Kofuyuden Beniya
Contemporary sukiya-style ryokan. Low, wooden, almost labyrinthine — corridors angle subtly so you never quite see the end. Small inner gardens connect the room blocks, letting Fukui Basin breezes drift through. Underfloor heating runs on hot spring energy, so you genuinely walk barefoot year-round. Calm and considered, with locally sourced craft objects at every turn.
Book the Echizen Crab kaiseki plan for winter stays — the crab comes straight from the boat to a dedicated tank on-site
Why It Matters
Named a Michelin Key hotel (1 Key) in both 2024 and 2025 — one of Japan's first cohort. The original Beniya hosted the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, along with generations of poets and writers. After fire razed the building in 2018, the rebuild became a rare opportunity to commission a prizewinning architect to reinterpret the ryokan form for the 21st century. Every one of the 17 rooms has a different layout, and all draw hot spring water directly from four on-site sources.
Kofuyuden Beniya is a 17-room luxury ryokan in Awara Onsen, Fukui Prefecture, rebuilt from scratch after a 2018 fire destroyed the original inn that had stood on the same site since 1884. Architect Tetsuo Kobori — twice winner of the JIA Grand Prix, Japan's highest architecture honor — designed a single-story structure that channels light, wind, and geothermal heat through its rooms, corridors, and tsuboniwa (pocket gardens). The result is a building that feels both deeply rooted in sukiya-style tradition and entirely contemporary.
Where You'll Stay
8 room types available
Standard Room (Bed Style)
Bed version of the standard category, same 8-tatami footprint with separate dining area and unique interior per room. Accommodates up to 3. Good pick for those wanting a slightly more western-style sleeping setup while keeping the tatami atmosphere.
BedStandard Room (Futon Style)
8 tatami mats with a separate dining area that you can reach without walking through the bedroom — a small but thoughtful design touch. Accommodates up to 3 guests. Each room in this category has a different interior, so no two stays look identical.
FutonStandard Room with Extra Room (Bed Style)
52.6 sqm with an 8+6-tatami layout and a small private tsuboniwa garden — one of the only room categories where you get your own pocket garden. Accommodates up to 4 guests. Bed-style sleeping makes it easier for elderly guests.
Bed · 52.6 sqmStandard Room with Extra Room (Futon Style)
Largest capacity option at up to 6 guests. 8-tatami main room plus a 6-tatami extra room, connected by fusuma sliding doors. The doors can be removed for one open space or kept for privacy within a group.
FutonSuperior Room (Bed Style)
Three rooms in this category, each with a different interior so repeat guests get a fresh experience. Blends warm wood tones, indirect lighting, and tatami textures. Accommodates up to 5 guests, making it the most flexible option for small families or groups.
BedSuperior Room (Futon Style)
A generous 60.4 sqm that sleeps up to 3. The main room has 10 tatami mats and an adjacent room with 8 mats, plus a separate dining area. The bathroom floors and walls are clad in Shakudani stone — a blue-toned local stone historically shipped from Mikuni port up to Hokkaido on Kitamae trading vessels.
Futon · 60.4 sqmSuperior Room for 2 (Bed Style)
57.9 sqm designed for couples or solo travelers wanting more space. 8-tatami bedroom with a small tatami nook for relaxing, plus a 10-tatami dining room — both on wooden floors. Noted to be well-suited for elderly guests given the level, accessible layout.
Bed · 57.9 sqm
The Suite
The top room category and the biggest in the inn. Sukiya-style, with a lounge area separate from the sleeping zone. The beds are carved from Japanese cypress sourced in Yoshino, Nara, and the scent genuinely fills the room. Private partly open-air bath with garden views. One room of this type.
86.2 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
1 venue on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The Tannan area near Beniya is home to long-standing crafts including Echizen washi paper (1,500-year tradition), lacquerware, and forged blades. Beniya can facilitate visits to local artisan workshops. The inn also curates a souvenir shop stocked with craft items from these same producers.
A 550-year-old Shinoryu school incense listening ceremony conducted by a direct disciple of the Shinoryu headmaster. Takes place in a private room at the ryokan. Involves burning Jinsui Koboku aromatic wood from Southeast Asia and focusing on its fragrance. Available as part of special tour packages for foreign guests.
Unusually, the entire check-in process is completed in your room rather than at a front desk. Staff bring luggage and assist with all formalities. The lobby is available as an alternative if preferred.
Arrive and settle into the lobby with complimentary handmade welcome drinks while looking out at the Japanese garden and koi pond. The seasonal garden changes visibly through the year. Traditional Echizen craft objects — washi paper, tansu woodwork — are displayed throughout.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
The entire inn uses hot spring geothermal energy for underfloor heating — guests are encouraged to walk barefoot rather than wearing slippers. Keeps the building warm even in heavy Fukui winters.
Available in all guest rooms and throughout the property.
Premium haircare line (shampoo, conditioner) manufactured in Fukui Prefecture by Nicca Chemical Co. Available in guest rooms and the communal bath.
Individual air conditioning control in each room. Suite has separate controls for living and sleeping areas.
Beniya original loungewear designed by YODA in Dusseldorf, made by Monster Co. in Echizen City using washi paper fabric. Provided to all guests.
A traditional Japanese garden survived the 2018 fire and is incorporated into the new building's design. The koi pond is visible from several room types.
Small inner gardens between room blocks that channel breezes and natural light into the building. The architectural centerpiece of Kobori's design.
Stocked with Fukui-crafted items including handmade Echizen washi stationery, wooden coasters and building blocks (by Echizen tansu craftsmen), KISSO cellulose acetate accessories from Sabae City, and Beniya's own Junmai Ginjo sake 'Okami' — commissioned and overseen by the female manager who is a certified sake taster.
On-site private parking included.
BUILD YOUR KOFUYUDEN BENIYA PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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