Professionals Serendipity 
With Tamborine Mountain being one of the most beautiful destinations around, it comes as no surprise that there are numerous accommodations where you can relax, unwind, and take advantage of the breathtaking views. Emi Yoshida owns and operates one such location, and one of the more unique ones at that: Sunset Heaven Ryokan & Spa has been accepting guests since late December of 2019 and giving them an authentic Japanese cultural experience. I was lucky enough to sit down with Emi to learn more over a traditional Japanese tea ceremony to get a taste of what Sunset Heaven is all about in more ways than one.
by Kyle Hitchmough
What was your inspiration to open Sunset Heaven Ryokan & Spa?
I’m a remedial massage therapist, and I used to work in the Rainforest Spa in the Currumbin Valley, in the rainforest. I liked the atmosphere and the energy from nature, and how we can transfer that energy to the client by doing massages in nature. It also had accommodation and was quite beautiful. I wanted to open my own business like that, where people could stay and also get massages and treatments. I thought I could do things in a Japanese style and be quite professional. I was looking for something with nature like that and I found this spot with this lovely view.
Can you explain what services you offer here, and in what ways you provide an experience of Japanese culture?
They can have a total Japanese experience. “Ryokan” is traditional Japanese accommodation with Japanese-style service. It is human-to-human, to be more connected. It’s not like a hotel where you never see anybody except for when you check in and check out. We serve Japanese food, even the breakfast is in the authentic Japanese style. We serve the Japanese style of hot pot for the dinner, so I’m serving it and they can just eat. That is typical Japanese style. I can serve traditional Japanese tea ceremonies after breakfast, and we also can serve coffee which is traditional Japanese matcha latte or hojicha latte, as well as standard latte. The rooms come with traditional kimono and yukata for the guests to wear, and they also all have traditional tatami mats, made from woven rush grass and rice straw. They create the aroma in the room, so we don’t need to put in any artificial aromas. Guests can also use the spa facilities. The spa is a traditional Japanese open-air bath, which is called rotenburo. It’s a rock pool. There is also a separate above-ground sauna. We have an artificial hot springs with real spring water from the mountain, and we have a therapy room as well for the spa therapy. I try to give guests as authentic a Japanese ryokan experience as I can.
You do events here as well at sunset, hence the name, correct? Can you tell us more about them?
Yes, we try to do an event at sunset once a month. On the new moon, we have a beautiful view of the stars, so we have an outdoor concert. You can see everything. The only thing more beautiful than the sunsets here is the twilight! My son is a violinist and I am a singer, and we have a pianist. We finish 15 minutes before the sunset so that the guests can take photos and enjoy the sunset. We prepare omakase, traditional Japanese dinner. We can serve 18-20 people at our table. We have stargazing guides who can explain the stars in both Japanese and English. We do indoors concerts as well after dark, with Japanese instruments and piano, which we finish with the tea ceremony.
What kinds of spa therapy treatments do you provide?
My therapy is very special. We do the sound healing with a singing bowl. The vibration will go into your body. We have two packages. One is a two-hour treatment with sound healing, remedial massage, and aromatherapy. I blend the oil, take the consultation with the client, and then choose the essential oils to use for the massage and aromatherapy. The other package is a three-hour treatment, which adds a facial.
Have you noticed any particular trends in your clientele?
Many Taiwanese people at the beginning. I have a lot of repeat customers from Japan. They come here to experience the Japanese culture and get my massages! I suppose we get a lot of the tourists to the mountain staying here, so the tourists from Japan come looking for somewhere familiar to relax.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
I also live here, yes. I’m still new to the mountain and don’t know a lot of the other people. But after the tornado, I served Japanese food to everybody. I invited all the local people I could, all the neighbours, and they were really appreciative. They asked why I did not have a restaurant or a café here. I wanted to, but this is a residential area, so council did not allow me to do that. So I just took the license for a B&B and day spa and just cook for the people who stay here. People said if I did apply for a café, they would all support me, which I really appreciated. We might try in the future when we get to know the community more.
What’s your favourite thing to do on the mountain?
When I’m not too busy, I like doing the bushwalks around Witches Falls or Curtis Falls. Every time the guests come, I recommend them to walk those trails.
What do you think Sunset Heaven Ryokan & Spa really provides to the area?
We can be a bridge between Australian and Japanese culture. We have done larger sound healing and meditation events similar to the concerts, under the stars, in which we have incorporated a didgeridoo player. The singing bowl is our instrument and the digeridoo is from Australia, so it’s combining beautiful sounds and cultures. I am an opera singer, so I often sing in English or Italian, but I also try to introduce Japanese songs too.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
I like to see the smiles and happy feelings of the guests after coming here. Everybody is relaxed and appreciative. That’s the most important thing for me and my happiness.
Sunset Heaven Ryokan & Spa
811 MAIN STREET, TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN QLD 4272
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