Reimagining a Meiji-Era Inn as Tsushima’s new Cultural Gateway

Hotel Jin marks the transformation of the former Ariake-so, a two-storey wooden inn dating back to 1868, into a contemporary hotel on the remote island of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture. Situated closer to Busan than to mainland Kyushu, Tsushima has long served as a point of encounter between Japan and Korea. Its cultural and geographic proximity has shaped centuries of exchange, making the island a unique threshold between the two countries. The original inn sits along Omachi-dori in Izuhara, a short walk from the ferry terminal, positioning it as a natural gateway for visitors arriving from across the region.

The renovation project set out to preserve this historical presence while redefining the building as a place that welcomes both domestic and international guests. The Meiji-era façade, one of the island’s architectural anchors, was carefully maintained to retain its material memory, while subtle adjustments to the window zones hint at a renewed interior life.

A SPATIAL RENEWAL THAT OPENS THE BUILDING TO THE FUTURE

Years of fragmented renovations had left the first floor cramped and disconnected. The design team removed accumulated partitions and outdated layers, creating an open and flexible ground floor where light, movement and contemporary activity can unfold. The space functions as an everyday amenity and as a venue capable of hosting events, setting the tone for the renewed identity of the upper floor.

On the second level, the original layout separated the east and west rooms with a central corridor. By eliminating this corridor and introducing an additional staircase, the architects created a new vertical openness. A central atrium now allows the east and west rooms to face one another, giving the upper floor a sense of shared atmosphere and continuity. This gesture not only simplifies circulation but also strengthens the architectural dialogue across the building.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN JAPAN AND KOREA WITHIN A HERITAGE FRAME

Visually, the renovation distinguishes new interventions through a palette of white surfaces, allowing them to coexist with retained historic materials without erasing their past. This approach reflects the island’s identity as a bridge between Japan and Korea, subtly aligning architectural expression with cultural context. The resulting hotel balances memory and modernity, presenting a calm and luminous interior that complements the preserved wooden façade.

Hotel Jin emerges as a renewed threshold for Tsushima: a place that honours its Meiji-era origins while embracing its role as a contemporary point of arrival. Through sensitive adaptive reuse, the project positions the building once again as a welcoming face of the island, connecting heritage, hospitality and cross-cultural exchange.

Project Credit

Name: hotel jin
Architect: Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects
Location: 1361 Kokubu,Izuhara,Tsushima,Nagasaki
Size: 198m2
Proẹct Year: 2024
Photography: Ju Yeon Lee

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