Just an hour train ride from Tokyo in the foothills of Mount Asama is the resort town of Karuizawa, now home to the 10-room Shishi-Iwa House from Shigeru Ban Architects. Constructed from natural and nonintrusive materials, the wood- and glass-clad restorative retreat invites visitors to be completely immersed in nature instead of spoiling it. “There were many big trees in good condition onsite, which I did not want to cut,” says Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban. “I made the buildings narrow and curved for placement between the trees.” Wood frames were sandwiched between prefab plywood panels, and a pitched gable roof allows for rain to run off without obscuring the architecture. This form is repeated indoors, as well, with rhythmic wooden trusses that follow the roof line. The verdant landscape is, of course, brought inside thanks to double-height, wood-framed glass doors, while the reception area and library open to a garden, which features more than 250 species of trees. “Shishi-Iwa House is for anyone seeking a place to rest, to think, and to reflect, and who is still interested in a social hospitality experience,” says Ban.