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“We avoided contrasting the old and new,
and instead tried to harmonize them” says architect Shigenori Uoya. There are alcoves with hanging scrolls and flower arrangements, shoji windows of translucent papery screens, and slick, timeless furniture: stylish platform beds, low-profile lounge chairs. Wide windows look out onto the inner courtyard, where
moss, grass, vegetation, and stones have been organized with an intentional fullness.
Sowaka first opened back at the end of 2018, but with the reopening of Japan’s borders at the end of last year, it’s like they’ve had to launch the hotel all over again. “The pandemic hit the Japanese tourism industry hard, and our hotel was no exception. Inbound traffic was almost non-existent,” says Sowaka. They focused on domestic travellers during
the lull period, but now international guests are returning in full force, radically altering
the pace of the hotel’s operations. The hotel’s key to attracting visitors again has been to
orient everything they do towards “the true omotenashi spirit,” says Sowaka—an expression of Japanese hospitality culture that connotes wholehearted care as well as mindfulness.
Far west of Kyoto, in Southern Japan’s Oita Prefecture, sits KAI Yufuin—a hot spring hotel situated among cascading rice field terraces before Mount Yufu, an active volcano. The terraces are central to the tranquil, mindful atmosphere of the hotel; through observing the natural beauty of the fields, the ‘seasons’ rhythm can be felt, emotionally moving visitors and letting them feel the sheer beauty of nature,” says the team at KAI Yufuin. Despite the hotel’s humble origins, architect Kengo Kuma believes that the rice field terraces will bring visitors “greater satisfaction than Japanese gardens.” There are two types of accommodations
scattered under the shadow of the mountain: four quaint villas stand solemnly on the rice terraces, while the main building faces the treeline of sawtooth oaks. The buildings were oriented so that the rich, varied nature of the site could be felt from different directions: the north side has the forest, the south the misty valley, the east the mountain, and the west the terraces. With their low eaves and dark exteriors, the structures are built to complement and blend into the surroundings, drawing attention towards the striking beauty of nature. The
most impressive aspect of the site is the main building’s private outdoor hot spring bath, subtly outfitted with black wood-grain panel ceilings and black pebble walls and floors. During the years that Japan’s borders
were closed, KAI Yufuin pivoted to focusing
on local demand: “microtourism was great, balancing support of the local economies