Stay in a building designed by Kengo Kuma. Experience a stay at "FUFU NARA" and blend into the traditions and culture of the ancient capital

FUFU NARA: A small luxury resort that blends into a corner of Nara Park

FUFU NARA is located in a corner of Nara Park, the heart of tourism in Nara, where deer leisurely graze. It is one of the FUFU series hotels, which will be located in Atami, Kawaguchiko, Nikko, Kyoto, and Hakone (scheduled to open on January 26, 2022). FUFU offers accommodation that makes use of the nature and culture of each location. Many people visit each facility to get to know the area better and enjoy the unique experience of each location.

FUFU NARA is a small luxury resort with only 30 rooms spread across a site of approximately 13,000 square meters. The entire resort cannot be seen from outside the site, as it is blocked by earthen walls and tall trees peeking through them.

Turning into a side street, you'll come across a spacious stone-paved approach, and at the back you'll see a two-story building in muted colors. It's only after you've reached this point that you realize that you're in fact a hotel.

The basic architectural design of "FUFU NARA" was created by Kengo Kuma. Kuma is a leading Japanese architect who also designed the National Stadium, which was used as the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kuma's designs are characterized by their use of a lot of wood and their soft designs that blend in with the surrounding environment and culture. There is also an episode that makes you feel the connection between Kuma and Nara, as the design of the National Stadium was inspired by the five-story pagoda of Horyuji Temple, the oldest remaining five-story pagoda in Japan that still stands here in Nara and has remained in its current form since the Asuka period.

The exterior of FUFU NARA incorporates the traditions, culture, and techniques that have been handed down in Nara since ancient times, and Kuma's design allows them to blend in beautifully with the surrounding environment.

The roof combines several styles, including gabled, hipped, and gambrel roofs, to create a modern sukiya style. The walls are made using a technique called "Yamato-bari," in which every other board is offset and slightly overlapped.

Many people may imagine Kuma's work to be made using natural, light wood, but "Fufu Nara" uses the ink color that is associated with this region. This color is a reference to "Nara ink," a color that has been passed down from the Asuka period to the present day. Even today, Nara is a producer of ink, accounting for more than 90% of the ink produced in Japan. The shadows created by this ink color and the "Yamato-bari" construction bring out the beauty of the Yoshino cedar wood grain.

As part of the vast, green Nara Park, it welcomes us with an appearance as if it has been there since ancient times.

The exterior of the building is inspired by Kengo Kuma's unique worldview, and the interior is filled with history, culture and tradition.

At the entrance, a camphor tree native to the area has been given new life as a reception counter to welcome guests. Looking up at the ceiling, you can see the "Yamato-bari" style of construction seen on the exterior. In the back, you can see the "Azekura-zukuri" style of construction used in Shosoin Repository as a design on the pillars and walls.

Nara is an ancient capital and the final destination of the Silk Road. Its charm lies not only in the ancient Japanese traditions, nature and inherited techniques of Nara, but also in the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, as seen in the treasures of Shosoin.

At FUFU NARA, check-in will take place in your room. Before that, you can take a break with a welcome drink in the lobby while looking out at the courtyard. Each table in the lobby is separated by Nara mosquito net fabric. The unique transparency of the mosquito net fabric does not feel oppressive, yet it also seems to play a part in creating a space that respects privacy.

If you are intrigued by the materials and interior design typical of Nara that are used in the building, why not visit the shops and galleries in the nearby "Naramachi" area? You might find a wonderful souvenir there.

You can use this lobby space not only when you arrive, but whenever you feel like it during your stay. Enjoy the view of the garden, pick up a magazine, or just relax and unwind as you please.

"BAR Ren" welcomes you with a striking door and old wood

At the back of the lobby, there is a space lit by soft lights. This is BAR Ren, which opens at night. The reason your eye is drawn to it may be because of the trunk of a large Zelkova tree and the wooden door, which gives off a sense of age, having been handed down from an old house.

"BAR Ren" has a counter and semi-private rooms, and is a cozy space with a calming color scheme of ink and old wood, and beautiful shadows created by the lighting. In addition to whiskey and wine, they also serve cocktails made with the precious gin "Tachibana Gin" from Yamato Distillery in Gose City, Nara Prefecture. It's a good place to stop by before or after dinner.

Enjoy the different designs of each guest room

There are 30 rooms in total, divided into five types, each with a different design. The photo shows an example of a premium corner suite. The living room is sunken with a theme of "sitting," and the floor is made of Ryukyu tatami mats. The interior is unified with color tones that evoke the weathering of history of ink and old wood. The yukata and haori are two-tone ink and black, allowing you to enjoy a sophisticated coordination.

The lighting design, with its beautiful light and shadow, is also distinctive. The amount of light can be adjusted to various levels, such as "full moon," "thirteenth night," "waxing moon," and "crescent moon," creating a sense of elegant playfulness.

This is an example of a comfort suite. The antique chairs and the brass handles with a dull shine stand out against the chic ink-colored interior. The bedside lamps are made of "Nara Sarashi" fabric, which is spun one by one by artisans, and they envelop you in soft light before you go to sleep.

Feel the breeze from the temple and Mt. Kasuga in this open-air bath.

All rooms at "FUFU NARA" are equipped with an open-air bath where you can feel the breeze and greenery. In order to "help you relax after your travels," water is brought from hot springs within the prefecture so that you can enjoy natural hot spring water in your room.

In honor of Nara, the birthplace of medicine, they also offer "Japanese and Chinese scented baths," bags packed with a blend of more than 10 kinds of Japanese and Chinese herbs, including Japanese angelica leaves, mugwort, cypress, and persimmon leaves. If you soak the bag in the bath overnight, the scent will have spread by the next morning, so we recommend enjoying the hot springs as they are at night and the Japanese and Chinese baths in the morning.

Beyond the open-air bath is a garden, and beyond that you can see Sagiike Pond, home to the Ukimido Pavilion, one of the most famous spots in Nara Park. After your soak, relax on the sofa and enjoy the breeze of the park and the bamboo forest as you relax and enjoy the time that passes.

Drinks are also available in the minibar. Any drink without a price tag is free, which is a simple system.

The amenities also feature scents that evoke a feeling of Nara

If you plan to visit the onsen multiple times, feel free to ask for a towel change. If you don't want to meet the staff, such as before getting ready in the morning, it's convenient to use the non-face-to-face utility box.

They also stock organic cleansing products, face washes, lotions, milks, etc. Another great thing about them is that you don't have to carry around bulky skincare products.

In the "FUFU Series," each facility offers amenities with a scent that reflects the characteristics of the area. "FUFU Nara" has the scent of ink. If you see something that catches your eye, such as the bath amenities called "YOKOU," which allow you to take home the scent of your trip, or the aroma oils used in the rooms, we recommend purchasing it at the souvenir shop to take home as a memento of your trip.

The shop also sells souvenirs such as goshuincho (stamp books) made from Yoshino cedar, handicrafts by local artists, and Yoshino kuzu mochi (kuzu mochi with dried deer filling). After soothing yourself in the hot springs, it's a good idea to stop by before heading out for dinner.

Enjoy dinner at "Tekisui" while feeling the pleasant breeze of the garden

For dinner, we went to Tekisui through the bamboo forest of Yogayama Garden. Yogayama Garden was the villa of Yamaguchi Kirobei, who was active in the Osaka financial world from the Meiji to Taisho eras, and is a garden that is open to the public from 9:00 to 22:00.

The fusion of Kuma's numerous furnishings, which are rooted in the historical and cultural climate of Nara, with these historic gardens and courtyards, could be said to embody the worldview of "teioku ichinyo" (a beautiful harmony between garden and building) that FUFU NARA aims for.

To fully enjoy FUFU NARA, it's important to enjoy not only the hotel and rooms, but also the garden view to the fullest.

At "Tekisui Japanese Restaurant," which is also the dining area of "FUFU NARA," you can experience cuisine with a new flair that combines Japanese cuisine and teppanyaki with the taste of Nara.

Most of the seats are private rooms to ensure privacy, and every seat offers a view of the garden, allowing you to relax and enjoy your meal without having to worry about other guests.

Discover the new flavors of Nara at "Teppanyaki Kuri"

At Teppanyaki Kuri, located inside Tekisui, you can experience the sounds of cooking ingredients and the fragrant aromas up close, while enjoying a culinary delight savoring the flavors of Nara and its seasons.

Another thing to look forward to is the wines and local sake that go well with each dish. Non-alcoholic pairings are also available. Sparkling wine infused with Yamato Tachibana, spritzers made with Yoshino citrus "Jabara", and beautiful wine made from Yamato Wako black tea are all poured into beautiful glasses just like the alcohol, so even those who don't like alcohol can share the atmosphere as if they are tasting alcohol together.

The menu, which changes every month, is unique to Nara, and uses carefully selected seasonal ingredients in an inventive and creative way. Noting that Nara is the birthplace of medicine, Japanese herbs and spices are used to give Japanese cuisine a new flair. Please enjoy the delicate and innovative flavors with surprise.

The main ingredient of teppanyaki is meat. At "Teppanyaki Kuri," the meat is slowly grilled on a low-temperature hot plate, locking in the meat's natural flavor and making it incredibly tender and juicy. It's so delicious that you'll want to eat it simply with salt and wasabi, but we also recommend trying their original sauce made with spices and herbs. It brings out the flavor of the meat more than you'd imagine.

The course menu is so thorough that even the sweets are served with roasted green tea and Japanese pepper. While luxurious meals when traveling can make you feel a little guilty about your body, here you can eat everything to the end without feeling too guilty, because "this is Wakan" or "it contains plants used in Chinese medicine."

Enjoy a stay in the area with Kengo Kuma's designs

"FUFU NARA" is a small luxury resort built in a corner of Nara Park. In addition, it is a hotel designed by Kuma, and has attracted attention from many quarters. The interior is filled with the beauty of the ancient capital and new proposals.

In a quiet space with only 30 rooms, you can experience the intersection of Nara's traditions and techniques, and its history and culture as the end point of the Silk Road. The charm of this place can only be fully experienced on site. When it becomes safe to travel again, why not immerse yourself in Nara at FUFU NARA?

Fufu Nara

Text and photos (hot springs): Kaoru Togo
Photo: Seiichi Suzuki