Hotelier Adrian Zecha has announced that the maiden outpost for the Azumi brand is scheduled to open March 2021. Located on the Japanese small island of Ikuchijima, Azumi Setoda will occupy a 140-year-old compound that formerly served as the headquarters and private residence for a successful family involved with salt farming and shipping. Kyoto-based architect Shiro Miura will spearhead the site’s renovations in order to establish a contemporary ryokan concept featuring materials, like wood, stone, and soil, to reinforce nature.
Well-defined private and public spaces will echo the identity of 16th-century tea ceremony rituals. Azumi Setoda will feature a wellness and bathhouse concept, known as yubune, located across the street from the main house. Each of the property’s accommodations will be equipped with an outdoor area that comprises a private garden and spacious balcony lined with a reinterpretation of a traditional kakine, or cedar fence.
“At Azumi, we are updating the ryokan, which was typically a traditional family managed inn, that naturally does what we envisioned,” Zecha says. “Our highest priority is to welcome people wholeheartedly so that they feel at home, no matter the location.”
