Shiguchi

Shiguchi offers 5 meticulously renovated kominkas, spacious Japanese old houses built by Aizu master craftsmen, on a mountain ridge within a privately owned estate in the heart of the Niseko’s countryside. Each understated villa features its own private open-air onsen and elegant interiors decorated with antique and modern ceramics, ink paintings and sculptures from the private collection of Shouya Grigg. Neither a conventional hotel, nor a traditional ryokan, Shiguchi combines both modern comfort with traditional service, showcasing impeccable art, crafts, and centuries-old architecture nestled within Niseko’s extraordinary nature. For dining, guests can enjoy the adjacent Somoza restaurant and art center, a large, restored kominka where there is a curated range of personalized cultural and culinary experiences such as celebrating the time-honored Japanese tea ceremony in their contemporary tea room. Guests can also enjoy other activities such as ikebana (flower arranging) and fine art photography, wilderness hiking, and wellness therapies.

Why We Love This Hotel

Seclusion: Surrounded by forestry and mountain views, Shiguchi's small tiny footprint of only 5 kominkas (Japanese villas) makes this an ideal stay for anyone wanting a quiet respite and to tune into nature and self-reflection.

Large Rooms: With the smallest villa sized at 144 sqm (1,550 sqft) and the largest villa measuring a super spacious 351 sqm (3,778 sqft), all 5 guest villas allow plenty of room to spread out and feel like a home away from home.

Art: Art aficionados will appreciate that all rooms at Shiguchi feature antique and modern ceramics, ink paintings, and sculptures from the private collection of Shouya Grigg. One villa also has a private gallery, giving guests a personal experience of the founder’s own works of art alongside a collection of inspirational pieces collected from around the world.

Destination: Niseko, Japan
Hotel Type: Boutique
Location Type: Urban Retreat

Amenities

Restaurant
Spa
Yoga Classes/instruction On Site

“Kominka” means old house, and generally refers to a distinctive style of house built of local natural materials such as wood, clay and straw, often found in rural Japan. The enormous frames are supported by thick beams and posts of oak or cypress, which fit together like a puzzle. The largely open-plan interiors are flexible, and rooms are sectioned off by sliding “shoji” partitions. An “engawa” or corridor encircles the kominka. At Shiguchi, each of the 5 kominkas feature their own private open-air onsen and unique floor plans and décor. Understated, elegant interiors are decorated with antique and modern ceramics, ink paintings and sculptures from the private collection of Shouya Grigg.

Chi

This spacious 144 sqm (1,550 sqft) kominka sleeps one to four with a king size bed on the first floor, and a six-mat tatami room on the second. The villa is spacious with a kitchen that has a window-side dining table overlooking the valley below, and a stone bath on a covered terrace.

Sui

This spacious 156 sqm (1,679 sqft) kominka sleeps one to five with a king size bed on the first floor and an eight-mat tatami room on the second. There is an open-plan kitchen, and a stone bath on a covered terrace, accessible from the shower or from the living room. There are panoramic views down the valley to the distant mountains.

Fu

This spacious 247 sqm (2,659 sqft) kominka sleeps one to five with a four and a half-mat tatami room on the first floor that can also be used for yoga, meditation or relaxing. There is also a six-mat tatami bedroom on the second floor. The master bedroom on the lower level has an en-suite bathroom with a hinoki wood bath and there is a private terrace and a kitchenette. The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area on the first floor features high ceilings and exposed beams, and the covered terrace on the first floor is accessible from the lounge and bathroom and has a large stone bath. Views are through the forest and across the valley to the fields and distant mountain range.

Ku

This spacious 247 sqm (2,659 sqft) kominka sleeps one to five with a four and a half-mat tatami room on the first floor that can also be used for yoga, meditation or relaxing. There is also a six-mat tatami bedroom on the second floor. The master bedroom on the lower level has an en-suite bathroom with a hinoki wood bath and there is a private terrace, and a kitchenette. There is an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area on the first floor which features high ceilings and exposed beams. The covered terrace on the first floor is accessible from the lounge and bathroom and has a large stone bath. Views are through the forest and across the valley to the fields and distant mountain range.

Ka

This spacious 351 sqm (3,778 sqft) kominkan sleeps one to eight with a king or twin size bed on the first floor. The master bedroom on the lower level has an en suite bathroom, a private covered terrace with a rotenburo, and a kitchenette. There is also a smaller king/twin bedroom on the lower level that has an en suite bathroom. The open-plan kitchen, dining and living area on the first floor features high ceilings and exposed beams. An additional room on the second floor can also be used for two guests with additional futons, or for yoga, meditation or just relaxing. The terrace on the first floor is accessible from the lounge and bedroom. There are indoor and outdoor baths on the first floor. Commanding views are across the valley to the Hanazono Bokujo grazing pastures and beyond to the distant mountain range.

Shiguchi offers facilities that ensure guests can nourish their health. All guest kominkas feature private onsens fed by volcanic hot spring water, and their spa menu features many treatments which guests can select from and experience in the privacy of their own villas.

Onsen

Shiguchi’s elegant natural stone and hinoki wood onsens inject a hint of modernity into the ancient ritual of bathing. They feature forest views and are fed by volcanic hot spring water renowned for its healing qualities. The SOMOZA fountainhead is pure, with no added water.

Spa

Prepare to be pampered by discovering Shiguchi's signature wellness treatments and therapies using organic aromatic oils in your private villa. Each treatment is inspired by ancient healing traditions and designed to nourish and comfort. Yoga classes and meditation sessions are also available upon request.

For dining, Shiguchi’s onsite restaurant, Samoza, offers original and creative cuisine prepared based on French techniques which can be enjoyed at the restaurant indoors or al fresco or served in your villa. The restaurant also houses a unique minimalist steel tea room.

Samoza

Savor a splendid array of seasonal Hokkaido produce prepared by Chef Ozeki Tatsuya, whose culinary creativity places Shiguchi at the forefront of Niseko cuisine. Somoza sommelier Katsuyuki Sasaki’s encyclopedic knowledge of wine pairs with the cuisine, giving new insights into Hokkaido wines, craft beers and whiskies. The menus showcase the best of local produce, including fresh ingredients from our own vegetable garden, celebrating the flavors, colors and season of Niseko and Hokkaido. Many ingredients are foraged, especially in spring and autumn, and we preserve some ‘sansai’ mountain vegetables for our guests to taste all year round. Seating is indoors or al fresco on our terrace, both with panoramic views of the valley and mountains.

Tea Room

A new experience of the Japanese tea ceremony: Somoza’s minimalist steel tea room offers a contemporary tribute to traditional tea rituals.

Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

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