From the shinkansen stop at Kagaonsen Station, getting to Yamanaka Onsen couldn’t be simpler, just a 20-minute ride away by free shuttle bus provided by Hanamurasaki, the ryokan where you will spend the night. From the moment you arrive in this attractive town amidst the mountains of Ishikawa, you will know that you have made the right choice. Set along the dramatic Kakusenkei Gorge, Yamanaka Onsen is prized for the quality of its hot springs, which can be enjoyed during relaxing stays at the town’s ryokan inns.

As well as its soothing hot spring waters, Yamanaka Onsen retains a strong sense of its traditional artisanal culture. The area is particularly well known for its lacquerware, along with a unique style of woodworking known as kijibiki, in which chisels are used to shape fine wood products on a rotating lathe called a rokuro. Some of the artisans in Yamanaka Onsen still ply their trade in workshops with a shop downstairs and living quarters upstairs, once common but now a rarity in modern Japan.

To discover this local legacy of woodcraft and lacquerware, you will visit a workshop run by artisan Yuka Mabune. Mabune is originally from Tochigi, but moved to the Hokuriku region to pursue her passion for crafting lacquerware. Your visit begins with a tour of the workshop, which has a display space showcasing its artisans’ finest work on its first floor. Peruse these fine pieces of lacquerware and begin to ponder how anyone could possibly craft such beautiful finished works from raw unfinished wood.

Your tour continues on the second floor of the workshop, which is where the majority of the work takes place. Here, Mabune will show you the tools of her trade, including an extraordinary collection of woodworking chisels. Rather than being purchased from a hardware store, these chisels themselves are constructed by Mabune to shape the precise blades needed to cut into the wood just right. Listen to her as she explains this procedure, as well as the incredible process of transforming wood into finished pieces of lacquerware.

After showing you the drying racks of the third floor, which also houses living quarters, Mabune will take you back to the second floor for your woodworking experience. Under her expert guidance, you will help to design a small wooden container. While you observe, Mabune will craft the container using artisanal tools as a keepsake for you to take home from this traditional Yamanaka Onsen workshop. When it comes to understanding the skills required for such traditional crafts, nothing compares to actually seeing an artisan with the tools in her hands, shaping raw material into art.

The wooden container you create during the experience is more than a simple keepsake. Thoughtfully designed by Mabune and Hanamurasaki, it can be used to carry small items such as jewelry, medicine, or tea bags. The custom-braided cord firmly secures the lid, keeping your important belongings secure and protected while adding a touch of elegance and style.

Leaving your wooden container with Mabune for polishing and finishing, you will head to your accommodation for the night at the local ryokan Hanamurasaki. Founded in 1902, this ryokan has a long history of welcoming travelers to the soothing waters of the town’s hot springs. Under the current owner, Kohei Yamada, the ryokan has undergone a new revolution, evolving to explore new creative paths while maintaining its essence as part of the town’s deep traditions of hospitality.

Yamada’s connection to Yamanaka Onsen has deep family roots. As the sixth-generation owner of Hanamurasaki, he is aware of the responsibility to uphold the legacy of the ryokan. And yet, he does not view tradition as something static and unchanging, but rather as a living entity that evolves thoughtfully to reflect the times we live in. Throughout the ryokan, you will notice this philosophy at work through the blend of traditional Japanese aesthetics with artistic modern sensibilities.

Another guiding principle at Hanamurasaki is the connection between nature and artistic expression. This is reflected in the architecture and furnishings of the rooms themselves, all of which provide views of the beautiful Kakusenkei Gorge. Rooms are stylishly furnished to provide you with maximum comfort during your stay and are enhanced by contemporary works from local artists.

To experience the famous waters of Yamanaka Onsen, there is no need to leave the ryokan, as the room you will stay in includes a private hot spring bath. Hanamurasaki also has large public baths that allow you to relax indoors or outdoors while you gaze out over the surrounding landscape of mountains and forests.

Meals at Hanamurasaki also reflect the ryokan’s values of tradition mixed with creative innovation. Menus are created by the head chef with attention to the seasons, using local ingredients from Ishikawa that reflect the best of each time of year. In traditional kaiseki style, your meal will arrive as a series of delicate, meticulously-prepared dishes, each a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate.

While the menu changes with the seasons, the proximity of the Sea of Japan with its incredible abundance means that fish features prominently in the menu along with other seafood delicacies. Other specialties include tender beef from the nearby Noto Peninsula and Noto Salt Ice Cream. The ryokan can cater to different dietary requirements and restrictions, including a vegetarian kaiseki dinner made from select ingredients such as local Kaga vegetables. Curated sake pairings can also be suggested to complement the flavors of your meal (additional fees apply).

After a relaxing night’s sleep, you can start your second day in Yamanaka Onsen with a hearty morning meal. Breakfast at Hanamurasaki provides guests with a choice between either a Western-style or Japanese-style meal. As with dinner the night before, your meal will include local ingredients that reflect the season of your visit. Take your time to linger over breakfast as you enjoy your morning at Hanamurasaki.

There is one more surprise for you before you depart the ryokan. Having polished and finished your creation from the day before, lacquerware artisan Yuka Mabune will deliver it to you at Hanamurasaki. You can take it home with you as a reminder of all you have experienced in this charming onsen town with its proud artisanal traditions.

As a boy, Kohei Yamada longed for a world beyond his small hometown, and Japan. But after several years studying in the United States, he felt himself drawn back to Yamanaka Onsen with a new desire to share the values of his family ryokan with travelers from around the world. During your stay at Hanamurasaki, you will experience the results of his unique vision for the ryokan, informed by the past but inspired by new ideas.

His story has parallels to that of Yuka Mabune, who left her job as an assistant teacher in Tochigi to move to Hokuriku and pursue her passion for crafting lacquerware. Like Yamada, she is a part of the young generation in Yamanaka Onsen that is now working to preserve the town’s historic legacy for the future. Through joining Mabune for a hands-on experience of local craftsmanship, you will become a part of that tradition too.