No Television, No Bathroom: The Recipe for Success at the Sakamoto Inn

The antithesis of trendy, overly expensive restaurants and transient concepts, the little Yuyado Sakamoto inn, located in the hinterland of Noto peninsula in Japan, has the merit of staying true to tradition. The establishment, which has just three bedrooms with no television or bathroom, has gained a loyal clientele thanks to a simple recipe: good local cuisine and a basic, minimal experience. This return to roots and to a more modest lifestyle allows guests to switch off for a while and clear their thoughts.

The main attraction is the breakfast. ‘My aim is to offer regional, traditional cuisine, but while remaining tasteful. We serve local food without dressing it up in an excessive way. Our flavours are simple and honest’, explains chef Sakamoto Shin’ichiro. After a good night’s sleep on a slightly firm mattress and a bracing wash in cold water, the guest receives their reward. On the menu are ganmodoki, fried tofu fritters, dried and grilled fish, white rice, miso soup made from kajima seaweed and pickled Chinese cabbage. In other words, refined and modest dishes, but which offer unparalleled flavours. After all, why complicate things when you can keep it simple?