Fodor's Expert Review Kankaso

At once exquisitely refined and delightfully friendly, Kankaso exemplifies the best of Japanese hospitality, and a delicious kaiseki dinner is included, as is breakfast. Beautiful gardens surround this peaceful ryokan near Todai Temple, and inside, elegant ikebana arrangements adorn the alcove. Each room is decorated with scrolls and pottery. Although the building has been renovated over the centuries, its 1,200-year-old central beam testifies to its longevity. The communal baths look out onto the gardens.