SÉN

The mountain village of Tenkawa in Nara Prefecture is thought to be the birthplace of Shugendo mountain ascetism, and it is common to see white-dressed practitioners stopping by on their way to nearby sacred Mt. Omine.

In this timeless setting, Michelin-starred restaurant SÉN is tucked away in the serene Seseragi no Yado Misenkan ryokan inn, surrounded by copses of maple trees and lulled by the sound of clear murmuring streams.

Chef Sunayama Toshiharu worked at two Michelin-starred restaurants in France (La Grenouillère and Flocons de Sel) before moving back to Japan, and spending two years learning the local history, culture and terroir of Tenkawa.

The restaurant’s location at the source of the Kumano River inspires the chef’s ethos of “watershed cuisine," where local production for local consumption helps preserve the natural environment and food culture. The omakase courses center around vegetables grown by local farmers and wild greens, along with fish caught in the rivers and wild game. Sunayama cooks over wood fires, using thinned trees that help maintain the local forestry business. 

The restrained elegance and views of the maple trees make this feel like a secret retreat, and you can even opt to stay overnight in the cozy inn, relaxing in tubs overlooking the stream.

Surrounded by the peaks of the Omine mountain range and the pure Kumano River, discover an exclusive culinary experience that brings together nature, history and human ingenuity.