The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko Spa & Onsen

Located on the shores of Lake Chuzenji in Nikko National Park, The Ritz-Carlton Spa is the first hot spring-equipped facility in Japan for The Ritz-Carlton. Created under the concept of "Dignified Tranquility," the spa is surrounded by lush greenery and rugged land that still bear the signs of volcanic activity. In this area of superior elegance, guests can purify their bodies and minds with tranquil hot spring water amid the shifting air and mystical atmosphere. The entrance to the spa and hot spring area is accessible via quiet corridor outside the main hotel building. After navigating this kiridoshi (shortcut)-like passageway, guests emerge through a curtain with heads down, ready themselves, and then step into the hot spring bath. We aimed to create a sequential experience that allows visitors to relive the natural beauty of Nikko and a space where they can feel the Japanese aesthetic expressed in the essay In’ei Raisan (lit. In Praise of Shadows). Decorative expressionist artwork evokes primal life forces, and treatment room fittings are done in a traditional Nikko floral peony carving motif by a sculptor from Nikko Toshogu Shrine, a designated national treasure.