This spring, Adrian Zecha, the founder of the well-known Aman Hotel Group, and Azumi Japan have joined forces to create a new japanese-style accommodation "Azumi Setoda" on the beautiful island of the Seto Inland Sea!
Memories of a ryokan by the founder of Aman Hotel Group
Adrian Zecha, who used to be attracted to ryokans in hot spring villages such as Hakone and Izu, has boldly challenged the "redefinition of ryokan" by incorporating modern and innovative elements based on the tradition of Japanese style. The inspiration for naming Azumi also came from the Azumi ethnic background surrounded by the sea on all sides of Japan, one of the ancient maritime peoples, and hoped that this idea of taking root in Japan from the sea would become the central idea of his future ryokan territory.
Azumi Setoda's onomichi Setoda, where the soil is abundant, the water is clear, the natural scenery is pleasant, and it is also a must-visit place for cyclists, connecting Hiroshima and Ehime Prefecture "Setojima Hakaido (しまなみ海道)" is one of the small islands that is the best base for travelers to rest and enjoy sightseeing!
Renovated a century-old house, echoing the island's climate of the travel and accommodation design
Azumi Setoda's lodging space is divided into two buildings, the main hotel building and the yubune annexed to the bathhouse. The two buildings, rebuilt from the 140-year-old old mansion "Old Hori Uchi-ei", were created by the architect "Miura Shiro" from Nakamura's Outer Engineering Shop, who had extensive practical experience and also decorated the interior of Itai Shiori's own house and office "ほぼ日".
Miura Shirothal was involved in the team's plans from the early days of the Azumi brand. When he remodeled and designed "Azumi Setoda", he combined the traditional and innovative elements of the ryokan, as well as the memory of the old house building, as if entertaining travelers to the old house, the appearance of the building as far as possible to inherit the original pillars, stone bricks and plants, echoing the unique moisture and sunshine characteristics of the island climate, and then balancing and adjusting from it.
Azumi Setoda Hostel Building
The rooms at Azumi Setoda are designed with both tradition and modernity, filled with the aroma of cypress wood, and the rooms on the first floor are equipped with small gardens, and the cooperation of WA-SO design, a Kyoto garden design team that specializes in plant landscaping, can see the scenery from the interior through a large number of floor-to-ceiling windows, and can be integrated with the natural landscape outside the window.
Yubune Annex Building
The opposite direction of the Azumi Setoda main building is the annex "yubune" (Japanese: yubun, meaning bath tub and bathtub) attached to the bathhouse. At the entrance hangs a warm curtain with blue and grass-dyed waves. The facilities at the annex are modern and simple, but they are still designed with Japanese wooden tones that can relax people.
In addition, the annex is very special, the General Bathhouse's Mt. Fuji tile murals, invited artists to paint murals based on the theme of islands in the Seto Inland Sea and rich and diverse marine life. The male soup depicts the seto inland sea in the clear daylight, and the female soup depicts the island scenery hanging low at night, and both sides are beautifully healed.
Enjoy the charm of setouchi marine islands
Featuring ingredients unique to the Seto Inland Sea, seafood, citrus, and vegetables, Azumi Setoda adapts the menu to the seasons, and uses the original precious utensils preserved in the old house, allowing people to feel the temperature of history in their hands while enjoying home-style and banquet dishes at home.
Alternatively, the property offers activities that are unique to the area. Experiences such as the Bicycle Island Wave Trail Tour (available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels), lemon picking, fishing, and sunset viewing, as well as zazen meditation and cooking classes at the temple, allow travelers to enjoy the charm of Setouchi. In April, SOIL SETODA, a complex with the concept of a "corner living room," was also opened, including a coffee shop, restaurant, lodging, and shared space, providing a venue for local residents to interact with tourists.
Azumi Japan co-representatives Fumitoshi Se and Naru Developments founders, both of whom have deep ties to Aman Hotel and were members of the Amen Tokyo project in 2014, who inherited Aman's spirit and worked with Adrian Zecha to bring the traditional culture of Japanese hotels into a world-class vision and scale!