A serene modern sanctuary ensconced in forest in a small town in Japan, Yugawara Soyu Books and Retreat celebrates design, books, hot spring bathing and all things nature

Books, baths, contemporary design and nature: this is the simple formula behind a minimalist new hot spring escape just a few hours by train from Tokyo.

Yugawara Soyu Books and Retreat is surrounded by forests in Yugawara, a small town in Kanagawa Prefecture famed for its onsen heritage. The complex is made up of Genkan Terrace — a renovated community space with a cafe, co-working space and hot spring footbath — plus, deep among the trees, Soyu Terrace, a network of minimalist black wood pavilions with hot spring onsen baths, a restaurant and a library.

Soyu Terrace, which is designed by Shohei Oka, is reached via a steep meandering forest path that follows a flowing river — dubbed the Green Pathway — taking visitors into the heart of an idyllic natural escape.

A clean-lined simplicity underpins the design of Soyu Terrace, with hillside forests framing a simple network of cube-like structures with dark timber facades, cut-out walls of glass and internal swathes of industrial raw concrete. Serene views of the dense trees, wildflowers and sky can be seen throughout the complex.

‘The aim is to be able to take a bath while enjoying nature, in terraces scattered in the forest,’ Oka explains. ‘I wanted to create different kinds of experiences to enjoy in nature, such as bathing in a hot spring, reading a book, drinking a coffee, or simply walking around.’

Upon reaching the entrance of Soyu Terrace, shoes and clothing are swapped for slippers and black outfits in a minimalist reception space, where a simple mother-of-pearl artwork by Tomotaka Yasui hangs on concrete walls.

Centre stage is the first-floor restaurant, with black-dyed oak floors, original black Luft-designed wooden furniture and swathes of glass. A staircase leads upstairs to the library, where around 100 books (from photography and design to philosophy) are on show, selected from the property’s 1,500 strong collection. Here, raw concrete walls are punctured by rectangular cut-out windows and books are laid out on central tables, while black seating lines the glass facade.

But it’s the onsen bathing that steals the show. The main outdoor baths — divided by gender — feature light-filtering timber lattice frames plus picture-perfect views of the shifting seasonal trees.

A pathway winding deeper into the forest leads to a scattering of wilder, more al fresco hot spring baths, with simple wooden walls, rattan blinds and open ceilings for cloud-watching from the steaming water.

Highlighting his overriding desire to ‘pay respect to nature’, Oka says he ‘chose a black facade to make the building look as unnoticeable and beautiful as possible in the forest.’ Inside, he says, he used a desaturated colour scheme and materials ‘to make the most of the beautiful forest views.’

Text / Danielle Demetriou
Images / Kohei Yamamoto