night as they slept above the clouds, the ladder slid down to earth and became the land bridge. "Amanohashi" indeed means "heaven�fs bridge." From the high perspective of Genmyoan, Amanohashidate�fs form is sinuous, like a thick snake or dragon.Seeing it against the blue sea-water, our ancestors thought of a dragon in the sky, and so it is that the view of the land bridge from Mt. Genmyo was called the "Flying Dragon View." The guest rooms and baths at Genmyoan are very good vantage points for appreciating the view that evoked this image. In spring we serve icefish; summer�fs menu features tori clams, autumn brings matsutake mushrooms, and winter of course is crab season. We prepare our noted Kyoto Kaiseki with the most flavorful ingredients for each season. Each course that arrives in your room is worked up from scratch, starting with the best materials. With meals served in your room or in our banquet room, the grand view becomes part of your dining enjoyment. It adds pleasure to your bath as well, to look out from the piping hot water over the panorama of town, trees, mountains, and sea.
The Essence of Service
Service is the way we connect with the guest to make the stay more of a pleasure. There is service that your eye sees taking place, and service your eye does not witness?and that will be more important, for it encompasses the thousand details that, done right, add up to a seamlessly smooth and enjoyable stay.
The Origins of Genmyoan
The hill location of Genmyoan Ryokan, and the name itself, have interesting histories. In 1393 the shogun Ashikaga came on a pilgrimage to an area shrine and was greatly moved by the view from this hill. A feudal retainer, Lord Ishiki, thereupon suggested the name "Genmyo" for the spot, as it means a feeling of beyond the earthly and ordinary. When Genmyoan Ryokan was founded by the current proprietor�fs grandfather in 1937, the idea came naturally of creating an atmosphere in which one�fs everyday life and cares could be left behind. The inn has drawn over its history a long roster of distinguished guests, from the Imperial family, through statesmen, actors, artists, and literary figures. Artistic treasures are on view, too: scrolls painted by Oeyama Onitaiji; haiku poems from the hand of Kawahigashi Heikigoto; and prints by Yamashita Kiyoshi, a woodblock artist of international stature. Artists in many media have wanted to convey the charm of the location, noticed by the shogun so many centuries ago.
Our Inn�fs Facilities
Our hill-top inn looks out upon the sea, the sky, the curving wooded coast of the bay, and the famous sight of Amanohashidate land bridge. There is a world of charm inside the inn as well: the warmth of natural wood, the refinement and sense of past evoked by tea-house craftsmanship. The location, views, and design surround the guest with an atmosphere of by-gone elegance. The scent of nature in the softly flowing sea breeze quietly reaches the body and the spirit.
