2026 ASIA’S BEST HOSPITALITY INTERIOR DESIGN - NEW JAPAN UMEDA
Project Name: New Japan Umeda
Location: Osaka, Japan
Company: HiGe creative partner
Designer: Shinichiro Yokoi
Manufacturer: KIKUSUI
Owner: NEW JAPAN CO., LTD.
New Japan Umeda is a renovation project of a long-established hospitality facility located in Osaka’s Umeda entertainment district, originally developed in the 1970s. The project reinterprets an iconic program combining public bath, sauna, and one of the world’s earliest capsule hotels, preserving its historical identity while introducing a new spatial experience.
The design responds to two key objectives: to clearly express the building’s identity as a hot spring and sauna destination, and to enhance the spatial perception of the original capsule hotel without altering its heritage structure designed by Kisho Kurokawa. The lower levels are reimagined through a sauna-inspired concept, using natural wood tones and traditional Japanese elements, including a large noren curtain, to create a distinct and welcoming entrance.
On the upper floors, the existing capsules are retained and visually transformed through the introduction of mirrored ceilings, multiplying their presence and generating a spatial illusion of depth and continuity. This intervention redefines perception without physical modification.
By combining preservation with minimal yet strategic design interventions, the project creates a unique dialogue between past and present, offering guests an immersive and unconventional hospitality experience.
