Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan (会津東山温泉 鶴我東山総本山, henceforth referred to as "Sohonzan") is located in Fukushima, the Southernmost prefecture among the six that comprise the Tohoku ("Northeast") region on the country's main island of Honshu. Regarded as a remote backwater in bygone times (at least according to people in the ancient capital of Kyoto), Tohoku is now a highly regarded tourist destination known for its Samurai culture/history, the Emishi people and their culture (the people are long gone), the countryside scenery (the mountains, lakes and farming areas are incredibly picturesque), Onsen, epic festivals, fireworks displays (the National Omagari Fireworks Festival in Akita is considered to be the best of all shows), high-quality rice, harsh Winter climate, and - most recently - the massive earthquake and Tsunami of 2011.


Main building

For the purpose of this forum, I'll also add that the quality of ryokans in this rural paradise is second to none, matched only by the awesomeness of the properties in Kyushu. Wabizakura, Natsuse Onsen Miyakowasure, Onyado Kawasemi and Atasmiso are among the unique and unforgettable ryokans in Tohoku, and after our stay, I would definitely place Sohonzan among the top-tier. It's private, lavish, has great cuisine and is hosted wonderfully by an excellent GM.


Private garden and pond

Sohonzan is also nicely situated - Aizu-Wakamatsu is one of the nicer off-the-beaten path tourist spots and is full of history - the people were known as fierce warriors, and at the dawn of the Meiji Restoration period the Aizu clan remained loyal to the Shogun even after he had stepped down, and was site to one of the most famous battles during the Boshin War of 1868, which marked the end of the Samurai. Among the main sites include Aizuwakamatsu Castle, Sazaedo Temple (the world's only wooden building with a double helix structure), Aizu Bukeyashiki (a nicely crafted replica of a prominent local feudal lord's residence), Suehiro Sake Brewery (Aizu is famous for its sake) and Oyakuen Garden. And less than an hour away is Ouchi-juku, a wonderfully preserved old post town, as well as the Mt. Bandai area, with its famed hiking trails, crystal clear lakes and ponds and photogenic vistas.


Detached building - Tea room and one of the many living rooms


"Chashitsu" (Tea ceremony room)

The ryokan was established in 2022; it was originally built in 1972 by a famous architect that was commissioned by the current ryokan owner's grandfather, and served as his home for several decades. The current Chairman had a desire to share the Aizu goodness with visitors, resulting in the ryokan that we see today. The family's primary source of revenue comes from their horsemeat cuisine restaurants, with 2 located in Aizu as well as an establishment in Tokyo. Along with Kumamoto Prefecture, the Aizu region is known for its horsemeat - and unless you say otherwise, it will be part of the Aizu kaiseki that is served to guests staying at Sohonzan.


Western-style lounge room


Dining room (used for dinner)

As is the case with NEOLD Private House (in my previous review), Sohonzan only serves one group of guests per day, and offers an intimate experience that properties with multiple guest rooms cannot hope to match. It is also wonderfully hosted by Mr. Monoe, Sohonzan's GM, as well as Ms. Aya Sakata who was our room attendant. Upon entering the property's gates, we were treated to a view of the wonderful main house, a gorgeous garden and pond (with Koi fish) and a separate structure that serves as the tea room (primarily used to serve the welcome tea and sweets upon arrival, as well as check-in formalities) and an adjacent tatami room.


Suite room


Suite room

The main house is massive and vast. It's a 3-story structure with the guest living quarters on the first floor, and several dining rooms (including a counter dining area on the third floor), lounge rooms, another tea room, several bathrooms and even a small barbecue pit. It's all done in a Taisho-era (early 20th Century) way, with a mixture of Japanese and Western sensibilities, depending on the room. It's a bit inconsistent in my view, but at least it does pay homage to a consistent throwback era and we enjoyed exploring the house's architecture, furnishings, decorations and interior craftsmanship.


Vanity room with sink and toilet. There are two bathrooms in the Suite


Onsen with an electronically-controlled glass door for those that want the open-air sensation

The Suite room itself is technically located in the basement, although since the back of the building is on an embankment and faces a river, in no way did it seem dungeon-esque whatsoever - it felt sufficiently bright and airy, an in contrast to the rest of the house it's Japanese-modern with the latest technologies and amenities, including electronically-controlled curtains, glass windows and heated tatami floors. There are two separate bathrooms, with one intended for women - it has a vanity with women's amenities and toiletries as well as a dedicated toilet and sink. There is a sprawling deck with lounge chairs and an electric fire pit for colder evenings. There is a separate deck that has a free-flowing, straight-from-the-source onsen bath and a sauna room. They thought of just about everything - almost TOO much; there is even a smoking room with very good air circulation!


Booze dispensers


Minibar fridge

In terms of in-room amenities, Sohonzan throws the kitchen sink at it - no expense is spared. There are three mini booze dispensaries that serves up various sake, wine and champagne, and the minibar is anything but... there are more beverage options than most refrigerators, and the juice, water, cold coffee and tea, soda, beer, milk selection is out of control. There is even a variety of sweets in the fridge, including a fantastic fruit shortcake. And yes... everything is complimentary. The quantity and quality of cups/glasses, silverware, sugar cube case, coffee maker and coffee beans and plates are extremely ornate as well. The only thing that's curiously missing are some bathroom items, such as toothbrush, shower cap and shaver/shaving foam, which I'm guessing is just an oversight rather than a penny-pinching measure. I've already brought this up with the GM and he said it will quickly be addressed.


Dinner at Sohonzan, and this is just the beginning

Dinner is a very lavish affair. Several of the courses are known as Aizu Buke Kaiseki Cuisine, which is a traditional meal served to Daimyo (regional feudal lords that were vassals of the Shogun) in the area. This includes Aizu Kozuyu, a soupy dish that consists of dashi broth made with Scallops and contains a variety of local vegetables (including foraged mountain plants and roots) including Bracken, Japanese Taro, Gingko Nuts, Wheat Gluten and Noodles made from Konjac Yam. This was a dish that was also served during our stay at nearby Atamiso. Another Aizu specialty dish was Deep-fried Tempura Manju, a Japanese confection made from flour, rice powder, kudzu or buckwheat, and filled with anko (sweet red bean paste.) Basashi (horsemeat sashimi) was also quite varied, with raw cuts of filet, liver and "tategami" (the area below where the mane grows), with the latter being especially memorable. Just about all of the ingredients in every course was locally sourced, unique and wonderfully plated. Fish wise, the Tohoku region is renowned for its Ayu (Sweetfish) and Iwana (White-spotted Char), the rarest and most prized freshwater fish in all of Japan. Ayu in particular are usually farm-raised, but not at Sohonzan - they serve salt-grilled, line-caught wild Ayu, and it was amazing... juicy, plump, flavorful and edible from head to tail.


From left to right: 1) Horse Sashimi spinal cord topped with Salmon Roe with shaved Yuzu citrus 2) Minced Futaego Horse Sashimi with Caviar on top. "Futaego" is a rare cut of meat that is made up of three layers of from the rib area, which is only available in small quantities. It has a crunchy and chewy texture 3) Aizu Beef A5 Filet Steak with grated daikon radish 4) Foie Gras with Truffles 5) Grilled Aizu Chicken basted with Yuzu Pepper sauce

Not everything was the best ever, but Aizu is historic and unique culinary locale that we were happy to try out the local delicacies. For the most part, we were extremely satisfied with dinner at Sohonzan. I asked the GM whether the horsemeat dishes were similar to what's on offer at their restaurants, and he said Sohonzan's meat is the best of the best. For instance, the horsemeat spinal cord sashimi is not something that can be ordered at the restaurant, and it was definitely our favorite horse part.


Japanese breakfast

Breakfast is served in a counter dining room, and was equally sumptuous and a cut above the typical ryokan morning cuisine. Aside from the standard rice, condiments (such as pickled vegetables and boiled spinach dressed in dashi broth), Rolled Egg Omelette, Chawanmushi (savory egg custard), Tofu, salad, and a grilled fish dish, Sohonzan served Iwana Sashimi and Eel that was caught in the morning and grilled by the chef behind the counter. Iwana (and Ayu too, for that matter) is not often served raw because - as you probably know - fresh-water fish get fishy extremely quickly. This speaks to the high quality approach to the dining experience at Sohonzan.

Private garden and pond at night

Aizu Tsuruga Higashiyama Sohonzan is an incredibly compelling property and definitely lives up to its reputation (positive word of mouth feedback is off the charts.) It is graciously hosted, has a gorgeous garden, the spacious and technology-laden Suite has a wonderful Onsen with a view of the river, offers umami-infused food that more than effectively represents the best that the local cuisine has to offer, and spares no expense in its appointments - especially in the in-room minibar selections. There's plenty to see and do in the Aizu-Wakamatsu, and is easily combinable with Atamiso, which is about an hour away... after that, you can easily transfer to Koriyama Station and take the 2 hour Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo.