Toutou Kurashiki, Gallery and Stay is a boutique hotel nestled in the historical Bikan quarter of the town. Comprising a contemporary gallery space and second floor stay, with adjacent accommodation in the form of a reworked machiya (traditional wooden townhouse), Toutou is a design-lover’s dream. Every detail is ultra-considered from the Bizenware ceramics and Bitchu washi (a kind of decorative paper traditionally handmade in Japan) wallpapers, to the Okayama glassware, many of which are available to buy from the gallery during your stay.

The 100 year old machiya guest house blends perfectly with the old streets that it sits amidst. Whilst encouraging guests to appreciate the history carved into the building, Toutou has tailored the tranquil space so that guests are able to truly relax and spend quality time enjoying the home as if it were your own. A collaboration between TT Architects, Inc. and Teruki Takayoshi, the area’s local traditions, materials, and architecture take centre stage. The quality of furnishings and interior items is excellent; items are made with attention to detail and to fit the concept that they will be used daily, becoming more beautiful and appreciated as years go by.

The living room opens up into a small garden where guests can take in the seasonal flora over a morning cup of bespoke, locally-roasted beans, whilst sinking into the comfort of the Yuji Takahashi designed futon sofa. The cushions are cotton, by the Niwa Futon Shop in Nagoya; the upholstery fabric is 100% wool from Kvadrat in Denmark; and the wooden sections are made from Hiroshima cherry wood.

The cherry wood theme continues with an impressive audio chest by Yu Uchida, a woodworker in Hokkaido and the kitchen counter, selected from a lumber warehouse in Kurashiki, has been set according to a design by Yuji Takahashi. Dinnerware by Hitoshi Morimoto, teaware by Mineko Nishimura, and glassware by Hiroi Hanaoka and Kota Arinaga decorate the shelves and all may be purchased or ordered at the adjacent gallery. The concept of using items that have been crafted with care by Japanese artisans highlights the outstanding craftsmanship still alive and well in the country today - we particularly love the low Japanese table by Yusuke Tazawa and the Kan Ito sink in the washroom.

The understated bathroom features a generously-sized bathtub overlooking the green of the inner garden. The tub is cast iron enamel by Daiwa Heavy Industries Co., Ltd in Hiroshima City. The glass-like surface creates a sheen on the water and smooth touch against the skin, gently warming the body to the core for a peaceful night’s slumber underneath the high-grade camel and yak fibre sheets from Kyoto’s IWATA LARKOWL. The cherry-pink Mannari stone floor from Okayama is a modern but sympathetic touch, and the Hokuroku-Sosui bath products have a soothing scent of cedar with superbly soft and luxurious Imabari towels with which to dry off.

Toutou, Kurashiki Nikai no Yado (second floor guesthouse) was designed with light in mind. Ethereal and soft, the room plays with shadows and has a warm glow that changes expression with time. The smaller, more contemporary space above the gallery still features the same consideration as the machiya property; guests can expect the same soft furnishings, ceramics, and scented bath products. A traditional twist has been added in the form of the Yuiko Kamiyama noren (curtains hung at the door of a business) on the stairs and windows, and we love the wide wooden Sashimono Kagu Takahashi chair. Upstairs there’s a small rooftop balcony which is the perfect setting to sip on a glass of wine whilst watching the setting sun.

Breakfast is a curated basket of seasonal fruit and locally baked bread goods, accompanied by jams of Japanese citrus like dekopon, a seedless, sweet variety of mandarin orange. For lunch and dinner, guests are given information on where they can enjoy local cuisine and local Japanese sake amongst the white-walled antique storehouses, swaying willow trees, and swans floating on the Kurashiki River.

At Toutou, guests are primed to soak in the subdued beauty and charm of the old town. A stay that is as blissfully alluring as Kurashiki itself.