Arcana Izu — Hotel in Izu

While we love traditional ryokans that offer delectable kaiseki fare, there's something special about relaxing at an onsen property that offers up great Japanese-European fusion cuisine. Arcana does a wonderful job merging the best aspects of Japanese and Western food, decor and hospitality.||||Tucked away in a quaint area along the picturesque and serene Kano River in the heart of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Arcana is surrounded by nature, and blends in nicely to its environment. Its architecture is a small modern European resort-style in appearance, and the interior of the rooms and common areas are airy and are arranged in a way that lets in an abundance of natural light. ||||It's a very small boutique ryokan that lacks a common area or lobby - there are just a few buildings that contain the rooms, as well as a separate building where the restaurant is located. That's it.||||We stayed in "The Suite," the top category room at Arcana, and while it was sufficiently spacious at 86.4m², and was comfortable and clean, it wasn't quite as "wow"-inducing as some other rooms we've stayed in (many of them measuring well over 100 square meters in size.) It's also an open plan, where the bedroom and living room are not separated, which is a minus if you need to get some work done while your significant other wants to take a nap. Still, the contemporary furnishings and the very large windows (with views of the river below and the valley beyond) really provides for a tranquil setting that is incredibly relaxing.||||On top of that, the outdoor rotenburo (outdoor Onsen hot springs bath) was located on the deck with great views of the river (and forest beyond), and was a great place to chillax to the max.||||For what it's worth, we were given a tour of some of the other rooms at Arcana, and they are similar in decor and layout - just smaller in size, but still with the incredible views of the river.||||The real star of Arcana is definitely the food. It's right up there with the best restaurants that Tokyo (and Paris and Rome) have to offer. The chef is famously talented, and has many proteges that have moved onto becoming well renowned in their own right (including Sankara Hotel in Yakushima, which also has incredible food.) An abundance of wonderful ingredients from the land and Sea, combined with the talented and passionate kitchen staff at Arcana, results in a Japanese-Western fusion experience that is unlike any other. Many of the dishes are created for one season, and then is never made ever again - they're that innovative - they want to move on and continue to experiment. And they do that with amazing results.||||While many of the courses are European-inspired, at its heart the cuisine is still very Japanese. Some dishes are enjoyed with a spoon or fork/knife, while others are to be consumed via chopsticks. And the sauces are fused with various forms of Dashi, giving it the sort of Umami-abundant (but still not heavy) flavoring that we often find lacking in European food (especially seafood.)||||Breakfast was also a major delight. The fresh salad was complemented by wasabi that you grate yourself, then mix with a wonderful mayonnaise-based dressing, giving it a flavorful yet slightly tart taste. There was also an amazing hearty soup for breakfast that was based on lettuce and whitebait, and included grilled lotus roots, olives and other seasonal vegetables. Yes, it was every bit as mouth-watering as it sounds.||||Overall, we spent 3 nights at 3 different ryokans during this trip, with Arcana sandwiched in the middle. It was a perfect arrangement - Washoku (Japanese) / Fusion / Washoku. I'd encourage others to do the same, and you can't go wrong in choosing Arcana...

We returned to Arcana a mere seven months after our first stay... that in itself says something, because we rarely - if ever - visit the same place twice. The property itself is in a stunning locations, and all rooms feature picturesque views of the river and valley below and the mountain and forests beyond. The rooms are comfortable, and all of them have their own Onsen hot springs bath. It's all good when staying here, but it doesn't stand out when compared to other top-flight luxury ryokans in Japan (and even the Izu area.) The reason to stay here is for the food.||||As we were a party of four, we booked two rooms - "The Suite" (the same room we stayed in last time), and one of the River Wing Suites. "The Suite" is the top room category at Arcana, and while it's a comfortable place to relax and unwind, at just over 85 square meters it is not particularly spacious when compared to the best rooms elsewhere. The River Wing Suite is slightly less roomy at 75 square meters. Again, nothing to sneeze at, but if you're looking for massive, villa-style accommodations, you won't find it at Arcana. Still, it's tastefully furnished and decorated, has all of the amenities that one would expect in a ryokan of this caliber, and the setting will lower just about anyone's heart rate by a few notches. Two nitpicks: first off, there is no TV in the room. While I understand and appreciate Arcana's philosophy and ethos, I disagree with being forced on us without offering us a choice. It turns out that my mother-in-law is not a "streaming" person, doesn't carry a laptop PC, and likes watching "standard" TV programs. After a few hours in the room, she became thoroughly bored. Secondly, Arcana's age shows in a few small areas. The bathroom and shower tiles look like they're from the turn of the century - Arcana is not a historic or traditional property, so it needs to keep up with the times, and renovate frequently. While they've done a decent job keeping the look fresh and well maintained, I feel that they're a bit overdue for a refresh of their lower category rooms.||||All of the minor annoyances quickly evaporate once you get seated at the dining table in the restaurant. As an Auberge property that serves fusion Japanese-French cuisine, Arcana has no peer. It's simply a spectacularly lavish and unforgettable affair. The menu changes seasonally (unless you stay for consecutive days or return during the same season, in which case they'll definitely alter the menu for you), and once it's over, the executive chef will NEVER offer the same dishes ever again. He's so confident in his ability to tinker with ingredients that he's always looking ahead, and never backwards. This speaks to his magical ability to dream up super creative offerings that will astound you.||||As spectacular as the dinner was, in some ways breakfast was even more noteworthy - it's generally much more difficult to differentiate breakfasts, but at Arcana, they put out all the stops to give you a taste of things you've never had before. They say pictures tell a thousand words, so take a look at the photos (and read my description of each dish) to tell the rest of the story.||||If you're going to stay at a traditional luxury ryokan in Izu or Hakone, a combination with Arcana is a fantastic way to enjoy a different take on the meticulous, Japanese way of preparing seasonal, local, unique cuisine at its...

Arcana Izu is a small contemporary styled ryokan in a somewhat secluded location. There are other residential buildings close by, but as the building faces a river and forest, it feels fairly remote. ||||We did not drive and took the shinkansen from Tokyo station, then transferring at Mishima station to a local line. Though we do not speak Japanese, we felt the commute was fairly easy. Once at Shuzenji station, one can either take a taxi or the local bus. We weren’t in a rush and decided to take the local bus instead. ||||As it’s a small property with only a small number of rooms, so it’s very quiet. What we love most about the property is the quietness, the in-room onsen (which we went several times a day) and the food. Dinner came in small but rich portions. We are fairly small eaters, so we felt the food was more than sufficient for us. As the food was rich, at one point in time, we even told the chef to make the portions even smaller for us. However, if you love big portions, not sure if the portions here may be a little small for you. I’m sure it could be something you could inform the chef (about). ||||It’s pricy staying at this establishment, at ~US$750 upwards a night, but if you take into account the quality of food (Michelin level type quality, refinement, taste and plating), the excellent service, contemporary room, with all the usual 5-star hotel amenities and in-room onsen, I feel its well worth the cost. What we found expensive were the wines, which can be more expensive than what you would find in similar Tokyo restaurants. Would urge the management to review the individual wine and pairing prices.||||Would we go back again? Yes, but the next time, we would probably opt to drive there, so we can explore the other parts of the Izu Peninsula. ||||++++++++++++++++++||||Highlights||+ Somewhat secluded location||+ Bed is a comfortable western-style bed (we don’t appreciate the traditional tatami style beds)||+ Breakfast and dinner were delicious, using local produce||+ Private in-room onsen||+ Japanese hospitality and service||||Lowlights||- No real activities close by, if you don’t have a car||||Traveler Tips||= Best for couples, for a romantic time.||= Would suggest staying for 2 nights, as due to the commute there, one night would seem too rushed.||= This is not the accommodation for you, if you like your day to be filled with activities. There isn’t much to do other than relax, unwind, soak in the onsen, dream, spend quality time with your love one… Bring a good book, colouring book, etc if required.||= Also, if you like to socialize with other travelers, this is not the accommodation for you. ||= Would suggest carrying a small luggage (cabin size) if taking public transport, as it’s easier to maneuver up and down train platforms. Sometimes the elevators and escalators are hard to find or too far away, thus a smaller bag is easier to carry...