Yamatoya Ryokan has been operating for around 160 years in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture. To the regret of the local people, this long-established ryokan was on the brink of closing its doors. However, a daughter of the sixth generation, inheriting the spirit of her predecessors, opened Yamatoya “FFEEL”, in which it was reborn for the Reiwa age.

Renovation plan for a café that uses approximately 100㎡ of space in a remote part of the ryokan. The plan is for a large counter that can be used as a standing seating area to be installed, in response to the owner barista’s desire to serve coffee in a way that enhances communication with customers. With the aim of creating the perfect distance between the owner and customers, a bench seat will be located next to the counter, and a small, raised seat for relaxation purposes is to be placed at the back. Outside the windows will be seasonal plantings and a carp pond, with a small area for takeout use placed next to the counter to allow local people to drop in on a casual basis.

The idea was to retain the pillars, beams, walls, and ceilings of the existing building, achieving a good balance that allows old and new materials to co-exist in harmony.

The words of the sixth-generation daughter who sadly spoke of how there were many more people here when she was a child left a profound mark on me. This is also the case for the shopping street in which the Yamatoya Ryokan is located, and many shops have closed their doors, unable to keep up with large-scale commercial stores and the pace of generational change.

An older gentleman from the neighborhood, a familiar face from a past generation, sips drink coffee while a university student, while a university student perusing social networking sites, grabs a Kraft coke and a sandwich.

For the Yamatoya Ryokan, this renovation plan is a new step towards restoring life to its birthplace, and the expectation is that this will serve as the basis for effective utilization of the rest of the main building and revitalization of the declining shopping district.