Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Japan / Yufu / Sansou Murata (山荘無量塔)
Sansou Murata (山荘無量塔)
Yufu, Oita Prefecture, Japan · Independent · Grand Luxury
Sansou Murata is one of Yufuin's Gosanke, the town's sacred top three, alongside Tamanoyu and Kamenoi Bessou. Takeo Fujiyama relocated heavy-timbered kominka farmhouses, rebuilt them as suites with private thermal baths, and hung contemporary art through the compound. The jazz salon with its 1930s speaker and live piano is as much the stay as the onsen. Twelve rooms, a soba house, and an art gallery share the same grounds.
- 12 rooms
- Opened 1992
- Neighborhood: 湯布院町川上
- Rooms from 678 sq ft (63 m²)
About Sansou Murata (山荘無量塔)
- Yufuin Gosanke: Sansou Murata, Tamanoyu, and Kamenoi Bessou are the town's traditional top three ryokan.
- Century-old kominka farmhouses were dismantled in northern Japan and rebuilt here as suites with private thermal baths.
- A jazz salon with a 1930s-era speaker and live piano is as famous as the baths.
- ARTEGIO art museum, Theomurata chocolatier, and Murata Fushoan soba sit on the same compound as the 12-key inn.
- The house began as a tea house in 1983 under Takeo Fujiyama and became a ryokan in 1992.
History
Takeo Fujiyama opened a tea house in Yufuin in 1983 and evolved it into Sansou Murata in 1992. The compound is built from century-old kominka farmhouses dismantled in northern Japan, transported to Yufuin, and reconstructed as private villas with their own hot springs. Together with Tamanoyu and Kamenoi Bessou it forms Yufuin's Gosanke, the three houses that defined the town's rise as a resort. Tan's Bar, a jazz salon with a 1930s speaker and live piano, sits beside ARTEGIO, an art museum and music gallery.
Restaurants and bars
- Saryo Saibido — Restaurant
- Tan's bar — Bar
- thétheo Café — Café
- Fushoan — Restaurant · Soba noodles
Experiences
- Museum of Sound (artegio) — Museum of Sound on site, open 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM, closed Wednesdays.
- Onsen (hot springs) — Hot springs listed among the hotel's facilities.
Amenities
- Private in-villa natural hot spring baths
- Jazz salon (Tan's Bar) with 1930s speaker and live piano
- ARTEGIO contemporary art museum and music gallery
- Theomurata chocolatier and thetheo cafe
- Murata Fushoan soba restaurant
- Relocated kominka farmhouse villas
Open Sansou Murata (山荘無量塔) in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Yufu
- Kamenoi Besso — Independent · Grand Luxury
- Yufuin Tamanoyu — Independent · Grand Luxury
- Nihon-no-Ashitaba — Independent · High Luxury
- ENOWA Yufuin — ENOWA · Core Luxury
- Gekkoju Yufuin — Independent · Core Luxury
- KAI Yufuin — KAI by Hoshino Resorts · Core Luxury