Beniya Mukayu is perched on the hillside of Yakushiyama, the Healing Buddha’s Mountain, a sacred place of Hakusan Mountain Zen worship. Around 1300 years ago, on Beniya Mukayu’s premises there used to be a Yakuoin Temple where monks studied Buddhist scriptures and cured people with hot spring baths and medicinal herbs. As a homage to this unique history, our property features a library to read books, private hot spring baths in each room and our spa Entei offers signature treatments based on hot spring water and medicinal herbs.
Beniya Mukayu was founded in 1928 and it has always been owned and run by the Nakamichi family, with my husband Kazunari and I being the third generation owners and our two sons the fourth. My husband welcomes our guests with a special tea ceremony upon their arrival and I always greet them before dinner, but most importantly, at Beniya Mukayu we share our family spirit with all those who take care of our guests and make them feel at home.
The architect Kiyoshi Sey Takeyama has helped us to give a tangible form to our philosophy of “richness in emptiness”. I invite our guests to wear one of our casual kimono, yukata, and marvel at the architecture and interior design of Beniya Mukayu, quintessentially Japanese but with a modern twist, noticing the natural materials we Japanese love: wood, bamboo, tatami, paper screens, clay walls and so on. All of our rooms are facing towards the forest garden, so guests can enjoy the contrasts of shade and light, relax in harmony with nature and indulge in outdoor hot spring baths before savoring Japanese delicacies… They should take their time to notice the endless subtle changes… This is the best way to experience refined genuine Japanese lifestyle – it’s an unforgettable experience!
I am a very creative person, and I love developing new ideas. Beniya Mukayu was born out of my dream of a Besso, a villa surrounded by nature. My husband and I have chosen the architect Sey Takeyama for Beniya Mukayu : that was the beginning of the steady, gradual change that occurred in the following years. Driven by my passions, I have developed many ideas that I now share with my guests daily: the interior design, the Spa Entei and Yakushiyama amenities, the staff uniforms, Mukayu’s wines, the Botany project… and many more to come!
