Satoyama Jujo

Architecture Toru Iwasa, Kei Kaihoh, Musashino Art University

Architecture Toru Iwasa, Kei Kaihoh, Musashino Art University

A modern extension features a hot spring spa, while the hotel’s main building is 150 years old...

and was fashioned from hard Zelkova wood and pine in order to withstand the region’s intensely snowy winters. Cedar wood and tatami grass flooring give guests a glimpse into the region’s architectural heritage, while the progressive renovation by Toru Iwasa and Kei Kaihoh won the Singapore Good Design Award in 2015, among other awards.

Interior design Shun Kawakami, Ryuichi Ohira & Kanzo Shibata

Interiors call to mind old-fashioned Japanese homes and modern Western spaces.

In the reception, wooden beams surround an artwork by sculptor Ryuichi Ohira, which was crafted from a huge camphor tree trunk and features Daikokuten, a fabled god of prosperity. Traditional Japanese floor cushions and modern pieces that evoke the 1960s complement furniture by the likes of Arne Jacobsen, Isamu Noguchi, and Charles & Ray Eames. Dark cedar floors are juxtaposed with cream-colored walls.