Hot Springs hotel nestled among rice fields
The KAI Yufuin hotel takes shape as a hot spring ryokan — a small inn of a traditional Japanese style — which overlooks an array of cascading rice terraces and Mount Yufu beyond.
Its architecture created by Kengo Kuma, with the concept as a celebration of its site in Oita Prefecture, an area commonly associated with its rice terraces and whose name is even derived from words which mean ‘grand rice field.’
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The hotel is located in Yufuin Onsen, which has one of the highest number of hot springs in all of Japan. Thus, KAI Yufuin incorporates both indoor and outdoor baths fed by the natural hot springs to be enjoyed throughout the year.
A collection of small buildings scattered throughout the descending landscape. The architects fit the complex with forty-five guest rooms overall, either located in the main building or standing as independent suites. Two different styles of suite are offered. One type stands as an independent structure on the rice terraces, opening up to vast views of the sculpted landscape and mountains beyond. The second type faces the surrounding forest of sawtooth oaks and has its own private outdoor hot spring bath.
The two styles of suite offer a unique connection with the place and thus, different types of luxury. Both types are finished with tatami floors made from a rare, locally-grown shichitoi grass. The team notes: ‘from the moment of entry into the rooms, the soft, natural scent of the grass can be enjoyed.’
Kengo Kuma & Associates centers KAI Yufuin around a main Rice Terrace Deck, which opens broadly onto a sweeping view of the rice terraces. Hoshino Resorts emphasizes the connection with the changing seasons, which can be felt as the mirrored waters reflect their surroundings.
The team elaborates: ‘Before rice planting in spring, the rice terraces are filled with water, where the clear blue sky and the surrounding landscape are reflected on its surface. After rice planting, the fresh green of young plants spreads, and in the summer, the grown rice moves with the wind, producing a refreshing tone.
‘In autumn, the ears of rice grow in abundance, turning rice terraces into gold. The landscape of rice terraces with rice straws after harvest is a familiar scene of Yufuin in winter.’
Images by Hoshino Resorts via designboom
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