Feature | In Search of a True Summer Retreat | Part 1: "Symbiotic" Hotels Living in Harmony with Nature Gallery
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Feature | In Search of a True Summer Retreat | Part 1: "Symbiotic" Hotels Living in Harmony with Nature Gallery

In early July, when it was too hot to be called early summer, I headed to Shinano Town, Nagano Prefecture, in search of coolness.
My accommodation was the "Lake Nojiri Hotel El Bosco" (hereinafter referred to as El Bosco), a resort hotel filled with the architectural details of Kiyoshi Seike, such as its bricks made entirely of Shigaraki ware.
The design remained as it was at the time of opening, and in 2008, it was reopened as a "hotel for reading."
This is the heart of the Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park, Japan's second-largest national park, in northern Nagano Prefecture. The majestic scenery of Lake Nojiri and the Hokushin Five Peaks unfolds before your eyes.
Shinano Town is about two and a half hours away from Tokyo by Shinkansen and local train.
It is an excellent summer resort for travelers who want to escape the city and just relax.
The building has three floors. The lobby is on the third floor.
The interior was designed by Rikizo Watanabe, known as a pioneer of Japanese design. His "Riki Chair" is also in the lobby.
Guests are first guided to a seating area.
Check-in is done while gazing at the forest and lake.
The concept is "a hotel for reading."
A wide selection of books is available, from Kiyoshi Seike's writings to photo collections and picture books.
A wide selection of books is available, from Kiyoshi Seike's writings to photo collections and picture books.
Large sofas are placed in front of the bookshelves.
One of El Bosco's programs, "Nature Study," involves creating objects using fallen leaves and twigs found during a forest walk.
Objects are casually displayed in the lobby.
A wood-burning stove is used in winter.
Lake Nojiri viewed from the lobby.
Lake Nojiri viewed from the lobby.
El Bosco means "forest" in Spanish.
The building is said to be inspired by a ship.
There are 50 guest rooms in total, divided into three types: twin, maisonette, and maisonette suite.
The photo shows a deluxe twin room.
All rooms have a lake view overlooking Lake Nojiri.
Some rooms are equipped with Rikizo Watanabe's signature "Riki Chair" (photo shows a deluxe twin room).
All items, from bedding to bath amenities, are original products with the hotel's logo.
The bath amenities have the scent of French Lime Blossom, said to be a favorite of the late Princess Diana.
The public spaces are designed to evoke the deck of a ship.
The H-shaped pillars, a signature design element of Kiyoshi Seike.
Chairs are provided throughout the hotel.
Aya Aso, Representative Director of Agora Hospitalitys.
"This is a building worth preserving for the next 100 years. Rather than a drastic makeover, the renovation process is more like restoring it to its original state. Our job was to remove elements that no longer met customer needs and help the work breathe again," says Aya Aso.
"When regenerating hotels, people often start with the building's design. But we start from the opposite direction. We consider what kind of experience people expect from the hotel and what kind of space that would be. We then translate all of that into the concept," says Aya Aso.
"At El Bosco, we want guests to experience things they can't do in their busy daily lives, like pausing time for a moment.We hope it becomes a hotel where people choose to come to read. In the city, days just fly by, don't they? We want to be a hotel where people can pause that time for a bit and choose to read," says Aya Aso.
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Feature: In Search of a True Summer Retreat | Part 1: "Symbiotic Hotels Living with Nature" Gallery

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