ryokan, Asari, Otaru
Kuramure
Kuramure is a small ryotei in the hills of Asari above the port of Otaru, its rooms furnished with antiques and each with an onsen of its own, its bar open to every guest, and our Otaru house on The Summer Tour of Hokkaido and Pure Hokkaido.
Why stay at Kuramure
The bar is open to you
The bar is part of the stay, Yoichi whisky among its bottles.
An onsen to every room
Each room carries an onsen of its own, half open to the air.
Antiques throughout
Old chests, lamps and scrolls give every room a character of its own.
the setting
Quiet rooms, old things, and a bar that is yours.
Otaru grew rich on herring in the nineteenth century, and its canal of stone warehouses and its merchant mansions still show it. Kuramure stands apart from the town in the valley of Asari, among trees, a few minutes by car from the harbour.
At the door: the woods of the valley; the canal, the glass workshops and the sushi counters of Otaru a short drive below.
the house
Kuramure in photographs
A corridor of the ryotei A sitting corner by the window
Photographs: Kuramure
the rooms
The rooms and suites
The rooms are quiet and dim, in plaster, dark wood and old furniture, with low beds and windows onto the trees, and each has an onsen of its own, its glass open to the garden.
On The Summer Tour of Hokkaido every room is from the ryotei's upper categories or a suite, never the entry room.
to unwind
The onsen
Every room's onsen is half in the open air, set in stone under a window onto the trees, and the house keeps shared baths besides.
the table
Dining
Dinner is at the ryotei, a kaiseki of the Shakotan coast and the Hokkaido farms; on a night when sushi appeals more, your Tour Director arranges a counter in Otaru instead.
our tours here
The tours that stay at Kuramure
the place
Otaru
Otaru is a port town on Ishikari Bay, about forty minutes from Sapporo, whose canal and stone warehouses were built for the herring trade that made it rich.
questions
Questions about Kuramure
Where is Kuramure?
In the valley of Asari, in the hills above Otaru, about forty minutes by car from Sapporo.
Which of your tours stay at Kuramure?
The Summer Tour of Hokkaido and Pure Hokkaido, in The Private Collection stay here. Each tour page sets out the nights, the price and what is included.
Which rooms do you book at Kuramure?
On The Summer Tour of Hokkaido, every room is from the ryokan's upper categories or a suite, never the entry room.
Do the rooms at Kuramure have their own onsen?
Yes. Each room carries an onsen of its own, half open to the air, and there are shared baths besides.
Can Kuramure be part of a private journey?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, and Kuramure can be any night of it. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
Kuramure, on your dates.
The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, and Kuramure can be any night of it. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.