Hotel Sakan Shoan

Style. Charming older hotel Setting. My first stay in Miyagi, Sakan Shoan is a scenic dreamy place, hidden in a quiet corner just 8 minutes from the town center or 40 minutes to the Sendai station, an inn cocooned in expansive grounds covering 10000 square meters Explore. Matsushima archipelago with 260 pine covered islands that famously protected the area during the 2011 tsunami. Rooms. Small inn with just 11 rooms. I was in blissfully quiet Syouro room, with a perfect view of the peaceful bay, it felt like peering out of a Japanese painting. Very comfortable room with deep wooden bathtub, & a wraparound balcony — best to just sit & enjoy sounds of the lapping waves and birdsongs @ the hotel. read that Shoan is run by the Sakan family, now the 33rd generation of Sakan innkeepers. This is such a special place, yet I had the ofuro and the morning walks to myself Food & drinks. Pretty kaiseki served in the dining room downstairs. I crashed after dinner, woke up around 11 pm. Then went to their old school bar —Salon Kura, had a whiskey, again had the place to myself Prices. $648 half board for two Rating. 5/5 happy escape

Matsushima is one of the Three Most Scenic Spots of Japan, alongside Miyajima and Amanohashidate. It was called this during the Edo period. It is known for having enchanted the famous Matsuo Basho, but the beauty of this place has been spoken of even further back, all the way back to the Manyo period. Indeed, the scenery of the islands floating in Matsushima Bay immediately captivates anyone who sees it. There is no greater luxury than enjoying this spectacular view from your room. This detached inn in Oni is far from the hustle and bustle of tourist destinations, and the elegant scenery reflected in the frame of your window jumps into your eyes. The tranquil sea with its floating islands is so close you can almost reach out and touch it, and gazing at it will make you feel as if you have transcended time and space. Before dinner, head outside the inn and stroll along the promenade towards the depths of the cape. Stroll through nature surrounded by trees and wild birds. To be able to see it without leaving your home is Once you step into the guest room Eventually you'll reach a small terrace. You can experience this from your guest room. Another view different from the view of Scenery. With the gentle sea breeze on my cheeks Well, it's nice to relax for a while. In the evening, you will be enchanted by the red-tinged islands, and at night, you will be enchanted by the moonlit sea.

Without a doubt our stay here was one of the best experiences we have ever had in Japan.||Our room was spacious, with incredibly comfortable beds and a magnificent view across the bay.|| The meals were outstanding, the multi-course Japanese dinners were delicious, the service was terrific, and sake was great. The breakfasts were also fabulous.||It was lovely to be greeted each afternoon with a relaxing cup of green tea, and a small delicious treat before heading back to our room.||The ladies bathing area had both an indoor and outdoor pool. The outdoor pool was absolutely lovely with fresh flowers floating in it.||We wish we could have stayed longer.

This is a modern property located away from the main tourist area (roughly 10-15 minute drive away), and tucked in its own alcove, giving it a private and serene vibe. The views from just about anywhere at Sakan Shoan are quite similar... it's the type of view that will calm the nerves and reduce one's blood pressure. It should be pointed out, however, that it does not offer the expansive, panoramic view of the entire bay (with the numerous islands) given that it's located on its own secluded bay. Still, it's definitely a million-dollar view, especially at sunset.||||We booked the B Type Japanese & Western Corner Room, called "Oimatsu." It had sufficient (but not abundant) space, and featured both a Japanese tatami sitting area as well as a separate bedroom with two Western-style beds. Overall, it's Japanese in decor and furnishings, except for the two beds, giving it the best of both worlds, at least in our view.||||Meals were served in a private room (but not in our own room), and wonderfully hosted by Ms. Nana Suzuki, who was charming, proactive and meticulous in explaining every detail of each course offering. There were definitely some highlights (including the Abalone), but overall - while we enjoyed the meals - we weren't exactly blown away. That's okay, because we weren't expecting Sakan Shoan to serve as a culinary destination. Still, a bit more ingenuity and creative flair would help enhance the appeal of the kaiseki experience there.||||The biggest disappointment is in the property's lack of a proper Onsen facility. We knew going in that the rooms there do not come with genuine Onsen baths, but were a tad surprised that a luxury ryokan in this area of Japan was devoid of a (gender-segregated) communal Onsen bath. Mind you, part of this is out of the property's control, but the lack of an Onsen does slightly detract from an otherwise calming experience at Sakan Shoan.||||Overall, Sakan Shoan is hosted to a very high standard, has good food, nice rooms and a wonderful view. Should we be in the area in the future, we wouldn't hesitate to return to this property.

My partner and I stayed at Shouan for two nights in early November 2022. It was just wonderful! So elegant, peaceful, and picturesque beyond words. We had a porch looking out onto the Bay, and the sunrise filled the room with a beautiful warm glow. The folks taking care of us were incredibly gracious and helpful. The kaiseki was some of the best I've ever had, and breakfast in the dining room by the Bay was spectacular. We didn't want to leave. And I can't wait to go back!

Shoan is hidden away on its own peninsula in Matsushima Bay, far from the madding crowds of the town centre - and what a stunning location it is. We stayed there in the depths of the low season and were the only guests both nights, so it was like having a ryokan all to ourselves. The whole place is modern but traditional, beautifully appointed and with superb attention to detail, right down to the western-style lounge where a different classical artist is profiled in the music selection each month.||||Best of all, though, was our spacious room. When we opened our screen doors the view took our breath away - a completely private bay of limestone islands which beats anything you see on the normal tourist routes. The inn also has two lovely footpaths running through the adjacent woodlands and out onto promontaries with views onto the main bay. It's all quite wonderful.||||Limited English is spoken, to a sufficient extent for foreigners to feel comfortable and welcome, and service was generally excellent, as one would expect. We had a slight disappointment with our dinner on the first night, when the standard of a few dishes wasn't up to what one might expect for this class and price. But meals improved after that and it may have been a low season glitch.||||The only other thing I'd fault was the ambience of the restaurant itself (called Umine, and open for lunch to non-guests). It's mish-mash of decor styles and hints of clutter here and there seemed very much out of keeping with the ryokan as a whole. Dinner can be taken in one's room, but breakfast must be eaten at Umine.||||Otherwise, though, our stay was magical...and that view will remain in our minds for ever!

As many have already noted before me, this is a beautiful ryokan in a more remote part of Matsushima, but with gorgeous views of the Bay. The pluses:||1. The service was top notch. We were welcomed upon arrival by Satai-san? (my apologies for not being sure about spelling) and promptly escorted to our room (Matsuzake) without the usual check-in procedures at the front desk. We were also brought to the dining room at our indicated time. Service with grace.||2. The place, located in an intimate part of Matsushima, is only a 10-minute taxi ride from the nearest station, Takagimachi. The taxi ride cost 1300 Yen, not prohibitively high by Japan standards.||3. The views. Outstanding views. Enough said.||4. Absolute tranquility. I was remarking to my wife we could hear a pin drop. The sound proof in the room worked a treat.||5. Dinner was simply delicious. We had a 7-course kaiseki dinner. Personally, i enjoyed this more than dinner at a two-michelin star estbalishment in tokyo five days earlier. The only minor blot on the copybook was that the grilled dish was served to us as we were finishing our previous sashimi course, but this could be a function of us having dinner in a private room, so wait staff had no knowledge of whether we had finished. Brekky was no slouch either.||6. The surrounding area made for a nice, short stroll through the woods full of pine trees.||A couple of things to note:||1. The public bath, has opening/closing hours. We had to make a last minute dash for the bath before checking out, and to beat the clock!||2. There is a shuttle bus service to Takagimachi station, but it leaves at 11.10am. We wanted a bit more time in the ryokan, hence took a taxi instead.||In all, we would go back there in a heartbeat.

this ryokan is absolutely gorgeous. Its a bit out of the center of town, but its site is breathtaking. The rooms are beautifully decorated with a mixture of western and Japanese styles. The baths are stunning with every good product imaginable. The service was also first-rate . We were the only westerners there and our Japanese is not great,but every effort was made to find English speaking staff for us. ||we very much enjoyed the environs-more than we thought we would.Highly recommended.