Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami — Hotel in Iki

Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami opened in 2018 after Onko Chishin bought out the property and extensively renovated it (I'm assuming "Murakami" is the name of the original owner as well as the property name.) It's located on the Northwest side of Iki Island, with commanding views of Yunomoto Bay - each of its 12 rooms face the Bay, all but the entry level "Corner Tatami Room" have Western beds, and each room has a private, open-air Onsen (straight from the source) bath on the deck. Speaking of Onsen, the hot spring turns gold in color upon being exposed to air, due to a high concentration of iron - this is not unlike the gold Onsen found in many parts of Arima Onsen near Kobe. Aside from in-room baths, Iki Retreat also has large, gender-segregated communal baths as well as a private bath that can be rented in 45 minute allotments. Guests looking for a unique Onsen experience in a remote part of the country will undoubtedly enjoy staying here.||The property itself is a hybrid ryokan/hotel type - while robes are provided in the room and can be worn throughout the property, they are more of a casual, "Samue" type of outfit.. it's far less stylish than a Yukata but more comfortable when wearing it. Like most small ryokans, Iki Kairi lacks a gym and pool. Unlike traditional ryokans, shoes don't come off until you get to the guestroom (similar to Fufu) and doesn't have a garden. This is compensated by the view of the ocean, which is reminiscent of Bouyourou, Sui Suwako, Migiwatei Ochi Kochi and the two Amane Resorts in Beppu. We stayed in the top category room, the Kairi Suite, which offers 120m² of indoor living space and the only one that features both a Japanese-style tatami room and a living room with couches (in addition to a separate bedroom.) No other rooms have a Western living room, so if the idea of sitting "on the ground" in a tatami room isn't to your liking, be sure to seek out the Kairi Suite.||For just one year - beginning on the day we arrived - Onko Chishin has collaborated with Kateigaho to redesign the Kairi Suite in a modern, Japanese-stylish way and have dubbed it the "Kateigaho Suite." Kateigaho is a renowned publication that caters to a high-end demographic and focuses on Japanese art, architecture, food, travel and fashion. The Kateigaho Suite in its current form will be in existence from June 16, 2023 to June 14, 2024. The main aspect worth mentioning are variety of decorative crafts and art by traditional Kyushu artisans, especially the wall exhibit of tea cups in the tatami room (guests are free to use them during their stay.) Overall, we felt the room was tastefully designed and furnished, with a nice blend of traditional and modern Japanese interior look and feel to it. Two things worth pointing out, for what it's worth: the bathroom has a men's urinal (in addition to a standard, Toto toilet), and - curiously - there is only one sink. Otherwise, what you see is what you get.||Iki is famous for its seafood, local produce as well as Iki Beef. The Genkai Sea and Tsushima Strait's waters are usually very rough, cold and has strong currents, meaning there are high concentrations of minerals and plankton, resulting in high quality seafood. Several species of Uni (Sea Urchin) as well as Abalone, Sazae (Turban Shell), Hiougi-gai (Noble Scallop) Kue (Longtooth Grouper) and Bluefin Tuna are among the delicacies that are caught daily in the surrounding area. The flat, arable land combined with its rich, volcanic soil results in Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Satsuma-imo (Japanese Sweet Potatoes) that are among the best that we've had anywhere. Finally, Iki Beef is not a household name, but only because they don't produce enough quantity of the meat to export it widely. But my own experience suggests that it does live up to the hype - I'd put it alongside Kobe, Matsusaka, Omi, Tajima, Hida and Miyazaki on the Mt. Rushmore of Wagyu.||As is the case with Setouchi Retreat Aonagi (save for guests staying at the Aonagi Suite, which get in-room dining service), at Iki Retreat it's counter dining, except for one group of guests that are served in a "Koshitsu" (private dining room.) The Koshitsu is intended for use for families with small children, but since there were no kids during our time at Iki Retreat, we requested the Koshitsu and were able to have both of our dinners and breakfasts there. Our first dinner was Kaiseki, while it was a mix of Teppanyaki and European-influenced cuisine on the second evening. This allowed enough variation in the cooking methods and flavoring such that it felt that we dined at two completely different types of restaurants. That said, on both nights there were copious amounts of Uni, Abalone, Fish and Beef dishes, which was paradise for us. If Uni is not your thing, then I encourage you to try fresh, sweet "Aka Uni" - the texture and taste is not at all similar to what you'll find at most sushi restaurants, especially in the U.S. Why is that? Because Uni goes bad very quickly, and preservatives are added to them, resulting in a dramatically reduced Umami factor and adding a dose of fishi-ness that is not found in the top-quality Uni that is caught on the same day and never frozen.I realize that Uni is not to everyone's taste, but before you emphatically decide "never again!," at least give fresh, high-end Iki (or Hokkaido or Amakusa) Uni before passing final judgment.||Part of the purpose of traveling to various regions of the country (think Lombardy vs. Tuscany vs. Sicily) is to experience the local delicacies and culinary history, and in that respect, Iki Kairi hit the spot. And yes, some of the dishes were among the most memorable offerings that we've had the privilege of experiencing. It's also hilarious when hearing about various brands (or sub-brands) of various ingredients. For example, the cherry tomatoes were called "Mama Nakase," which stands for "making mom cry." Legend has it that the tomatoes are so sweet that the children would gorge on the tomatoes and cause their mothers to cry. I'm not sure if it's because of the high price tag, or due to there being no tomatoes left for mom to eat :) Regardless, these tomatoes were so sweet that we had to ask several times whether they added syrup to sweeten it. After our third inquiry, the head chef himself came over to our Koshitsu to refute our suspicions.||Regarding Iki itself, it's probably not the first (or tenth) location that I'd recommend people to visit. It's paradise for history buffs, however - Harunotsuji Archeological Site is one of the three most significant excavation sites from the country's "Yayoi" period (300 B.C. to 300 A.D.), and the museum nearby is also worthy of a visit. They've also rebuilt some of the structures to give a taste of what the area may have looked like during its heyday. Iki also calls home to some of the major "Kofun" (Japanese-tyle Tumuli/Tombs) in the country, and nearby is the Kurosaki Battery Site, a major gun battery that was built with the purpose of firing at enemy ships during WWII (although it was never used.) It is right next to "Saruiwa" (Monkey Rock), an interesting formation that is reminiscent to our primate cousins from certain angles. Kojima Shrine is an esoteric site that is hidden within a tiny islet in Iki island’s Uchime Bay, and is only accessible during low tides. Finally, since the "Ajisai" (Hydrangea) were in full bloom, we paid a visit to the Ajisai Park, a relaxing place that's free to visit and has a nice cafe on site.||One of Iki's advantages has to do with tourists, or lack thereof. There just aren't that many guest rooms on the island, and isn't well known to even many Japanese. Therefore, even during peak season or on weekends, it's blissfully uncrowded - we had very low levels of stress during our entire time there. Also, it's only a one hour jetfoil ride from Hakata Port in Fukuoka (15 minutes by taxi from Fukuoka Airport), or 90 minutes from Karatsu in Saga Prefecture. Iki can also be accessed via a (very) short flight from Nagasaki Airport or Fukuoka Airport. I'd strongly recommend visitors to rent a car, as buses are infrequent, and taxis are few and far in between. We rented from Budget Rent A Car, and a representative waited for us (with a sign board) at Iki's Ashibe Port. And within minutes, we were off to explore the island.||While Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami isn't in my top ten list of Japan's luxury ryokans, I don't feel it needs to be. It's sufficiently unique and memorable (especially the Onsen and food), and to have such a high-end property in such a remote tourist destination is definitely a blessing for vacationers that are accustomed to the highest level of comfort, cuisine...

We stayed at Iki Retreat while on Iki Island. It’s a Modern ryokan with large rooms and excellent staff. ||The staff were excellent from the minute we arrived. Warmest in greeting and there was a gentleman who spoke English who helped with check in formalities. ||Our room on the second floor was the junior suite. It had two bedrooms, an outdoor tub, living room and one shared toilet plus an en-suite toilet. ||We decided to take the room with the en-suite toilet and shower. The bed was just the right firmness, but the quilt was a winter quilt. Super hot for this period. Rooms have split unit air cons.||All rooms face the sea. Chairs are arranged by the window for you to enjoy the view with a tasty beverage.||The drinks in the fridge were complimentary. There’s also tea making hot water flask available in the room. ||The toilet was small but contained all the usual Japanese functionality. Warm toilet seats and electronically operated sprays for one’s bum area. ||We had a single sink in a compact area. Lots of amenities available in the drawer. Typical for Japanese ryokans, all bathing and face washing soaps and gels are available in the room. ||My wife tried the outdoor bath. It’s filled with water from the onsen and it’s super hot at 48 degree celcius. She quite enjoyed the experience. The second toilet and sink is placed here. There’s an outdoor shower.||There is a small Gym in the basement, I spied two cardio machines and a pull up bar. The onsen spa is also placed in the basement. ||If you’d like Coffee, this can be had in the reading room, on the opposite side of the restaurant. ||The Restaurant serves excellent kaiseki dinners and a very filling breakfast. We had really delicious meals here. ||The staff are very friendly and helpful. They are observant and will try to anticipate your next ask. Eg. They passed me some serviettes before I asked for it, and they were very good at keeping our drinks topped up. We asked to change dinner timing and booked a cab through the hotel and this was done efficiently and we were kept informed. ||Overall, a great stay here and I would highly recommend...

I chose Iki Island because it is known for beef, uni, marine/beach activities and onsen. Kairi Murakami rooms all face beautiful water views. Upon entry, the lobby is wide and has a panoramic view of the water. All the staff are super friendly and helpful. My room had both a tatami room and a western bedroom. Electrical outlets in the tatami room are not as plentiful as in the western bedroom. There is no internet in the guestrooms, only WiFi in the lobby and dining. Loved the sitting area in either room with the window open and enjoying the nice ocean breeze. ||Meals are taken downstairs at either the Japanese dining room or Naomi for western food. The food is absolutely fantastic. I had Iki beef, uni, abalone, squid at every meal practically. Fresh seafood is amazing. You will not go hungry here. The main dinner entree options include sukiyaki-don, more sashimi, curry, rice with egg, rice porridge. Western breakfast is a little lighter than Japanese breakfast. ||The onsen has indoor and outdoor baths. The outdoor bath often felt hotter than the indoor one. The water is rich with iron and has no sulphur smell. I had the onsen to myself almost every time I went down. Great place to relax. ||Iki is probably best seen by rental car. It is easy to navigate with Navi and the max speed limit is 50kmph. The property offers pickup for a fee. There is not much to do immediately around the property. Iki has a rich history from ancient times, including the oldest shrine in Japan and Yayoi period ruins. The island isn't over-run by tourists at all, very peaceful place to enjoy leisurely. The property had a group of guests one night with a young child who was a little noisy. There is no laundry facility but the staff can do laundry for you as a courtesy. Wonderful visit in every way--food, onsen,...