OSTERIA SINCERITA
Hyper-local Italian auberge meets refined Japanese onsen hospitality. Interiors are anchored by original Japanese screen paintings by Yamagata-born masters and Finn Juhl furniture made in Asahimachi, Yamagata — all deliberately composed to feel like a private home rather than a hotel.
Request the ALBA room if you want a private dry sauna and prefer a first-floor bedroom — it's the only room where you don't need to use stairs for the bedrooms
Why It Matters
Holds one Michelin Key. Only three rooms, each with a private cypress open-air onsen bath fed directly from the Akayu source with no added water. Chef Harada cooks every course himself for a maximum of 12 guests per sitting. The Okitama Basin's dramatic 15°C day-to-night temperature swings — a natural foehn effect — drive the flavour of every ingredient on the plate.
Osteria Sincerità is a three-room auberge in Akayu Onsen, the hot-spring district of Nanyo, Yamagata Prefecture. Chef Makoto Harada — formerly of the Michelin-starred Il Riposo in Niigata — cooks a nightly Italian tasting menu for at most three tables, drawing on the Okitama Basin's seasonal wild mushrooms, free-range chicken, heritage rice, and Yonezawa beef from dry-aged heifers. The place opened in April 2023 as an annex of the century-old Yamagata the Takinami ryokan, built inside the former large communal bathhouse. The dining room has 4.7-metre ceilings, an open wood-fired kitchen, and eight counter seats. No spa, no gym, no lobby — just an intimate space that earns its Michelin Key rating by doing a very small number of things exceptionally well.
Where You'll Stay
3 room types available
ALBA (アルバ)
From JPY80,000 / nightThe largest and most accessible of the three rooms at 150 sqm. ALBA is the only room with bedrooms on both the first and second floors, making it the better pick if stairs are a concern. The colour scheme is grape and crimson, drawn from the 'Sōgyō Reizan' (Sacred Mountain at Dawn) screen painting by Yamagata-born master Horin Fukuoji (1920–2012). Finn Juhl Baker sofas and Easy Chair No. 45 are upholstered to match — and uniquely manufactured in Asahimachi, Yamagata. The room has its own private dry sauna (TYLO, Sweden), a private cypress open-air onsen bath directly fed from the Akayu source, and large windows facing the courtyard garden.
4 semi-double beds (twin bedroom on 1F + twin bedroom on 2F) · 150 sqm
GRANO (グラーノ)
From JPY80,000 / nightThe smallest of the three at 135 sqm — though 'smallest' is relative when every room is a two-storey maisonette. The name means 'grain' in Italian, matching the 'Mugi' (Barley Field) screen painting by Horin Fukuoji, a serene expanse of green wheat. Finn Juhl pieces are finished in light and dark green. The second floor has a dedicated library/reading nook in addition to the two twin bedrooms. Private cypress open-air onsen on the terrace. No private sauna in this room, but access to the shared Yumuro rock-bath is included for all guests.
4 semi-double beds (two twin bedrooms on 2F) · 135 sqm
MONTE (モンテ)
From JPY80,000 / night150 sqm maisonette with both twin bedrooms on the second floor. The room takes its palette from 'Ryuzan', a black-and-white ink painting of the Dragon Mountains of Zao by Soju Endo (1917–2011), exhibited at the prestigious Nitten exhibition. Finn Juhl furniture is finished in light blue and dark blue to match. MONTE has its own private steam sauna (TYLO, Sweden): 40–50°C, 100% humidity — gentler on the lungs than a dry sauna and excellent for skin. Each room has a private cypress open-air onsen bath on the terrace.
4 semi-double beds (two twin bedrooms on 2F) · 150 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
1 venue on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Paddle through the flooded forest of Lake Shirakawa (Nagaizawa Hyakushuuko), a spring-season phenomenon where snowmelt submerges the surrounding woodlands. Shuttle bus runs from Akayu Station during the event period.
After dinner, guests gather around a fire pit in the courtyard garden to watch the flames and, on clear nights, stargaze. Informal and complimentary — part of the nightly rhythm of the place.
The property curates an 'Explore' guide with driving times and seasonal notes. Yamadera cliff temple is 55km (55 min). Zao's volcanic crater lake is 47km (60 min, closed November to late April). Sacred Mt. Hagurosan is 126km (2 hrs). Eboshiyama cherry blossom park is only 600m away.
Autumn harvest experience at Kurosawa Farm. Exclusive to staying guests. Paired with the story of the 'world's best rice' that appears on the breakfast table.
Seasonal hands-on rice planting at Kurosawa Farm, the source of the Yumegokochi rice served at breakfast. Exclusive to staying guests. Offered in spring planting season.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
The property is a converted wooden building and has no lift or wheelchair access ramp. Stairs are required in all three rooms (maisonette layout). ALBA has a first-floor bedroom option.
A welcome drink including local Yamagata wine is served at check-in, and the courtyard is available for post-dinner drinks.
Rooms include an espresso machine and complimentary organic brown rice tea, organic sencha, and Aurora Coffee (a locally roasted Yamagata City brand). A gift of traditional Nishikiya confectionery ʻUsudzukuri' red bean yokan (established 1790) is also provided.
Mini bar use is included in the room rate according to initial rate descriptions from the BRUTUS editorial review.
Every room terrace has its own hinoki cypress outdoor bath, piped with undiluted Akayu source water. No added water, no shared bath — yours alone for the stay.
A plant-lined entrance path opens into a courtyard where an evening fire pit is lit after dinner. The entry feels deliberately secluded — heavy planting screens the outside world.
Two departures at check-in (14:30 and 15:30 from Akayu Station) and two at check-out (9:50 and 10:50 from the property). Reservation required. Outside these times, a fixed-fare taxi (¥870) is available.
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Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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