Azumi Setoda

Azumi Setoda is a contemporary Japanese ryokan located on the tranquil island of Ikuchijima. The property occupies a 19th-century former home of a shipping and salt-farming family, now restored and converted to offer18 suites and four duplexes in a two-story pavilion. Suites and duplexes blend contemporary amenities with traditional ryokan aesthetic, dressed in raw materials such as cedar, cypress, traditional Japanese paper, and granite. Each room is equipped with a cypress wood bathtub, and offers a private garden or generous balcony overlooking the landscaped cedar-framed courtyard. At the hotel’s restaurant, food and drink is a simple yet refined affair featuring seasonal ingredients from the local area to embody the spirit of a family-run ryokan. Both a la carte and the house specialty omakase course is available. Other facilities include a multi-purpose garden room for meditation and a restored public bathhouse located across the road where locals and guests are invited to relax in lemon baths. Ikuchijima is a part of the archipelago of islands in Japan’s central Seto Inland Sea. It is linked by bridges on north and south ends to the Shimanami Kaido, a route that connects Onomichi and Imabari and all the islands in between. 

Why We Love This Hotel

Sense of Place: Azumi Setoda is proud of its roots. The contemporary ryokan is refitted into a former residence of a local merchant family, keeping the integrity of the original structure. It also uses earthenware donated by the family in its restaurant, highlights the island's locally-grown ingredients in its dishes, and even renovated the community's local bathhouse across the street.

Hospitality: An authentic albeit modern ryokan, Azumi Setoda cultivates a homey atmosphere through its selection of natural materials, attentive yet nonintrusive service, and home-style fare.

Destination
Naoshima & Seto Inland Sea Islands, Japan
Hotel Type
Boutique
Location Type
Remote

Amenities

  • 24hr Room Service
  • Concierge
  • Garden
  • Multilingual Staff
  • Restaurant
  • Safety Deposit Boxes
  • Wi-Fi In Public Areas
There are a total of 22 rooms of four room types housed in a two-story guest pavilion facing a framed courtyard. Rooms blend traditional ryokan comforts with contemporary amenities. Each room has a cypress bathtub and double beds that can be joined to form a king bed. Cedar, cypress, washi paper, and granite materials lend a natural, homey atmosphere. The granite floors feel cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In-room amenities include Bluetooth speakers, electric kettle, coffee and tea accessories, Haori jackets and sandals, safe, mini bar, and complimentary WiFi.
Niwa

Niwa

The focal point of the Niwa rooms is the small garden which can be enjoyed from every point in the room, with Yukimi shoji screens which are designed to be opened vertically. Niwa rooms are recommended for two guests.

Suzumi

Suzumi

These rooms are located on the second floor and feature a private balcony which can be enjoyed from the cypress bathtub, offering a semi-outdoors bathing experience. Suzumi rooms are recommended for two guests.

Sora-suzumi

Sora-suzumi

Sora-suzumi rooms offer two storeys with twin beds on the ground floor and tatami-matted leisure space above. The airy tatami room features a sunken table in the center and a spacious daybed on the balcony. Sora-suzumi rooms can comfortably accommodate up to three guests.

Niwa-suzumi

Niwa-suzumi

These premium rooms are similar to the two-storey Sora-suzumi rooms, with the addition of a garden on the ground floor and a spacious tatami room which can provide for up to three guests. This room type is best suited for families or large groups.

A renovated ryokan, the property is minimalist in facilities, though it offers a bathhouse across the street.

Yubune Bathhouse

Just across the street from Azumi Setoda is a community bathhouse that was lovingly restored by the hotel. Guests and local residents are welcome to use the facilities at this bathhouse. Facilities include indoor baths, sauna, cold bath, and special seasonal baths. After bathing, guests can enjoy the lounge which serves beer, non-alcoholic drinks, and light snacks.

Azumi Setoda offers an in-house restaurants where guests can partake in the specialty omakase course or choose amongst a la carte options.
Restaurant

Restaurant

Guests are encouraged to mingle at the wooden communal dining tables, surrounded by floor to ceiling glass offering views of the garden and courtyard. Private dining spaces are also available for a more intimate dining experience. The menu reflects locality, from locally sourced ingredients to earthenware donated by the Horiuchi family to the Japanese home-cooked-style fare.

Why Remote Lands?

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