On the Atsumi Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, Kakujoro is an historic, family-owned Japanese inn. It is set on a coast known for its wild-caught torafugu (tiger pufferfish), high-quality fruit, and early-blooming seasonal flowers.
Opened at the start of the Shōwa era in the former port town of Fukue, this Michelin-recognized, beautifully preserved ryokan — together with its nearly 200-year-old annex — is designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Asset of Japan. The two buildings balance traditional craftsmanship with modern comforts, creating a place that feels storied but never stuffy.
This is not a base for ticking off sights. It’s a retreat built around the spirit of nonbiri: slowing down, settling in and enjoying exactly where you are.
What’s the ryokan like?
Kakujoro calls itself nagomi no yado — an inn of calm and ease — and it very much lives up to the name. The journey into Japanese aesthetics actually begins right at Mikawa-Tahara Station, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, before settling into the rhythm of Fukue town.
As you step through the red-and-white curtains, it’s clear this is not an ordinary ryokan. The scent of old timber drifts through warm, amber-lit corridors. Kawara roof tiles frame views of the Japanese garden outside. Grandfather clocks mark the passing of time, while ceramic cats big and small watch from nooks and crannies. (The resident cats may also be prowling about, if you’re lucky.)
The building dates back to 1926, and it carries itself with confidence. Where many historic ryokan have faded or fallen into disrepair, Kakujoro still feels grand — not frozen in time, but maintained and constantly upgraded with care and intention.
The building has 10 rooms, with the largest room, maisonette-style, able to accommodate up to six guests.
Just two minutes away stands Izutsuro, its Edo-period annex, built in the mid-1800s as the only hatago or Edo-period lodging on the Atsumi Peninsula.
Izutsuro houses eight palatial rooms that, again, balance the traditional and modern. Classic wood furnishings and handmade glass windows coexist with sleek white bathtubs and contemporary art — Keith Haring, handpicked by the ryokan proprietor Junji Uemura.
What facilities does the ryokan have?
Kakujuro is a traditional onsen ryokan — a Japanese inn with hot springs.
The inn’s public bath, gender-segregated and split into indoor and outdoor baths, is supplied by healing waters from Irago Hot Spring. The source was discovered just a few years ago, so the bathtubs and showering spaces are pristine.
Note that tattoos are not allowed in the public baths. However, you can always get some solid soaking time in your private bath. Most rooms at the two properties come with private baths fed not by the hot spring, but water pumped from underground.
Guests can expect fast Wi-Fi, automatic doors, coffee machines in the rooms, modern bathrooms and Japanese-inflected or wafu-style low beds.
Between 3 and 5 p.m. each evening, happy hour takes place in the dining room, offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in addition to snacks. There is also a large, tatami-covered hall for yoga sessions in the annex (extra charge), which guests at Kakujoro can also use.
A free shuttle plies from Mikawa Tahara Station and Irago Port at set times (reservations required).
Additionally, Kakujoro has several friendly foreign staff members, who can provide service in English (availability may vary).
What are the rooms like?
The rooms are the kind of spaces you want to linger in, and they offer much more than a decent place to rest your head. They’re tastefully decorated and plush without feeling precious. In short, it takes real effort to convince yourself to leave.
Expect real wooden floors, decorative alcoves, handcrafted shoji screens and soft, gentle lighting. Some rooms feature kotatsu (heated tables) and open onto garden views.
Despite the Showa-era setting, the comforts are thoroughly modern. Climate control is excellent, and the bathrooms — not shared — are sleek and contemporary. The lighting is thoughtfully designed for reading, writing or simply lying around.
Are the rooms comfortable?
Very. The beds are generous and supportive, and the rooms are warmly insulated, with plenty of natural light. The entire premises remains wonderfully quiet at night. The combination of old timber and modern construction creates a cocooning calm that makes sleep come easy.
As mentioned, most of the rooms also come with outdoor bath tubs, controlled by an easy-to-use panel where you can calibrate the temperature.
What’s the view like?
Depending on the room, you may look out over a small garden or the surrounding, kawara tile-topped buildings. The area directly around the hotel — the erstwhile port town — is quiet and residential.
What about meals?
As with most ryokan, staying at Kakujoro without meals would mean missing out on an essential part of the experience. Dinner and breakfast follow the traditions of kaiseki dining, showcasing fresh local produce and regional cooking.
Between October and March, meals become especially indulgent thanks to the addition of tiger pufferfish, the local speciality and one of Japan’s most famous delicacies. While fugu is known for its lethal toxin, only fully certified chefs are allowed to prepare it in Japan. You can enjoy it here with peace of mind — we lived to tell the tale.
Ryokan are not generally known for being flexible with menus, but Kakujoro is unusually accommodating. Because the kitchen is built around making the most of local, seasonal ingredients, the team is able to adapt dishes for different dietary needs without losing the spirit of the meal. The ryokan can cater for vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and halal guests.
For halal meals, dishes are prepared in the same kitchen and using the same utensils as non-halal food, but staff take care to minimize cross-contamination through thorough cleaning and washing.
If you have specific requirements, as always, it’s best to let the ryokan know in advance.
How is the location?
Kakujoro is not somewhere you stumble upon by accident.
The ryokan is located in Fukue, a former port town on the Atsumi Peninsula near Tahara in Aichi Prefecture.
- From Nagoya, it takes about 2 hours to get there.
- From Tokyo, it takes around 3 hours total.
- From Toba, right across Ise Bay, it’s only about an hour by ferry, and then a short shuttle or taxi ride.
How do I get there by train?
From Tokyo, take the bullet train to Toyohashi Station, then continue on local lines towards Mikawa-Tahara Station. From the station, transfer by taxi or shuttle. There are also local buses that get you in the vicinity, but these may have limited departures.
There is also a shuttle from Port Irago, which is handy if you’re coming from Mie, home to Ise Shrine.
What’s the surrounding area like?
Fukue is quiet, and the Atsumi Peninsula itself is not dense with headline sights. Like other scenic peninsulas in Japan — think Izu or the Boso Peninsula in Chiba — this area enjoys slightly warmer weather, which also translates to gorgeous views and produce. In fact, nearby Tahara is celebrated as Japan’s most prolific producer of flowers.
If you have access to a car, it’s worth stopping by the nearby roadside station (Mekkun House) for fresh produce, local jams, honey and fish products.
For a view with some coffee, the café space at Irago Resort and Convention Hotel offers incredible scenery, the blue of the ocean blending into the blue of the sky.
The peninsula is also known for its beaches and surf breaks, making it a low-key destination for surfers.
From January to March, farms open their greenhouses for strawberry picking, while melon picking runs from June through September.
Early bloomers arrive in winter too: fields of bright yellow nanohana (rapeseed) start flowering in January, and Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms follow in late January and February, bringing color to the coastline long before the rest of Japan’s sakura season begins.
Who should stay here?
Kakujoro is ideal for travelers who:
- Want a true ryokan experience, with regional delicacies and modern comforts
- Love historic buildings and old objects
- Enjoy rural Japan and small-town life
Kakujoro suits couples, solo travellers and families alike. On our visit, we saw several intergenerational groups staying to mark special occasions.
It’s a great choice if you’re looking to break up a fast-paced itinerary between Tokyo and the Kansai region, which includes Kyoto and Osaka, with a stay that’s genuinely restorative. This is the kind of place where you can catch a break from the shrine-hopping and scramble-chasing, and give your 10,000-steps-a-day feet a proper reset.
The location also makes practical sense if you’re continuing on to Toba and Ise, home to Ise Grand Shrine. From the Atsumi Peninsula, the Isewan Ferry crosses Ise Bay directly to Toba in about 55–60 minutes, with several departures a day (a one-way ride costs under ¥2,000). Traveling by train costs more (around ¥3,500), takes significantly longer at around 2.5 hours, and involves at least a couple of tricky transfers.
What sustainability measures do they have?
As a heritage property, preservation is part of sustainability. The ryokan prioritizes careful maintenance of its historic buildings, and food is sourced locally.
Tips and tricks for the best stay
- Consider renting a car to explore the surrounding area fully
- Reserve the shuttle at the time of booking if you’re not driving
- Bring a book or journal — this is a place ideal for reflection and lazing around