Sosuiyo in Yunoyama: A New Kind of Villa Blending Art and Serenity｜SOSUIKYO

Yunoyama Sosui | SOSUIKYO

A New Resort with Open-Air Baths in Every Room Opens in Yunoyama, Mie

Yunoyama Sosui (Sosuiyo), a resort featuring 12 villas built with natural materials and a restaurant, has opened in Komono Town, Mie Prefecture. It's a resort where guests can relax with peace of mind, incorporating new tourism styles to accommodate COVID-19, such as a face-recognition check-in system that avoids contact with others and autonomous driving mobility.

Text by OZAKI Sayaka | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi

Introducing Face Recognition and Autonomous Mobility: A Resort Proposing New Post-Corona Tourism Styles

Yunoyama Sosui, a resort featuring 12 villas constructed from natural materials such as earth, stone, plaster, wood, lacquer, Japanese paper, glass, and iron, has opened in Komono Town, Mie Prefecture. The design and art curation, reminiscent of unique art museums, were overseen by ceramic artist and sculptor Koichi Uchida. Furthermore, the "Do-oh" villa, embodying "earth," includes a tea room produced by tea master So-oku Sen. The "Shohaku" villa, representing "glass," features a glass chandelier by glass artist Naho Iino, and the "Genshitsu" villa, embodying "lacquer," is equipped with a black lacquer bathtub by lacquer artist Akito Akagi. Guests can enjoy contemporary art, crafts, ancient art, and antiques, much like visiting an art museum.

For dining, a highlight of any trip, guests can choose from three restaurants: one specializing in aged meat by Ryuji Teshima, owner-chef of the Michelin-starred "Restaurant PAGES" in Paris; another featuring eel; and a soba noodle restaurant, all utilizing carefully selected ingredients from Mie Prefecture.

Yunoyama Sosui also offers autonomous mobility for transportation and Japan's first face-recognition system for room access. After pre-registration, guests can check in with minimal contact, and autonomous vehicles handle transportation and room service deliveries. Each villa includes a private parking space and a private open-air hot spring bath fed directly from the source, allowing guests to minimize interactions during their stay. Rooms and restaurants are regularly disinfected with alcohol, and thorough measures such as drive-through temperature checks and staff wearing masks ensure a safe and relaxing experience.