Experience the Shishi-Iwa House Collection and an architectural tour of Karuizawa over five days in February 2025, hosted by Design Anthology.
February marks the debut of Design Anthology’s travel experiences, design-led trips curated and hosted by our editorial team.
The first Design Anthology Retreat will be held from 12–16 February 2025 in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa in partnership with architecture and culinary destination Shishi-Iwa House. Open only to Design Anthology members, the retreat takes place over four nights and five days, with all accommodation, meals and activities included.
Shishi-Iwa House Collection
Just an hour by train from Tokyo, Shishi-Iwa House comprises three architectural masterpieces, each designed by a Pritzker Prize-winning architect. The first two houses were designed by Shigeru Ban in 2018 and 2022 respectively, while the third house is by Ryue Nishizawa of Sanaa Architects, opened just last year.
The properties were Ban and Nishizawa’s first hotel projects — and we now invite you to join us in Karuizawa to explore the houses and enjoy a bespoke itinerary covering the best of the town’s architecture, design and dining highlights. And given the town’s close proximity to Tokyo, it’s the perfect opportunity to tack on a few days in the capital.
Itinerary
Karuizawa is known for its rich architectural heritage and is home to significant architect-designed buildings and striking examples of traditional styles. Guests will have the unique opportunity to experience and learn about the area’s 19th-century Rokumeikan architecture, a formative period in the development of the Japanese vernacular, and visit landmarks such as Kazuo Shinohara’s Tanikawa House, the Hoshi Onsen and historic soba restaurant Kagimotoya.
The itinerary includes fine-dining and farm-to-table meals, guided tours of all Shishi-Iwa House properties, exclusive access to renowned buildings, private homes and storied hotels, as well as sake and wine tasting, wellness activities and the requisite spot of shopping.
A tentative itinerary can be seen below. Kindly note that this itinerary may change prior to the experience.
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14:00–16:00
Arrival. Pickup at Karuizawa Station and check-in at Shishi-Iwa House.16:00–17:00
Welcome drinks. After you’ve arrived and settled in, enjoy welcome drinks at the bar.19:00
Dinner at Shola with a Japanese sake and wine tasting. Welcome dinner at Shola, known for using fresh, sustainably raised ingredients from nearby farms. Executive chef Masashi Okamoto and his team serve up creations that are visually striking and deeply in tune with nature. The special menu will be served with Japanese wines from the Nagano region and a special selection of wine and sake will also be available for tasting during dinner. -
08:00–09:30
Breakfast at Shola. Traditional Japanese breakfast made with fresh Nagano ingredients.09:30–11:30
Architecture tour of Shishi-Iwa House. Learn about the architectural concept behind each house and the art collection within, with Grant Suzuki, partner at Shigeru Ban Architects.12:30–14:00
Lunch at Kagimotoya. Kagimotoya is the oldest soba restaurant in Nagano, having started during the Meiji period in 1870. The restaurant is renowned for its traditional handmade soba.14:00–16:00
Visit to Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Hall Stone Church. Completed by American architect Kendrick Kellogg in 1988, the building features a series of arches that were built with stone, rocks and glass.16:00–18:00
By guest’s selection. Forest bathing and a waterfall walk at nearby Sengataki waterfall, or a visit to Sengataki Onsen. A private traditional shiatsu massage can also pre-arranged.19:00–21:00
Dinner at Kuroiwa Muni. Kuroiwa Muni is a favourite Japanese fine-dining restaurant, known for its seasonal kaiseki set course that celebrates traditional Japanese cuisine. -
08:00–09:30
Breakfast at Shola. Traditional Japanese breakfast made with fresh Nagano ingredients.10:00–14:00
Visit to Tanikawa House by Kazuo Shinohara. ‘A house is a work of art,’ said the legendary architect Kazuo Shinohara. Built in 1974 for poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, this house is one of Shinohara’s masterpieces. The architect is known for rejecting large-scale modernist structures popular after the war and focusing instead on adapting individual human-scale dwellings as a basic unit to form the fabric of each community.16:00–17:00
Tour of Hoshi Onsen Chojukan. One of the renowned onsen hot springs in Japan, this is a historical inn with an architectural history that dates back over 140 years and has attracted renowned artists and writers. The architecture is based on Rokumeikan style and the property is registered as a national tangible cultural property.17:00–19:00
Onsen. Experience the historic onsen bathhouse with natural hot spring water directly from the mountains.19:30
Traditional dinner at Hoshi Onsen. The restaurant uses high-quality, seasonal local produce from the local town of Minakami and Gunma Prefecture. -
08:00–09:30
Breakfast at Hoshi.09:30–11:30
Drive back to Karuizawa.12:00
Lunch at Shola.14:00
Visit to Mampei Hotel. Formerly known as Kameya Inn and opened in 1764, Mampei Hotel was one of the first Western-style hotels in Japan and the summer retreat of John Lennon.16:00
Visit to Harmony House. Harmony House by master architect Junzo Yoshimura was completed in 1963. Initially built as a vacation home for his family, it’s the first built example resulting from his studies dedicated to a residential typology in wood, anchored to a reinforced concrete slab and with a single-plain inclined roof.19:00
Celebration dinner at Shola. A special six-course set menu prepared by Chef Masa to celebrate the end of our trip.21:00
Craft gin and whisky tasting at Shola. This optional experience allows guests to taste and compare different local craft gins or Japanese whiskies at the bar. -
08:00–09:30
Breakfast at Shola. Traditional Japanese breakfast made with fresh Nagano ingredients.09:30–11:00
Visit to Onioshidashi Volcanic Park. An optional experience, guests can visit Onioshidashi Volcano Park. The great diversity of alpine wildlife in the volcanic landscape offers some truly spectacular sights, with black rocks formed by hardened lava criss-crossing the landscape.09:30–12:00
Outlet mall, farmer’s market and bee farm. Optional visits to the Karuizawa shopping outlet, with more than 200 shops and restaurants, a farmer’s market and a tour of the region’s largest bee farm.12:00
Check-out. Guests are invited to check-out of Shishi-Iwa House at noon and will be offered transport to Karuizawa station.
Pricing
Based on double occupancy in a Shishi-Iwa House Superior room, the retreat is priced at JPY 465,000 per person.
Based on single occupancy in a Shishi-Iwa House Superior room, the retreat is priced at JPY 570,000 per person.
Pricing excludes taxes and service charges.
Applications
Apply now to express your interest in joining us in Karuizawa. Spaces are limited and available by application only. Successful applicants will be notified by email, after which payment will be due. If you have any questions, please reach out to hello@design-anthology.com.
