"A ryokan is as much a cultural tradition as it is a hotel category, and in a tradition that’s been refined through centuries of attention, what’s needed is not so much a bold vision as a meticulous dedication to the tiniest details. And Araya Totoan, in the mountains of Ishikawa Prefecture, is as meticulous as they come. Designing a room with views and natural light is one thing; it’s another to orchestrate the way shadows will be cast by a spindly flowering plant onto the wall behind it, how the colors of the woods outside will reflect off a puddle-shaped glass table in a darkened room, or how light will peek through the narrow slits of a bamboo screen." - Tablet Hotels
