It is said that Kobo Daishi, the founder of Japanese Buddhism, bathed each morning in the river Katsura and emerged with his mind and body purified. A few minutes from the river, hotel Asaba submerges you in a Japan of legends where Zen takes over your five senses. After a game of golf in picturesque surroundings, put your kimono to one side to enjoy the pleasures of an open-air bath filled with spring water. The restaurant serves traditional dishes and shall delight you with its sweet and savoury combinations. At the lounge while sitting in a designer Italian-American Harry Bertoia chair, relax and philosophise on the fragrance of nature.