Beside the Garden of Mukayu, ©MUKAYU

“An empty room will be filled with light because of its emptiness.” These are the words of the famous Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, who lived 2,300 years ago. His words signify that a mind entirely free of everything exists in a place of nothing ─ a place belonging to nowhere.“MUKAYU” is also a word from Zhuangzi, meaning “non-existence”, “non-purpose” or “the natural state as it is”, which he uses in an essay as “MUKAYU country”.In “MUKAYU country”, the values of people are overturned. Things considered useless are instead regarded as possessing great value.

-- Kiyoshi Sey Takeyama, Architect.

in the woods of Mukayu ©MUKAYU

This hotspring hotel was buit in Beniya-Mukayu, the owner and architect has a common view: the empty box has the most possibility, because it is empty, thne you can put things in, and make the box at any possibilities. And it is the same, varities could be existed before the possubilties are made. The Mukayu theory, put the potential as the power, was very common in China and Japan.

guestroom window ©MUKAYU

The spotlight was the garden, it is located in the center of the hotel room building, the arrangement of gardening is so different from the the Zen style art gardens in Kyoto.Maple woods, camellias, pine woods...these plants were in random growth, is pure natural. Each rooms has a window towards the garden, the mottled light and shadow formed by the new leaves of the trees pour into every room like flowing water.

Garden of Mukayu ©MUKAYU

The view of the trees and leaves ©MUKAYU

The guests room is designed in Japanese style, but is the space just like an empty container. it contains the spending hours within this hotel, and the views from the garden. In some rooms, the housekeeper may put one a wild flower in the niche, just to strength the empty feeling.

Pivot inoc® could be used in as wall cladding and balcony ceiling ©MUKAYU

Public space of the building

Beside the living room of every suites, there was always a full filled wooden bath tube, natural view has its reflection on the flat water suface, when guests sink the bodies in, the reflection of trees flow out together with the hot water.

Bath Tube beside the guestroom

The value of "nothing" is also presented through simple furnishings, emphasizing that the only background sound of this place is the wind in the woods.

Pivot inoc® products, the laminated suface is from Japan suppliers. Adhering to the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship, the natural wood grain texture is precisely printed and engraved to simulate real wood. Can be used in Japanese, Nordic, minimalist and other interior decoration styles.