Genji Koh

The rooftop here is all open-air bathing, split by gender, each side mixing cypress and rock tubs (the men's side adds a jar tub and a reclining bath), and looking out over Ise Bay through glass fencing. Indoor baths one floor down have their own sauna on each side, and both convert to reservable private baths in the afternoon. The water is salty and clear rather than sulfurous. Genji Koh runs the whole stay on a Tale of Genji theme: each room takes a chapter's name and keeps a copy of the novel, translated by Setouchi Jakucho (瀬戸内寂聴), on the shelf, and guests choose their own incense scent for the room. The sea sits right across the road, close enough that every room, the dining room, and the rooftop baths look straight out at it, and day-trippers can bathe and eat at the restaurant, Miotsukushi (澪標), on a lunch or dinner plan.