Amami Oshima, also known as Amami, is the largest island in Japan’s Amami archipelago. It’s an island rich in natural beauty, surrounded by crystal clear sea and was designated a Natural Heritage Site in July 2021. It’s also the birthplace of Yasuhiro Yamashita, who established Atelier TEKUTO in 1991 and now heads up the architecture firm as President and Representative Director. After the Hanshin Awaji great earthquake disaster in 1995, Yamashita realized the importance of the social aspect of architecture and began taking on voluntary work using his architectural expertise.

Yasuhiro Yamashita

Many of the villages on Amami have been placed in a critical situation with traditional houses being abandoned, land bought up cheaply, and the local communities being destroyed by over-tourism. To tackle the issue, Yamashita introduced the concept of passing on traditional architecture and village culture to the next generation. To this end, he has renovated vacant houses and other buildings and opened lodging facilities, restaurants, a senior citizens facility, a local market, and galleries bringing together locals, the elderly, children, and tourists while providing job opportunities for over 70 people. The company focuses on sustaining the village culture of the Amami Islands, which goes back as far as the 7th century and is one of the most diverse in the world.

To generate an income to subsidize these community-based activities, Yamashita designed and built a luxury resort in the northern part of the island, DenPaku The Beachfront MIJORA, which opened in July 2019. The resort consists of 13 stand-alone villas based on the concept of interacting with the island’s natural surroundings. Rooms were built based on the maximum dimensions of a single pane of glass available in Amami. This pane of glass is positioned in the rooms overlooking the sea, affording guests panoramic sea views toward the horizon. All rooms have wooden decks with steps leading down to the sandy beach, which is seconds away.

In April 2021, 2 Waters was added adjacent to the DenPaku to provide a dedicated reception area for The Beachfront MIJORA, a gastronomic restaurant, and an infinity pool.  The restaurant and bar feature expansive picture windows with spectacular views of Akakina Bay. Guests can enjoy creative cuisine made using fresh local ingredients and drinks at the long bar counter overlooking the ocean. There’s also a healthy breakfast available showcasing local fruit and vegetables.

These two projects clearly illustrate Atelier TEKUTO’s dedication to creating beautiful design in pursuit of client satisfaction while benefiting society. The company firmly believes that it is essential to consider the area’s social structure when building developments. It always works in close collaboration, keeping people at the center of every project. This journey can lead in many directions – into social activities through architecture and even into the realm of town planning.

These are all the reasons why the panel of expert judges at Luxury Lifestyle Awards has chosen Atelier TEKUTO as the winner of a prestigious award in the category of Best Luxury Resort Architecture in Japan 2022 for 2 Waters and DenPaku Hotels. Special projects that demonstrate how stylish architecture can be achieved while also building healthy communities and developing new relationships with visitors for tourism.

To learn more about Yasuhiro Yamasihta and Atelier TEKUTO and its exceptional resorts in Japan, visit www.tekuto.com/en/ and https://yamashita-yasuhiro.net/.