Page 79 - S/ Summer 2023

with not spreading the virus.” They took
the opportunity to encourage local people
to fall in love with the characteristics of the area, a perfect tactic for their nature-focused destination. When the country reopened to tourists in October, Hoshino Resorts, the company that oversees KAI Yufuin, began to offer free medical insurance for international travellers throughout all their properties—an especially appealing bonus for visitors when
the risk of contracting COVID still lingers. Rakudo-An lies in Central Japan’s Toyama Prefecture, an area defined by the dispersed settlement patterns of the people living there, where buildings are scattered distantly amid
KAI Yufuin: photo courtesy of KAI Yufuin.
wide-open expanses of lush green fields and the mountain line looms beautifully in the distance. The deep countryside might be an odd location for a luxury hotel, but Rakudo-An believes
in the beauty and deep-seated dignity of the
area. In the design and ethos of the hotel, they emphasize and channel dotoku—a Japanese concept referring to the richness and value that’s created when humans live and work in harmony with nature. The hotel is located in a previously abandoned century old farmhouse. The architects at design agency 51% Gowari Ichibu restored it using traditional construction methods handed down over generations combined with natural, local materials—soil, clay, bamboo, wood, silk, and Japanese washi paper—that “ensure a seamless connection between the building and the surrounding natural landscape,” says Rakudo-An. Inside is a medley of the contemporary and traditional, local and global: traditional local folk crafts
are displayed next to Scandinavian furniture, and rustic dark wood-panelled spaces give way to cream-coloured minimalist bedrooms.
The hotel first opened in October, and
in a post-pandemic world, the sequestered location of this hidden gem might be well- positioned to meet the new needs and desires
of travellers. Rakudo-An is also committed
to a more sustainable style of tourism they
call “regenerative tourism,” in which income
is used to preserve and revitalize the local community. Currently, initiatives include directing 2 per cent of accommodation fees towards conservation, using local agriculture
in the hotel’s restaurant, and providing guests with programs that let them experience and learn about the value of the local lifestyle.
Like Sowaka and KAI Yufuin, Rakudo-An
seeks to let travellers know that a stay in a downtown Tokyo hotel remains desirable,
but for travellers seeking to return to Japan following its reopening, there are other beautiful, serene locations to explore that accentuate the country’s renowned landscapes and culture.
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