We just returned from a trip to Iki and Tsushima, two islands located on the Sea of Japan (between Japan and Korea) that are both part of Nagasaki Prefecture. The property is owned and operated by Onko Chishin (recently renamed from "okcs," although Onko Chishin has always been the official company name from its inception), as is the case with several other highly regarded luxury properties in the country, including Setouchi Retreat Aonagi and Goto Retreat Ray (see Nagasaki Joe's excellent and comprehensive review of the latter here.) Specifically regarding Iki Kairi Murakami and Goto Retreat Ray, they are unique in that they're located in areas that are remote (by Japan standards), had no luxury accommodations until Onko Chishin's arrival, and - in our minds - Iki and Goto worthy places to visit for veteran Japan travelers. A few other tidbits about Onko Chishin - while they own and/or operate/manage restaurants and a variety of properties (both hotels and hybrid hotel/ryokans), their calling card is definitely in the luxury hospitality category. The founder was born in the U.S. (but raised mainly in Japan), was a board member at Hoshino Resorts, and began his independent career helping to "turn around" (i.e. operate) - under contract - historic ryokans. This includes River Retreat Garaku in Toyama, as well as Fujiiso in Nagano. We recently stayed at the latter, and didn't know about its connection with Onko Chishin. They only began directly operating a property in late 2015 (Setouchi Retreat Aonagi), which earned the company numerous awards, especially in the way they renovated Tadao Ando's museum into a luxury property.


Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami - Lounge area

Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami opened in 2018 after Onko Chishin bought out the property and extensively renovated it (I'm assuming "Murakami" is the name of the original owner as well as the property name.) It's located on the Northwest side of Iki Island, with commanding views of Yunomoto Bay - each of its 12 rooms face the Bay, all but the entry level "Corner Tatami Room" have Western beds, and each room has a private, open-air Onsen (straight from the source) bath on the deck. Speaking of Onsen, the hot spring turns gold in color upon being exposed to air, due to a high concentration of iron - this is not unlike the gold Onsen found in many parts of Arima Onsen near Kobe. Aside from in-room baths, Iki Retreat also has large, gender-segregated communal baths as well as a private bath that can be rented in 45 minute allotments. Guests looking for a unique Onsen experience in a remote part of the country will undoubtedly enjoy staying here.


Onsen with a view from the deck of Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami's Kairi Suite ("Kateigaho Suite" until June 2024.)

The property itself is a hybrid ryokan/hotel type - while robes are provided in the room and can be worn throughout the property, they are more of a casual, "Samue" type of outfit.. it's far less stylish than a Yukata but more comfortable when wearing it. Like most small ryokans, Iki Kairi lacks a gym and pool. Unlike traditional ryokans, shoes don't come off until you get to the guestroom (similar to Fufu) and doesn't have a garden. This is compensated by the view of the ocean, which is reminiscent of Bouyourou, Sui Suwako, Migiwatei Ochi Kochi and the two Amane Resorts in Beppu. We stayed in the top category room, the Kairi Suite, which offers 120mē of indoor living space and the only one that features both a Japanese-style tatami room and a living room with couches (in addition to a separate bedroom.) No other rooms have a Western living room, so if the idea of sitting "on the ground" in a tatami room isn't to your liking, be sure to seek out the Kairi Suite.


Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami's Kairi Suite (aka "Kateigaho Suite")

For just one year - beginning on the day we arrived - Onko Chishin has collaborated with Kateigaho to redesign the Kairi Suite in a modern, stylish way and have dubbed it the "Kateigaho Suite." Kateigaho is a renowned publication that caters to a high-end demographic and focuses on Japanese art, architecture, food, travel and fashion. The Kateigaho Suite in its current form will be in existence from June 16, 2023 to June 14, 2024. The main aspect worth mentioning are variety of decorative crafts and art by traditional Kyushu artisans (notably ceramics), especially the wall exhibit of tea cups in the tatami room (guests are free to use them during their stay.) Overall, we felt the room was tastefully designed and furnished, with a nice blend of traditional and modern Japanese interior look and feel to it. Two things worth pointing out, for what it's worth: the bathroom has a men's urinal (in addition to a standard, Toto toilet), and - curiously - there is only one sink. Otherwise, what you see is what you get.


Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami's Kairi Suite (aka "Kateigaho Suite") - Tatami room with ceramics made by artisans of Kyushu


Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami's Kairi Suite (aka "Kateigaho Suite")

For those that are interested I've put together a more comprehensive video walkthrough of the Kateigaho Suite on YouTube.


Iki is famous for its seafood, local produce as well as Iki Beef. The Genkai Sea and Tsushima Strait's waters are usually very rough, cold and has strong currents, meaning there are high concentrations of minerals and plankton, resulting in high quality seafood. Several species of Uni (Sea Urchin) as well as Abalone, Sazae (Turban Shell), Hiougi-gai (Noble Scallop) Kue (Longtooth Grouper) and Bluefin Tuna are among the delicacies that are caught daily in the surrounding area. The flat, arable land combined with its rich, volcanic soil results in Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Satsuma-imo (Japanese Sweet Potatoes) that are among the best that we've had anywhere. Finally, Iki Beef is not a household name, but only because they don't produce enough quantity of the meat to export it widely. But my own experience suggests that it does live up to the hype - I'd put it alongside Kobe, Matsusaka, Omi, Tajima, Hida and Miyazaki on the Mt. Rushmore of Wagyu.


Sashimi of Aka Uni (Aka Uni Sea Urchin in the shell), Hon Maguro (Bluefin Tuna), Kue (Longtooth Grouper) & Kensaki Ika (Swordtip Squid)

As is the case with Setouchi Retreat Aonagi (save for guests staying at the Aonagi Suite, which get in-room dining service), at Iki Retreat it's counter dining, except for one group of guests that are served in a "Koshitsu" (private dining room.) The Koshitsu is intended for use for families with small children, but since there were no kids during our time at Iki Retreat, we requested the Koshitsu and were able to have both of our dinners and breakfasts there. Our first dinner was Kaiseki, while it was a mix of Teppanyaki and European-influenced cuisine on the second evening. This allowed enough variation in the cooking methods and flavoring such that it felt that we dined at two completely different types of restaurants. That said, on both nights there were copious amounts of Uni, Abalone, Fish and Beef dishes, which was paradise for us. If Uni is not your thing, then I encourage you to try fresh, sweet "Aka Uni" - the texture and taste is not at all similar to what you'll find at most sushi restaurants, especially in the U.S. Why is that? Because Uni goes bad very quickly, and preservatives are added to them, resulting in a dramatically reduced Umami factor and adding a dose of fishi-ness that is not found in the top-quality Uni that is caught on the same day and never frozen.I realize that Uni is not to everyone's taste, but before you emphatically decide "never again!," at least give fresh, high-end Iki (or Hokkaido or Amakusa) Uni before passing final judgment.


Iki Beef Sukiyaki at Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami

Was it the best meal we've ever had? I wouldn't go quite that far. However, part of the purpose of traveling to various regions of the country (think Lombardy vs. Tuscany vs. Sicily) is to experience the local delicacies and culinary history, and in that respect, Iki Kairi hit the spot. And yes, some of the dishes were among the most memorable offerings that we've had the privilege of experiencing. It's also hilarious when hearing about various brands (or sub-brands) of various ingredients. For example, the cherry tomatoes were called "Mama Nakase," which stands for "making mom cry." Legend has it that the tomatoes are so sweet that the children would gorge on the tomatoes and cause their mothers to cry. I'm not sure if it's because of the high price tag, or due to there being no tomatoes left for mom to eat Regardless, these tomatoes were so sweet that we had to ask several times whether they added syrup to sweeten it. After our third inquiry, the head chef himself came over to our Koshitsu to refute our suspicions.


Aqua Pazza with Red Tilefish (White Horsehead), Aka Uni Sea Urchin, Japanese Littleneck Clams & Tomatoes

Service wise, everyone was enthusiastic, professional and had good command of all aspects of guests' needs. They were full of knowledge of Iki and gave good advice on places to visit and things to purchase, and the servers were able to explain all aspects of each serving in intricate detail. Many of the staff members were born and raised on the island, while others are transfers from other Onko Chishin properties (mainly Goto Retreat Ray and Setouchi Retreat Aonagi.) The receptionist, who also manages all pre-arrival communications, was particularly energetic and cheerful. She was a big ball of sunshine and never ceased to put a smile on our face each time she welcomed us back after one of our outings. Her email responses were always prompt and were chock full of insight that went beyond a simple answer to our questions. COVID definitely has not taken a toll on the service level of this Iki Retreat Kairi Murakami, that's for sure.

Regarding Iki itself, it's probably not the first (or even fifth) location that I'd recommend people to visit. It's paradise for history buffs, however - Harunotsuji Archeological Site is one of the three most significant excavation sites from the country's "Yayoi" period (300 B.C. to 300 A.D.), and the museum nearby is also worthy of a visit. They've also rebuilt some of the structures to give a taste of what the area may have looked like during its heyday. Iki also calls home to some of the major "Kofun" (Japanese-tyle Tumuli/Tombs) in the country, and nearby is the Kurosaki Battery Site, a major gun battery that was built with the purpose of firing at enemy ships during WWII (although it was never used.) It is right next to "Saruiwa" (Monkey Rock), an interesting formation that is reminiscent to our primate cousins from certain angles. Kojima Shrine is an esoteric site that is hidden within a tiny islet in Iki island’s Uchime Bay, and is only accessible during low tides. Finally, since the "Ajisai" (Hydrangea) were in full bloom, we paid a visit to the Ajisai Park, a relaxing place that's free to visit and has a nice cafe on site.


Harunotsuji Archeological Site on Iki Island

One of Iki's advantages has to do with tourists, or lack thereof. There just aren't that many guest rooms on the island, and isn't well known to even many Japanese. Therefore, even during peak season or on weekends, it's blissfully uncrowded - we had very low levels of stress during our entire time there. Also, it's only a one hour jetfoil ride from Hakata Port in Fukuoka (15 minutes by taxi from Fukuoka Airport), or 90 minutes from Karatsu in Saga Prefecture. Iki can also be accessed via a (very) short flight from Nagasaki Airport or Fukuoka Airport. I'd strongly recommend visitors to rent a car, as buses are infrequent, and taxis are few and far in between. We rented from Budget Rent A Car, and a representative waited for us (with a sign board) at Iki's Ashibe Port. And within minutes, we were off to explore the island.