Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, Japan’s master of Zen-inflected minimalist architecture, Setouchi Retreat Aonagi is a seven-suite wonder.

The structure was initially built 20 years ago as a private guesthouse, then converted to a small modern art museum before reopening as Setouchi Retreat Aonagi

The 8-meter high, floor-to-ceiling windows of The Aonagi Suite offers a spectacular panorama of the mirror-like water and surrounding natural beauty.

Concrete walls open onto vast empty spaces, while a vanishing-edge outdoor lap pool frames the blue expanse of Seto Inland Sea.

Perfectly complementing Ando’s “smooth-as-silk” concrete walls, museum-quality artwork abounds at the hotel.

Iki Island—known as “A Sanctuary of Gods” thanks to its 1,000-plus shrines—is full of natural allure fostered by the unspoiled ocean, making it the perfect spot for a wellness and spiritual escape.

Rich wood tones and a spare design scheme ground the guest in warmth while also focusing attention on the surrounding natural splendors.

Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami’s ocean-view rooms are perched above seaside villages and offer up endless vistas across Yunomoto Bay, which is world-renowned for its sunsets.

All guestrooms boast a private onsen bath, while the hotel’s superlative spa and open-air hot spring ensure total rejuvenation of body and soul.

Sengokuhara is home to Hakone Retreat, an exquisite escape comprising the före resort and villa 1/f, a collection of private cottages surrounded by pristine woodland.

The stripped back aesthetics and secluded location of the 11 spacious villas grant guests the space and time to fully reconnect with nature.

Wood-burning stoves provide a cozy atmosphere, while private onsen baths set under the forest canopy offer the ultimate indulgence.

Encompassing two bedrooms and a living room, the 109-square-meter Före Suite offers a sublime forest experience and views over Owakudani valley.

Located deep in the forest, the natural hot spring bath is the perfect place to switch off from the technological treadmill of day-to-day life surrounded by birdsong and woodland scents.