06/2007
Hokkaido Abashiri
HOKUTEN NO OKA Lake Abashiri Tsuruga Resort
Task
Overall Planning/Concept Work/Logo Design/Interior-Design Planning/Sign Design
Restaurant Ware Design/Interior wear and Uniform Design/Promotional Tools Design/Furniture - Fixture Coordination
Okhotsk Fantasy
Before the Jomon Period, various peoples crossed the Sea of Okhotsk and created in this northern land a majestic culture that still lingers faintly today. The original residents of this region were a northern people different from the Ainu. We built this hotel on the theme of the fantasy of the Okhotsk and the land itself, with the name Hokuten no Oka, or "hill of the northern sky," coming from Ryotaro Shiba's book "Okhotsk Kaido," where he refers to the Okhotsk people piercing the northern sky. We have included the symbol of the Sea of Okhotsk, whales, and of the land, the Steller's Sea Eagle. Both of these local creatures have become rare, but sometimes do appear in the calm waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. When I saw the incredible natural abundance here, I felt I had to do my best draw out the vast potential of the region's culture.
They say the Okhotsk people lived on the coasts, while the Ainu lived along the rivers. In this hotel we use a great deal of Okhotsk patterns. It's believed that these patterns influenced Ainu design as well. This culture was passed on to the Ainu, and from there brought to Japanese of Jomon descent, and the thought that even a trace of that ancient blood remains within us stirs the echoes of history.
In Abashiri, the drift ice and former Abashiri Prison are major tourist attractions. However, by bringing out the Okhotsk culture left behind by these northern peoples, with buses decorated with Jomon pottery designs run through Abashiri City, Okhotsk Culture has become a new source of tourism.
The walls running through the lounge are decorated with simple stucco mixed with small pebbles and plants to remind one of the seafaring hunter Okhotsk people who lived here during the Jomon period.
The lounge is decorated with carvings of the whales and sea eagles who pierce the sea and land of Okhotsk. The fireplace and bar counter are decorated with Okhotsk patterns.
The library is filled with books on Okhotsk and stone implements. The cigar bar sign, and others, are made with deer antlers.
The guest rooms have a view of the gentle hills of Okhotsk. The hallways and fixtures evoke the imagery of Okhotsk.
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