SHISHI-IWA-HOUSE KARUIZAWA

Karuizawa Is the Perfect Mountain Retreat in Japan — and It's Not Far From Tokyo

"After two days at Hoshinoya, we moved to Shishi-Iwa House, a small hotel made up of three distinct buildings that showcase contemporary Japanese design: our rooms were in a sinuous structure by Pritzker winner Shigeru Ban, another airy pavilion by Ban houses the restaurant and a whisky bar, and a third by Ryue Nishizawa playfully reinterprets the traditional machiya. Extensive engawa connect courtyard gardens, the rooms have tatami floors and shoji screens, and the houses are filled with significant Japanese artwork plus libraries of design monographs and journals, making the place feel like a cultured, design-forward retreat." - Katie Kitamura