Situated upon a mortar-shaped hill in Kurkku Fields of Kizarazu City, Chiba Prefecture in Japan is ‘Villa Cocoon’. Villa Cocoon brings mountain and agricultural living to the guests of the hotel and invites them to live such a life for the duration of their stay. The hotel draws inspiration from the concept of ‘cocoons’, within which butterflies and moths stay for a few days, and then come out completely bloomed with stunning wings. The same concept was applied to the hotel, wherein guests are encouraged to come, stay, and rejuvenate themselves with the simple mountain and agricultural life.

Designer: Takato Yoshida of ikken

The property consists of expanses of beautiful greenery which is sparsed with six cocoon-shaped rooms that occupy a small amount of space. The rooms are surrounded by trees, shrubs, plants, and different types of vegetation. The guest rooms are further connected to a restaurant, a kitchen lounge, and a sauna, which function as common areas wherein the guests can interact and connect with each other. The interiors of the room feature massive windows which provide an almost canvas-like view of the surroundings, truly giving a picture-perfect visual to the eyes! White walls and wooden furniture accentuate the minimal aura of the room, while the balcony curves outwards to give the room its cocoon-like shape.

The exciting part about Villa Cocoon is that the guests can harvest their own food! The guests are welcome to search for their own food, by picking and gathering the ingredients that grow on the agricultural site. They are also encouraged to cook their own meals using the ingredients they harvested. Of course, for those who don’t know how to cook or don’t want to cook on vacation, there’s a pretty cafe where light meals are served throughout the day. The guests can also visit the restaurant where the local produce from the mountains is used to prepare dishes.

The kitchen is highlighted by a long island which is accompanied by tall chairs. It forms a single line, which creates a communal space that is great to connect with one another in. Impressive windows mark the kitchen lounge, providing guests with a view of swaying native trees as they enjoy their meals.

After a sumptuous and organic meal, the guests can stop by the Finnish sauna, to unwind and burn some calories. Villa Cocoon will open on November 24th, 2022. Mark the date, in case you’re planning to visit!