KENGO KUMA
Ginzan Onsen Fujiya Hotel
A wooden 4 story Onsen ( Hot spring ) Hotel stands at the bottom of a valley in a region of snow. The existing facade was renovated utilizing wood from the orjinal 100 years old hotel while the interior space was reorganized by a delicate screen made from 4 mm wide slits of bamboo ( Sumushiko ) . An almost transparent stained glass called Dalle de Verre first used in the middle ages is fit into the opening which faces the extorior space. These bamboo screens, neither transparent nor opaque, provide a soft light and shade the interior creating a space to heal and relax, complementing to effects of bathing in an Onsen.
All the information and some pictures had taken from Kengo Kuma' s web page. Others had taken from Fujiya Hotel own page, Uniqhotels' s web page and photographer Jimmy Cohrssen' s web page.
What makes this hotel so special is your host’s meticulous adherence to Japanese inn-keeping traditions; the aim of which is to anticipate and meet your needs before you are even aware of them yourself. Your hostess, Jeanie Fuji, is arguably the world’s best practitioner of the traditional Japanese art of hospitality. It has even gained her celebrity status in Japan which she accepts with demure modesty. The hotel is over 350 years old and has recently been updated to accommodate the needs of the international traveler without scrimping on traditional Japanese aesthetics. Layered bamboo screens majestically order the interior space while the light shines through many stained glass windows. Textured paper screens imbibe the areas with a sense of calm which you can enjoy before taking a dip in one of 5 natural spa pools fed by the areas famous, Ginzan Onsen (hot springs). There is even one on the roof offering you views of unprecedented beauty while you soak in the revitalizing waters. The philosophy of Fujiya Ginzan is to assist you in resting and restoring your holistic self. Prepare to leave with new levels of well being emanating through your body and mind.
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