Amane Resort Gahama

For centuries, Beppu has attracted visitors for its abundant and therapeutic onsen hot springs, beautiful location between verdant mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, and warmer climate. To these attractions in recent years has been added a range of luxury accommodation, a new wave for Beppu pioneered by the sumptuous Amane Resort Gahama.

Amane Resort Gahama is not only a pioneer it is also uniquely diverse; a symbiotic fusion of contrasting harmonies; of the traditional, modern and contemporary; of nature and human invention; and of Japan and the West. It is first and foremost a luxury destination, a place where guests can overlook the flow of time, relax and be pampered. But it is also eclectically Japanese, a homage to Japan’s traditions and the nation’s ability to absorb and skillfully refashion imported ideas. For example, adjacent to the sea and mostly surrounded by pine trees, it quietly celebrates the Japanese traditional aesthetic of shakkei, literally a borrowed scenery, external backdrop for intimate and calm interior surroundings. Also, it showcases traditional architecture with Shohaen, a subtly ornate and composed ceremonial tea house. These elements are intriguingly juxtaposed with early 20th Century Western-style buildings and Japanese contemporary architecture to create a multi-faceted and lavish visual feast.

In 1927, Kintaro Kunitake, a wealthy businessman, built a bayside villa and gardens in a traditional Japanese style on the site. In the 1950s, ownership passed to the Kyushu Electric Power Company, which added extensions that emulated the English arts and crafts style and used it as a staff retreat. This contrasting but harmonising architecture caught the eye of the local businessman. Horrified to learn that this iconic location was to be demolished he mustered his resources to obtain it and, adding his long experience as a Jazz cafe owner, restauranteur and hotelier, continued the lineage of the site as a relaxing retreat by creating Amane Resort Gahama.

Rooms, which all have their own en-suite onsen baths, include maisonettes and tower rooms, both overlooking the sea, and garden villas. The Parkside Villa suite comes with its own private pool, and the 10th floor Gahama Tower suite sports 360 degree views across the whole resort complex, Beppu, the Seto Inland Sea and surrounding mountains. The Amane Resort Gahama’s three restaurants Matsuhide, Kunitake and Banya specialise, respectively, in traditional Japanese cuisine, Western dishes with a twist of Japanese mid-20th Century nostalgia, and relaxed Japanese cafe dining. The bar aside a decorative pool, which is reminiscent of more tropical climes, adds yet another delightfully pleasant twist to the many layers of interest and enjoyment found at Amane Resort Gahama.