Auberge LOQUAT Nishiizu that gathers the power of the region and grows with the region

Auberge LOQUAT Nishiizu is a facility that was renovated from the former Suzuki residence, which was the residence of a large landowner who had been the landlord of Toi for generations since the Edo period, into a restaurant with accommodation facilities. It has been reborn as an attractive space that is loved not only by guests but also by tourists visiting Toi and local people.

Together with Mr. Takano, who is also the president of Toi Kanko Kakusei Co., Ltd., which established and operates LOQUAT Nishiizu, and Catalyst Co., Ltd. (currently ARTH Co., Ltd.), which is the parent company of Toi Kanko Kakusei Co., Ltd., NOMURA Co., Ltd. Koito and Inoue, planner Ninomiya, and sales manager Hiratsuka introduced the facility.

This article is a report article of the event "Social Good Week 2021" that introduces the "Social Good" projects of NOMURA GROUP.

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Auberge LOQUAT Nishiizu

Catalyst Co., Ltd. (currently ARTH Co., Ltd.) Mr. Yoshiyuki Takano, President and CEO
Born in Chiba prefecture. Born into a family of artists whose father is an architect and whose mother is a potter. After graduating from university, worked at a management consulting company, and supported businesses that drive regional economic growth with the government-affiliated regional revitalization fund REVIC. In 2015, he established Catalyst Co., Ltd. to become a player who actually starts a business in the region from a position of support, and is involved in the establishment and operation of LOQUAT Nishiizu. Currently, he also serves as the president of Toi Kanko Kakusei Co., Ltd.

NAU Designer NOMURA Co., Ltd. Creative Headquarters Norio Koito
Born in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. After graduating from university, joined NOMURA Co., Ltd. after working at a design office. NAU, which I belong to, is an abbreviation of "Nomura Architects Unit", a team that is involved in the construction part of NOMURA Co., Ltd., which mainly deals with interior and exhibition work.

Hiroshi Inoue, Designer, Development Department, Creative Division, NOMURA Co., Ltd.
Born in Okayama Prefecture. His father was a first-class architect and a Shinto priest. A few years ago, he himself received a priesthood qualification. After graduating from graduate school, joined NOMURA Co., Ltd., where he worked in cultural facilities such as museums and in corporate PR.

An auberge loved by locals

Koito
“LOQUAT Nishiizu”, which opened in April 2021, is a refurbished auberge of the historic building “Former Suzuki House” that has been loved by local people for many years. In this project, NOMURA Co., Ltd. was in charge of the logo production, so I would like to talk about logo development from Inoue first.

White loquat (loquat), a specialty of Toi. There is also a white loquat tree on the LOQUAT site. From LOQUAT Nishiizu HP.

Inoue
The name of the facility, “LOQUAT,” means “white loquat,” which is a specialty and symbol of Toi. Before the renovation, the former Suzuki residence was a place where everyone would gather whenever there was a celebration, and it was an important mansion loved by the locals. With this historical background in mind, we designed the logo with the silhouette of a loquat fruit as a motif so that people can get close to each other and form a single shape. I made a wish.

The logo of LOQUAT Nishiizu designed with the image of white loquat cuddling up.

Koito
In Doi, there is a problem of "the distance between tourists and the area", and shortening the distance was considered essential for the long-term development of Toi. Together with NOMURA Co., Ltd., we came up with a solution to this problem, and what we came up with was "utilizing local resources," "gathering regional power," "injecting new blood," and "creating content." are the four keywords.

Takano
From the standpoint of running a business, there is currently a shortage of manpower in rural areas, and the number of contractors who undertake construction work and the number of fishermen and farmers who supply food ingredients is steadily decreasing. The real issue was that if we weren't determined to inject energy into the local people, the business wouldn't work. In other words, "utilizing local resources" is ultimately a means of "gathering the power of the area", but this time, the Toi Onsen Ryokan Cooperative Association cooperated from early on, and various craftsmen in the area Mr., I think that I was able to proceed with the business because the contractor lent me strength.

Koito
Mr. Takano has always said, "We should gather the power of the region," so at NOMURA Co., Ltd., we tried to work with local contractors as much as possible.
And in terms of "injecting new blood", "Takeru Quindici" and "SANTi" became important key tenants for the auberge. How did you choose them?

Takano
Thinking about something that is not in the area, there are many hot spring inns in Toi that serve Japanese kaiseki, so at LOQUAT, I was thinking of Italian cuisine that expresses the ingredients of Izu in a different way.
The encounter was very simple, "Takeru Quindici" was an Italian restaurant that I personally frequent. I asked for it, knowing that it would be impossible, but I was able to agree with the idea of this project.

About another "GELATO & BAKE SANTi". In rural areas, there are few shops that sell freshly baked bread like in Tokyo, and there was not a single bakery in Toi. When the scent of freshly baked bread wafts through the town of Toi in the morning, the locals will come to LOQUAT and add color to their lives. . Meanwhile, a certain person introduced me to “GELATERIA SANTi”. However, when I consulted with him, he said, "I have never run a bakery, but I would like to open a bakery in the future." became. The gelato that was served at that time was so delicious that we decided to sell it together with the bread.

The freshly baked bread and gelato are so popular that people line up every day. Photos are from (upper) LOQUAT Nishiizu Twitter and (lower) ATRH HP.

Finding what is needed in the region and turning it into content

Koito
In terms of "creating content," I think that people generally think about increasing the number of rooms in order to increase profits in the short term, but President Takano emphasizes the development of content from a long-term perspective. I was doing it. Why?

Takano
I think that in many cases, the restoration of an old private house emphasizes a short-term business plan, builds many guest rooms, and assumes that profits will be generated in a few years. However, if you do so, it will not be easy to create an expanse. There is no reason to stay in that town or stay another night in that town. Therefore, we wondered what kind of content could be provided here to increase the number of people who come to Toi, increase the amount of money spent on Toi, and make the lives of people living in Toi more enjoyable. Starting from there, I thought about how to renovate this building and what kind of content to include.

If you turn the main house into a guest room, you can get several rooms, but instead, we turned this into a full-fledged Italian restaurant. There are three more warehouses, one of which is used as a bar, and the other two are reserved as guest rooms.

The restaurant has 40 seats, which is a lot for a room with only two seats. We have a large capacity because we are working out a development plan to "turn the whole town into an auberge". The aim is to expand the regional revitalization of the region.

In the future, LOQUAT Nishiizu's restaurant will become the main dining area for local inns and guesthouses!

Koito
I was worried about what people would think of the opening of a new lodging facility in an area with many old hot spring inns, but everyone was very positive from the beginning.
Instead of shutting out the locals by turning the former Suzuki residence, which was originally a gathering place for the locals, into a restaurant and gelato and bake shop that anyone can use. It was one of the reasons why they accepted the space.

Takano
I agree. Toi was originally a hot spring town, so if we were to compare it to professional baseball, the 13th team would appear in the place where there were 12 teams. However, the "LOQUAT" we worked on was aimed at a soccer team, not a baseball team. If we create something that has never existed in this area, instead of competing with it, the appeal of tourism in Toi will increase, and existing businesses will be pleased. I believe that if we find out what the region needs and make it a reality, the local people will accept it.

Online facility tour with live video from the site

Koito
Here, Ninomiya, who is in charge of planning, and Hiratsuka, who is in charge of project management, will introduce the inside of the facility through live video. From the Social Good Week venue, President Takano and Inoue will explain each scene.

Ninomiya (left) and Hiratsuka (right) relayed live from LOQUAT Nishiizu

The entrance to the main building where you can feel the weight of history

Takano
The Former Suzuki House is a house that has been protected by the Suzuki family for nearly 300 years since the Edo period. After the 17th generation, there was no male heir, and my eldest daughter married into the Kawai family, the founder of Shizuoka Railway. This project started when we received an offer to make it a facility that creates vitality in the community.

The planting plan of the garden was also examined repeatedly, and the trees to be cut and the trees to be planted were selected.

Inoue
In the original garden, there were many evergreen trees for easy maintenance, but deciduous trees that turn red in autumn were also introduced to create a sense of the season.

(Top) "GELATO & BAKE SANTi", which has already become a popular local store / (Bottom) Freshly baked bread from "SANTi" that sells out quickly, the most popular being the croissant.

Inoue
There is a gelato counter on the right side after entering the main building. Customers line up to buy bread and gelato even before the store opens.

In the back of the main building is the Italian restaurant "Takeru Quindici". The ceiling is removed to expose the beams, highlighting the beauty of Japanese architecture.

Inoue
The difficulty in regenerating an old private house lies in how to realize the contradictory elements of creating a space that surprises people while preserving the atmosphere of the original building.

Takano
It is important to find a balance between subtraction and addition. Subtraction is the act of exposing the beauty of the structure of the building. Addition is to infuse the current design into it. In the main building, the tatami mat floor was lowered, and the ceiling was removed to expose the beams.

President Takano and Inoue commentary at the venue while watching live footage from the scene

Prepare terrace seats to create a lively atmosphere and increase the attractiveness of the garden

Inoue
We prepared terrace seats in the garden, which used to be a lawn, and produced a lively atmosphere outdoors. Local Komatsu stone is used for the approach stone from the garden. In the past, it was also called Izu stone and was used for the walls of Edo Castle.

Three storehouses line up around the main building

Inoue
The three warehouses are named "Ichinokura", "Ninokura", and "Sannokura", and "Ichinokura" has the function of BAR and SPA. The BAR space utilizes the space of the original storehouse, providing only the bar counter and kitchen functions, and is designed so that you can enjoy the unique atmosphere created by the ceiling and walls.

Bar Ichinokura: Creating a space that makes use of the ceiling and walls of the original storehouse

Inoue
“Ninokura” and “Sannokura” are lodging facilities. "Ninokura" is a one-story storehouse, and the one-room type room is a skip floor with a bedroom in the back and a living room in the front. In the back of the warehouse, we have prepared a large open-air bath and a terrace that can be used as a living room. The open-air bath maintains continuity with the garden, while louvers protect privacy by blocking the view from the surroundings. There is no roof, so on clear nights, you can gaze at the starry sky while taking a bath.

Villa Ninokura: A one-story guest room steeped in the history of a storehouse

At the back of Ninokura is an open-air bath with free-flowing hot spring water and a terrace that can also be used as a living room.

Inoue
"Sannokura" is a two-story building, with the living room on the first floor and the bedroom on the second floor. We have created a space with a sense of openness while taking advantage of the characteristics of the atrium. The bedrooms are made from a local volcanic eruption called scoria. A spacious open-air bath is provided on the outdoor private terrace. Each of the two rooms is designed differently.

Villa Sannokura: The living room is on the first floor, and the bedroom on the second floor is designed using local volcanic eruptions.

Sannokura's private terrace has a large open-air bath with free-flowing hot spring water

Create three elements: "Region", "Tourism" and "Business"

Koito
In this project, NOMURA Co., Ltd. designed the entire project by not only producing the hard aspects such as site maintenance and design and construction, but also producing the soft aspects such as content creation. I believe that I was able to transcend the barriers between the hard and soft aspects of the project. President Takano, what was the most difficult part of this project?

Takano
One is that the initial investment took longer than expected. This time, I was saved because I was selected for the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's "Shopping Street Revitalization/Tourism Consumption Creation Project" and received a subsidy.

On the other hand, restaurant lunches, gelato, and bread were all sold out every day, and hotel reservations were coming in smoothly, but only restaurant dinners were slower than expected. However, when he steadily served delicious meals, he gained a reputation and received inquiries from two local inns. The content of the consultation was, "Since the people in Itaba are getting old and it is becoming difficult to serve meals, can we come up with a plan to have dinner at LOQUAT's restaurant?" Recently, the story has been settled, and several groups of guests staying at the ryokan now enjoy dinner at the restaurant every day. I realized that collaborating with the local community would eventually lead to business.

Koito
Finally, please tell us about your vision for the future.

Takano
There are many difficulties in establishing such a regional revitalization project as a business. In order to sustainably conduct business, create jobs in the region, and develop together with the region, we must balance the three elements of “region,” “tourism,” and “business,” and create a balance point. I think that planning strategy and know-how are necessary. While cooperating with local people, we are also thinking about planning summer festival events and marché.

About ARTH Co., Ltd. here
Auberge LOQUAT Nishiizu official website here
Regarding the achievements of Auberge LOQUAT Nishiizu NOMURA Co., Ltd. here

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The example introduced this time is an ideal example of creating a virtuous cycle in which not only collaboration with the local community, but also the introduction of content that had not existed in the local community until then, the local community became more loved, the local community was revitalized, and the business expanded. It was a model case. I would like to continue to pay attention to the process of “the whole town becoming an auberge” in Nishiizu. (nomlog editorial department)

Text: Sho Iwasaki/Photo: Yui Yasuda (during the event)