Oyado Onn Nakatsugawa

This hotel was commissioned by a local company engaged primarily in the timber industry, with the aim of revitalizing the community of Nakatsugawa.

Nakatsugawa City, located in Gifu Prefecture, is not known for having a large concentration of tourist attractions. Instead, its economy is sustained largely by industry, while also facing issues common to many regional cities in Japan—population decline and a shrinking younger generation. In such a context, where neither tourism nor business alone can sustain demand, our approach was to design a building that flexibly addresses both. On weekdays it serves business travelers, and on weekends it welcomes tourists. The scale is akin to a business hotel, while the quality of stay carries the atmosphere of a traditional inn. Rather than overly referencing traditional Japanese design, we carefully integrated local character into the architectural expression.

In terms of site planning, we secured a plaza along the former Nakasendō road in front of the hotel for community events, while also incorporating the natural terrain at the foot of Mount Ena into the architecture itself. The ground floor gradually steps up in level as one moves deeper into the building.

Inside, a variety of hinoki (Japanese cypress) elements—sawn by the client and crafted by local factories and artisans from the Tōnō area—are interwoven throughout the interiors. The hotel thus becomes a hub that connects and showcases the region’s timber-related industries.

Nearly a year after completion, the hotel has already begun to attract more people to the city, with nearby restaurants now fully booked on the day of dining. It is hoped that the project will serve as a model for regional cities across Japan.