Daisuke Takamiya's Ryokan Ohana Hotel presents a masterfully orchestrated interior space where contemporary minimalism converges with deeply rooted traditional aesthetic sensibilities, creating a sanc

Daisuke Takamiya's Ryokan Ohana Hotel presents a masterful exercise in contemporary architectural threshold design, captured during the transitional blue hour when artificial illumination achieves max

Daisuke Takamiya's Ryokan Ohana Hotel interior presents a masterful exercise in spatial composition where the eye encounters an elongated corridor orchestrated through precise material juxtaposition a

Warm honey-toned timber beams traverse the ceiling in a rhythmic horizontal cadence, their natural wood grain and rich brown coloration establishing an enveloping architectural framework that grounds

Gold Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026

Ryokan Ohana Hotel

by Uds Ltd.

A' Design Award 2026 Gold Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Awarded April 15, 2026
CLIENT: UDS Ltd.
Estimated Number of Design Views: 35,660
Verification code B457A78273 · Verify this award

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About Ryokan Ohana Hotel

Ryokan Ohana is a traditional inn located within a nationally designated scenic site in Yanagawa, Japan. The four-storey building has a total floor area of 3,859.95 square metres and offers 20 guest rooms in eight categories, ranging from 34 to 87 square metres. Three room types were rebuilt while preserving original floor pillars, lintels, thresholds and ceiling materials. Local crafts such as Yame lanterns, Yame stone, rush-grass tatami mats and black plaster are used. The guest rooms frame views of the restored garden and the historic residence.

Within the distinguished lineage of hospitality architecture that seeks to honor regional building traditions while addressing contemporary expectations of comfort and spatial refinement, Daisuke Takamiya's Ryokan Ohana Hotel emerges as an exemplary meditation on the enduring relevance of traditional spatial principles. The design demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how material selection, proportional systems, and the orchestration of light can create environments that simultaneously shelter and elevate the human spirit, suggesting deep engagement with the phenomenological dimensions of architectural experience that philosophers from Gaston Bachelard to Juhani Pallasmaa have explored. The ceiling treatment reveals particular accomplishment, where the grid of warm timber battens against charcoal panels creates a rhythmic canopy that references historical coffered ceiling traditions while achieving a distinctly contemporary clarity of expression through its precise geometries and restrained material palette. The spherical paper lantern suspended at center introduces organic softness and promised luminosity that tempers the rectilinear discipline, its pleated surface catching light in subtle gradations that animate the space with gentle vitality. The raised seating platform establishes a spatial hierarchy that invites guests to transition from the sleeping zone into a contemplative alcove oriented toward the carefully framed exterior view, where traditional rooflines and mature trees compose a living painting that shifts with atmospheric conditions and seasonal cycles. This integration of shakkei principles, the borrowed landscape technique, demonstrates the design's sophisticated engagement with the porosity between interior refuge and exterior world that characterizes the most accomplished examples of traditional architectural thought. The sliding panels with their gridded pattern reference shoji screen traditions while their muted coloration harmonizes with the overall chromatic restraint, functioning as adjustable veils that allow guests to modulate privacy, light, and visual connection according to their contemplative needs. Viewers might consider how the interplay of geometric precision and organic warmth creates an atmosphere conducive to restorative stillness in an increasingly accelerated world.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: The Tachibana family, feudal lords of the Yanagawa Domain, lived at the Yanagawa Domain Lord Tachibana Residence, also known as Ohanaya. After the war, they converted their private residence into a ryokan complete with a restaurant. The renovated Ryokan Ohana is the Shotokan accommodation building constructed within the nationally designated site. The spatial design, based on the concept of conveying authenticity, aims to establish a lasting connection for the next 100 years.
Dimensions & Packaging: The four-storey hotel has a total floor area of 3,859.95 square metres. It offers 20 guest rooms, spanning eight categories and ranging in size from 34 to 87 square metres. This variety caters for a range of guests, including couples, friends, families and groups. The restaurant has been operating from this location since 1950. Seventy-five years on, the Tachibana family's story is reflected in the restaurant's locally sourced cuisine.
Tags: Hotel, Design, Japan, History, Culture, Traditional, Fukuoka , Yanagawa, Locality, Ryokan
Production Technology: The space evokes warmth within the dignified ambience of a samurai residence, while maintaining continuity with the designated cultural assets of the grand hall and traditional restaurant. Three of the eight guest room types have been reconstructed whilst preserving original features such as the floor pillars, lintels, thresholds, and ceiling materials. These incorporate local industries and traditional crafts including Yame lanterns, Yame stone, rush-grass tatami mats, and black plaster.
Design Challenge: Our renovation aimed to create a space where guests could experience and appreciate the authentic more profoundly. This was achieved by removing decorative elements to make the authentic stand out more prominently. The logo has been redesigned using handwritten characters by Fumiko, the 16th generation of the Tachibana family. We have also redesigned the website to convey the history of Ohanaya and the atmosphere of Yanagawa, building anticipation even before visitors arrive.
Project Duration: The project began in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, in March 2023, opening on 11 January 2025.
Yanagawa City is a popular tourist destination renowned for its canals and river rafting.
Ohana is an accommodation facility run by the Tachibana clan, who have governed the area for over 400 years.
It offers a rare opportunity to stay within the grounds of a 23,000 square metres site designated as a National Scenic Beauty.
Operation Flow: By collaborating with local artisans and businesses, we have established a system whereby the property is updated in partnership with the community whenever repairs are required.
We aim to preserve traditional techniques and skills to ensure that the rich heritage and culture of Yanagawa and its surrounding areas endure for the next century.
We minimise environmental impact by using natural materials and organic amenities.
Research: The project team researched Yanagawa's history and culture, aiming to incorporate these elements into the design to convey the region's appeal more widely.The spatial composition within the grounds was studied, with guest rooms laid out to frame views of the gardens and residences beyond the windows, creating an environment where guests can fully appreciate the value of staying within the cultural heritage site. We aim to contribute to the community and create a place cherished by many.
Inspiration: The entrance has been designed to make guests feel as if they are staying in a special place, while also blending in with the neighbouring cultural site. At the front of the lobby is the restored historic Imperial Garden courtyard, which features a symbolic arrangement of stones that were used to build the cultural property. The guest rooms are arranged to provide views of the gardens and the residence beyond, further enhancing the experience of staying within a cultural heritage site.
Image Credits: IMAGE CREDITS:
Image #1 to #5:Photographer Satoshi Asakawa,2024