A destination hotel is defined by its ability to truly transport you to an entirely new place — both physically, emotionally and spiritually. When travelling to Numazu Club, a secluded property located alongside Japan’s Suruga Bay, it’s hard to know what to expect. Yet it’s clear that upon arrival, the expansive site is nothing short of extraordinary.

Rich in cultural depth and architectural history, Numazu Club is one of Japan’s most unique gems that immerses guests in both the past and the present through its exceptional design. As a secluded luxury hotel tucked within a centuries-old pine grove located between Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay in Numazu, Shizuoka, the destination is well worth the travel. 

Nestled within a calm oasis of 1000 pine trees, Numazu Club is a kind of hide out for those inspired by Japanese design and aesthetics, and for those who are simply after a remote getaway. The site property includes three Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. The first, the historic Nagaya Gate, stands poignantly at the front entrance. 

Numazu Club is comprised of two main structures — half of the property features a 110-year-old sukiya–zukuri style teahouse that is utilised as the hotel restaurant and traditional tearoom — whilst the second building (added to the site in 2006) is a modernist form designed by late architect Akira Watanabe. This is where the Guestroom Villa, The Spa, and Reception Lounge are found. Both the modernist volume and the traditional structure harmonise together as the one hotel.

ARCHITECTURE

The modernist villa is comprised of two interconnected volumes that reflect both traditional architectural elements with a contemporary lens. Watanabe’s architectural design is unlike anywhere else and transports you to another time and world of Japanese craftsmanship in modernist style. It is also known to be his last complete work. Both volumes face a central pond that create mesmerising reflections both during the day and at night. The reception building is a double-height structure housing a main lounge, spa treatment room, communal baths and sauna. Throughout the spaces, find elegant furniture designed by Motomi Kawakami and exquisite lighting by Kaito Haruki. The adjoining volume comprises eight guest rooms across two floors, some rooms as maisonettes and others as single floor guest rooms. Watanabe designed the buildings with reverence: witness his interpretation of traditional tsuchi kabe earthen walls (a kind of rammed earth) crafted with the hanchiku technique utilising sand from the neighbouring Fuji River.

Nearby in the restored traditional structure, shoes are off and slippers are on, where guests revel in polished timber flooring and winding hallways constructed decades earlier that lead to the on-site restaurant, library and lounge, and traditional tea room. Constructed in 1913, the site featured a tearoom due to the original owner, Miwa Zenbei, being a renowned tea lover. So much so that he had a traditional and authentic tea room transported all the way from Kyoto (deconstructed and then reconstructed again) to where it now remains in Numazu Club. It’s an extraordinary capture of skilled carpentry and capture of time that continues to be preserved at Numazu Club. Find architectural details such as musou-mado (fixed window) to exposed takekomai lattice-like bamboo laths.

GUEST ROOMS

Solid cedar (sugi) dominates the interior of guest rooms beautifully — from sliding shutters to window sashes and detailed fittings. This subtle touch is often unnoticed yet speaks volumes for the harmony of the space. Each element is intentional yet restrained creating a lightness to the space. Some guest rooms feature gorgeously woven rattan chairs that gently recline. In other rooms, reed screens (yoshido), constructed from bamboo, act as shutters. Each guest room also includes their own private soaking tub crafted from fragrant hinoki wood. 

For turn down, a set of herb tea (organic and pesticide-free) from Ochiai Herb Farm in Shizuoka is prepared for guests to settle the night into. Named the ‘Goodnight Blend’, it is a mix of locally-sourced ginger, chamomile, spearmint, marjoram, bupleurum root blend, holy basil, horsetail and bupleurum falcatum, an ancient herb harvested from neighbouring areas Mishima to Ito during the Edo period popular for relieving fatigue for travellers passing through the Tokaido post town.

SPA

For ultimate relaxation in the serene environment, a visit to the on-site spa facility The Spa at Numazu Club will leave you feeling rejuvenated and revitalised. The space is equipped with an indoor bath, an open-air bath (an artificial hot spring containing minerals from Koumeiseki stone) and a stone sauna and standard sauna rooms. Notably, the spa uses water drawn from a well on the Numazu Club grounds that shares the same source as the springs of the Kakita River, one of the three clearest streams in Japan. Reservation-only treatments conducted by skilled therapists utilise skincare from Japanese brand UKA. The treatments range from Full Body to 30-minute Targeted Massages such as Dry Head Spa or Reflexology, depending on your needs. As one of Japan’s best massages, the Full body treatment sees a perfectly-pressured full body massage that drains lymph nodes, treating legs (front and back), arms, back and spine, décolleté, finishing with a divine UKA scalp brush kenzan head massage — leaving you feeling restored and renewed.

DINING

The on-site restaurant hosts breakfast and evening dinners — even outside guests are able to book the restaurant for lunch and special occasions. The focus is Chinese cuisine utilising locally-sourced seasonal ingredients, supervised by Hirofumi Saito of “Ichirin Hanare” in Kamakura, served in stunning Japanese tableware. For dinner find dishes including sumptuous Shanghai Crab Marinated in Chinese Wine to their signature: Shizuoka-raised chicken with black vinegar sauce and chilli oil. For pairings, local sake flights or wines from their extensive menu complement the perfect evening. 

Numazu Club exudes the epitome of Japanese omotenashi, sincere hospitality, due to its staff. Some of the staff were formerly of the lineage of Numazu Club’s previous owner’s property Niki Club, noted as the first boutique design hotel in Japan. The attention to detail, warm demeanours and extraordinary skill of the staff goes above and beyond. It’s this type of service that cannot be replicated and truly comes from within — an essence that Numazu Club’s staff inherently hold.

Numazu Club is truly one-of-a-kind. During your visit, simply relax and enjoy the beauty of the passage of time. Surrounded by nature, the sounds of birds or the gentle breeze is the perfect setting to relax your thoughts or be inspired for new ideas. 

NUMAZU CLUB
1907-8 Sembongorin, Numazu, Japan

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Text: Editorial Director Joanna Kawecki
Images: As credited