Interviews with Go Fujita

Amami Oshima is one of the most naturally rich islands in Japan, and is registered as a World Heritage Site. By incorporating materials from the island into your space, you can feel the beauty of Amami even more.

In Amami Oshima, there is an old story that a god came from across the sea and arrived at Tategami Rock. When you look at Tategami Rock from the hotel, you can experience a mystical experience as the sun rises at the exact angle.

Materials and labor could not be procured locally, so they were procured from Kagoshima Prefecture. For areas that required advanced construction techniques, we shipped items made in factories so as not to affect the design.

The biggest attraction is the view of nature from the window. The space is simple and earthy tones are used to avoid excessive design. Also, because I wanted to show the view from the window simply, there are no furniture or decorations around the window.

You can enjoy the sunlight reflecting off the sea as the sun moves throughout the day. All lights in the space are dimmable, allowing you to enjoy the moonlight and stars. The guest rooms are designed simply so that you can enjoy nature.

We place the utmost importance on the conservation of nature, the environment, and the flow of time on Amami Oshima. We eliminate excessive hospitality and plan with respect for nature.

Amami Oshima has traditional industries that have been handed down through the generations and are still being carried on today. These techniques are incorporated into the interior design and placed throughout the space.

The view of the Pacific Ocean, which changes with the seasons, is one of the most important elements of the hotel's story. In early spring, you can see mother whales and their calves gracefully raising their young.

I would be happy if I could share the importance of naturally incorporating the traditional culture and traditional industries that have been passed down on Amami Oshima into the space, and proceeding with the design with a timeless mindset and respect for nature, rather than proceeding with a trendy design approach.

I felt the importance of continuing to treasure our local culture. I would be happy if tourists could experience the beauty of the island and become more interested in the natural environment.

The road in front of the site has a lot of traffic, so it was necessary to ensure privacy as well as reduce noise. From the beginning, it was decided that there would be no openings in the wall facing the road.

The space was designed simply with a Japanese design approach, and the materials used were traditional techniques. By placing contemporary art in the space, I think it has become a design with depth, not just a minimalist space.

In ancient Japanese temples, gold and silver leaf was used on the walls and sliding doors to let in comfortable light into the rooms. This technique was also used in this building. The light that pours in through the large opening in the atrium hits the leaf walls, creating various dramatic effects.

The view outside makes the space feel larger even while indoors. The exterior walls of the S residence protect privacy, allowing you to relax with peace of mind.

The more private the space, the smaller the area of ​​the space and the lower the ceiling height. This controls noise from outside. Lowering the ceiling height also lowers the line of sight, creating a calm private space.

In the spaces where people spend a lot of time, we prioritized privacy, and in the other spaces, we prioritized openness. I think we were able to create a good balance by creating contrast within the space.

The owner's occupation had a big influence on the design. Since his job is stressful during the day, we paid special attention to the lighting so that the space would be as relaxing as possible at night.

The height of the walls is adjusted taking into consideration the sun's altitude throughout the year. Also, there are tall buildings in the surrounding area, so the design ensures that the private space is not visible from those buildings.

We use different materials in the open and private spaces. Because it is a place for living, we placed importance on creating a sense of comfort, while creating a space where you can experience the changing of the seasons and the changes of the day.

I think the best situation is to spend time in a space where privacy is maintained and you can enjoy the outside scenery, sunlight, and breeze. Rather than creating a space that is completely cut off from the outside, I want to aim for a rich space where you can feel the transitions of time.

The inn is located in a national park and there is a lake in front of it, where many migratory birds visit throughout the year. We wanted to incorporate these birds into the motif of the architectural space.

As the space can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the dimming system works based on the seasonal sun altitude to calculate the illuminance, so the space is always filled with a comfortable light.

The colors we could use were limited, and we mainly used natural materials, focusing on earth tones. This made the boundary with the outside scenery unclear, creating a space where the inside and outside seemed to be one.

The circular booth, which cleverly controls the line of sight when seated and standing, was designed with slightly different heights, so its production required advanced techniques.

In ancient Japanese temples, gold and silver leaf has been used on walls and sliding doors to allow comfortable light into the inner rooms. We applied this technique to this space.

We wanted to ensure privacy for each booth while still sharing the magnificent view outside, so that was the most difficult aspect. The idea of ​​varying the height of the booths matched well with the concept.

The use of indirect lighting is inspired by the sunlight reflected at sunrise and sunset, and the entire space is enveloped in the soft light of indirect lighting.

The migratory birds that arrive in each season are different, and their cries and behavior are also different. Japanese food is also prepared using ingredients that are available in season, and the presentation also expresses the characteristics of that season. We wanted to express the four seasons in a Japanese style within the space.

We prioritize designs that blend in with nature. We eliminate excessive design and create a space with a Japanese approach. The fusion of simple beauty and nature has been successfully achieved.

Japan has four seasons, and the way things look, feel and enjoy change with each season. We hope you will surrender yourself to the majestic nature, enjoy your meal in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy the season.

I thought that by simplifying the space and using traditional materials as accents, the materials would be more noticeable. Japanese traditional materials are very delicate and many of them can be recycled, so even if they age, they can be replaced with new ones.

You can enjoy the hot springs at any time in the privacy of your room. Although it is a semi-outdoor space, it is also air-conditioned, so you can stay comfortable all year round.

At Myoken Ishiharaso, we are trying new things in various aspects such as hospitality methods and cuisine, so it was inevitable that we would renovate the space.

We wanted to focus on the healing powers of hot springs, a blessing from nature, so we tried to choose natural building materials rather than artificial ones wherever possible.

Because the inn is located in the mountains, we chose materials that can be found in the surrounding area. We had a local washi craftsman who has been making washi paper by hand for a long time make it specially for this room. The shoji screens, which are made by combining small wooden parts, were also designed specially for this room.

By keeping the space as simple as possible, we have created a room where you can feel the grandeur of the natural outdoors. We aimed to create a room where you can rediscover the benefits of hot springs without being influenced by the trends of the times.

We wanted to focus on the value of the hot spring, so we placed it in the center of the semi-outdoor space. You can enter and exit the hot spring freely from inside the room, so you can enjoy the hot spring without worrying about the time.

The flow of traffic is centered around the living room, allowing free access to the bedroom and the semi-open-air bath. The semi-open-air bath is also designed to be directly accessible from the shower room.

The hot spring water gushes out from underground near the guest rooms, so the facilities were not too difficult to prepare. However, because they want to provide fresh hot spring water, they bring it directly into the bathtub without exposing it to air.

I think that excessive design is unnecessary while carefully preserving the identity that has been passed down without being swayed by trends. I think that design skills that get to the essence and convey only the necessary information are necessary.