06/2008
Hokkaido Lake Kussharo
SoRa Tsuruga Auberge in Lake Kussharo
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
Slow Food, Slow Life for the North
True luxury, if such a thing exists, would be wandering freely through a wide, green field; sitting under a tree and falling asleep to the wind's lullaby; dining on fresh picked vegetables. At SoRa Tsuruga Auberge in Lake Kussharo , we made these luxuries real.
There is no greater pleasure, no greater experience of nature, than when you take a canoe down the Kushiro river flowing into Lake Kussharo, known for its cobalt blue waters, with the gentle breeze blowing over the face of the river as it bridges the gap between sun and land, amid the grey herons stooping down to the river and the watercress rising from below.
Amongst this natural scenery, we took over a log house made from huge Canadian logs, and renovated it a guest house. The Japanese character 昊 "SoRa" here signifies the summer sky, when the sun stands at its highest. The character shows the sun itself crowning the heavens, much as it seems to pierce the blue sky of this place.
The hotel has only two rooms, but the meadow spreading out around it calls you to run free over it. The luxury of freedom in wide open spaces fills the heart to bursting. This facility is only open from April to October, due to the heavy snows of winter.
There are tales of Kusshie, named after Nessie, of course, lurking within Lake Kussharo, Japan's largest caldera lake, which freezes over completely in winter. The 5-10km long cracks that form in the ice carry an overwhelming feeling of mystery. It's also famous as a landing place for migrating swans. After winter's harshness, people gather here in great numbers for canoeing, touring, and fishing from Spring to Summer.
After converting this log house, made from huge Canadian logs, into a guest house, we also added a restaurant and garden deck.
This little house on the wide prairie has become a warm auberge, quite fitting for the grand natural scenery.
We used SoRa's theme color blue as a basic tone for the newly established restaurant. The wide meadows spreading in front of the windows beg to be run through.
The welcome lounge. The restaurant has a waiting room which becomes a bar lounge in the evening.
There are two guest rooms, with two bedrooms each.
One is named Berry, decorated in red and purple, and the other Herb, in green.