Numazu Club

In 2006, a cluster of detached villas was added to the 3,000-tsubo grounds, designed by architect Akira Watanabe. Built with wood and earth—two of nature’s most elemental materials—the architecture inherits the tradition of sukiya style while expressing a contemporary sense of Japanese aesthetics, creating harmony throughout the property. The rammed-earth walls, layered with sand and soil from the Fujikawa River, blend into the landscape as shifting sunlight continually reveals changing textures—at times firm, at times soft. The Yoshino cedar used for the roof is treated as a living material: left almost entirely in its natural state, it is laid densely and formed simply by pressing it down from above. Fed by abundant spring water from Mt. Fuji, the reflecting pool offers a cool murmur in summer and catches warm sunlight in winter—sometimes mirroring the building’s shadows on its surface—delighting guests with ever-changing seasonal beauty. Numazu Club—considered one of Akira Watanabe’s final works—offers moments of true bliss that go beyond what can be seen, inviting you to surrender yourself to its unique sense of time and space.

The thatched-roof nagayamon gatehouse at the entrance to the grounds and the sukiya-style building have been designated as a National Tangible Cultural Property in recognition of their historical and artistic value. Designed so that every room functions as a tea room, this cluster of tea pavilions is filled with thoughtful details—each space features a different ceiling, and lintels are set deliberately low in keeping with Kyoto tradition, reflecting a meticulous commitment to design. One of the defining materials of this sukiya style is hand-blown glass, used lavishly for windows and glass doors. While sukiya architecture is traditionally built from wood, grass, and earth, this building makes generous use of mineral-based glass to create an open connection to the garden even with low ceilings and lintels—allowing the glass to blend naturally into its surroundings. Relocated from Kyoto, the three-mat daime tea room has eaves extending in two directions and includes both a formal guest entrance (kijinguchi) and a crawl-in entrance (nijiriguchi). Windows of varying sizes are placed at different heights along the walls, letting soft light filter through shoji screens into the room. From hand-blown window glass to an expansive ajiro lattice ceiling, Numazu Club brings together rare materials and craftsmanship that cannot be replicated with today’s technology—an extraordinary space defined by playfulness and refined luxury.