Miyajima Island · Hiroshima · Japan · Founded 1854
Founded in 1854 and birthplace of Momiji Manju, Iwaso is the most historic luxury ryokan on Miyajima Island — within walking distance of the 1,400-year-old Itsukushima Shrine, its floating torii gate, and the sacred maple forests of Momijidani valley.
Founded in 1854, Iwaso is the oldest and most celebrated ryokan on Miyajima Island, located in Momijidani Valley at the foot of the sacred mountain from which the island takes its name. The ryokan's Hanare cottages — detached one-storied timber buildings constructed between the Taisho and early Showa eras — are set within the maple forest alongside the Momijidani stream, where deer walk freely through the gardens and the seasons change with uncommon drama.
Itsukushima Shrine, 15 minutes on foot from Iwaso, was built in the Heian period style by Taira no Kiyomori — its great torii gate stands in the sea, appearing to float at high tide, and is among the most recognized images in Japan. UNESCO listed the shrine and Miyajima's primeval forest as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The island has been considered sacred for over 1,400 years.
Iwaso's kaiseki cuisine received 1 Michelin star and was selected as the working dinner venue for the G7 Foreign Ministers' Summit in 2016 and the G7 Leaders' Summit in 2023 — the highest recognition the Japanese government has given to a private dining room. The ryokan is also the birthplace of Momiji Manju, the maple-leaf cake that has become the most iconic souvenir of Hiroshima Prefecture.
The Iwaso Hanare are the ryokan's most celebrated rooms — detached one-storied cottages built between the Taisho and Showa eras, set within the maple forest of Momijidani Valley alongside the clear mountain stream. Each cottage is different; craftsmen's detail is visible in every window frame, lattice, alcove post, and decorative transom. The Kimpu-tei Hanare is the most famous, loved by the celebrities, dignitaries, and royalty who have stayed at Iwaso since 1854.
Deer from Miyajima's protected forest walk through Iwaso's gardens. The stream runs beside the cottages in all seasons, and the maple valley changes radically from the fresh green of spring to the blazing autumn that gave Miyajima its name (Miyajima means "shrine island," but Momijidani — the maple valley — is the island's soul).
Iwaso's kaiseki cuisine received 1 Michelin star — a recognition of the chef's mastery of Hiroshima Prefecture's exceptional seafood and mountain produce. The restaurant was selected as the working dinner venue for the G7 Foreign Ministers' Summit (2016) and the G7 Leaders' Summit (2023), when heads of state from the world's seven largest economies dined in the Hanare and banquet rooms of this 170-year-old ryokan.
The kaiseki draws directly from the Hiroshima sea: oysters from the beds visible from the ferry, conger eel, sea bream, and Seto Inland Sea fish prepared according to the classical kaiseki sequence. Mountain vegetables from the Chugoku highlands, tofu, and Hiroshima sake complete the most ceremonially rigorous of Japan's culinary traditions.
Four nights in the most historic ryokan on Japan's most sacred island — a floating torii gate, a Michelin-starred kaiseki that served world leaders, and maple forests where deer walk freely through the garden.
Add-ons: Private shrine night illumination tour +$400 · Hiroshima sushi masterclass +$600
Iwaso has been receiving guests in Momijidani Valley since 1854 — the year before Commodore Perry's second visit to Japan ended two centuries of isolation. The Hanare cottages were built between 1900 and 1950 and have been the preferred rooms of emperors, artists, and heads of state ever since. The kitchen received a Michelin star and served world leaders at the G7 Summit. And the ryokan invented Momiji Manju — the maple-leaf cake that every visitor to Hiroshima carries home. There is no more complete expression of what Japan means by "ryokan hospitality" than this valley, this forest, and this kitchen.
A 4-night stay in the most historic luxury ryokan on Miyajima Island — the UNESCO World Heritage site of Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate, 15 minutes from the Hanare cottage door. Founded in 1854; 1 Michelin star; G7 Leaders' Summit 2023 dinner venue.
Private calligraphy workshop. Oyster tasting on the Seto Inland Sea. Sunset photography at the floating torii. A Momijidani valley hike through sacred Japanese maple forest. And a Michelin-starred kaiseki dinner that has served heads of state.
All components are fully flexible — refined with your Richseen specialist prior to confirmation.