Sakan Ryokan Sakan Ryokan Sakan Ryokan or "Hotel Sakan" (ホテル佐勘) is an historic ryokan (Japanese inn) located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The inn is over 1,000 years old, and is located within the spa resort named "Akiu Spa," which has four communal onsen (baths) that are supplied by natural hot springs. The hot springs are one of the three oldest ones in Japan, and are located near the Natori River. The inn was originally started by a man named Kanzaburo Satoh, whom the inn is named after. Ownership of the inn has been handed down to Satoh's descendants for 34 generations.
Takanoyu Onsen on the river bank. Besides soaking in a spring fed ofuro, visiting an onsen provides an opportunity to experience several aspects of traditional Japanese culture, including the Japanese love of nature. Many hot springs are located in rural mountainous areas, and visiting an onsen allows one to leave the city and commune with nature throughout the four seasons, especially in the fall when trees are ablaze in color. Onsen inns are typically in the traditional Japanese ryokan (Japanese inn) style where one dons a yukata and sleeps in a futon on tatami mats. Onsen food is typically Kaiseki style that