Towada Hotel Main Building

Towada Hotel Main Building: A Masterpiece of Japanese Timber Architecture on the Shores of Lake Towada

Perched on a forested hilltop overlooking the mystical waters of Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture, the Towada Hotel Main Building stands as one of Japan's most remarkable examples of large-scale wooden architecture from the early Showa period. Completed in 1938 and designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003, this extraordinary hotel was originally built to welcome international visitors ahead of the planned 1940 Tokyo Olympics. Though those games were never held, the hotel has endured through war, occupation, and the passage of nearly nine decades, its natural Akita cedar timbers only growing more beautiful with age.

Historical Background

The Towada Hotel was conceived in the wake of the establishment of Towada National Park in 1936 (later renamed Towada-Hachimantai National Park in 1956). As part of a national policy to develop international tourism infrastructure during the 1930s, the Japanese government encouraged the construction of high-quality resort hotels across the country to accommodate foreign visitors expected for the 1940 Tokyo Olympics. The Towada Hotel was one of several such properties built during this era, alongside the Unzen Kanko Hotel (1935), Kawana Hotel (1936), and Akakura Kanko Hotel (1937).

Designed by Kensuke Nagakura, a professor of civil engineering and architecture at Nihon University, the hotel was completed in the autumn of 1938 and opened as a prefectural hotel in June 1939. Professor Nagakura is said to have traveled to Europe specifically to study mountain lodge architecture for this project, and the influence of Scandinavian design is clearly visible in the building's exterior.

Following the cancellation of the Olympics due to the escalating war, the hotel's management was transferred to the Ministry of Railways in 1940. With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the hotel was forced to cease operations. After the war, it was requisitioned by Allied occupation forces. In 1952, upon the end of the occupation, Akita Prefecture repurchased the property, and it was reopened for public use. The hotel has since been operated through various partnerships between prefectural organizations and private hotel groups.

In 1998, a major restoration was undertaken to address aging while preserving the building's original cultural value. In 2003, the main building was officially registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan under Criterion III: "a structure that would be difficult to reproduce."

Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property

The Towada Hotel Main Building received its designation as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property based on the criterion that it represents a structure whose construction would be extremely difficult to replicate today. Several factors contributed to this recognition.

The building makes extraordinary use of natural Akita cedar — one of Japan's three most celebrated timber varieties — throughout its construction. The exterior is clad entirely in half-round cedar logs, set upon a stone masonry base, creating a distinctive facade that blends Japanese craftsmanship with European mountain lodge aesthetics. The L-shaped floor plan was carefully designed so that all 21 guest rooms in the main building offer views of Lake Towada.

Perhaps most remarkable is the level of artisanal skill embodied in the building. Approximately 80 master shrine carpenters (miyadaiku) were assembled from Akita, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, and they were encouraged to compete with one another in demonstrating their finest techniques. As a result, each guest room features unique designs in its tokonoma alcove, ceiling, lattice doors, and fittings — no two rooms are alike. This concentration of traditional Japanese woodworking mastery in a single building is virtually impossible to replicate in the modern era.

Architectural Highlights and Attractions

The most striking interior space is the entrance hall, which features a soaring atrium framed by cedar log columns ranging from 65 to 85 years old at the time of construction. The main pillar at the entrance is a bark-covered beech column from a tree approximately 100 years old. The entrance stepping stones are made of zelkova wood, while the floor of the earthen hall is paved with stones gathered from the shores of Lake Towada.

The ceiling of the entrance hall is a masterwork in itself — a ship-bottom style ceiling covered in cedar bark, with uniform-diameter cedar logs used as rod-edge supports. Delicate kumiko latticework transoms (ranma) add further refinement to the space, establishing the atmosphere of what is often called "The Hall of Akita Cedar."

Above the entrance hall sits the "Forest Library," a tranquil reading space where guests can relax surrounded by warm timber while gazing out over the blue waters of the lake. The carriage porch at the main entrance features dramatic taiko-style beams laid horizontally, creating a grand welcome for arriving guests.

Each guest room is a unique showcase of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The tokonoma alcoves, decorative shelving, ceiling treatments, sliding doors, and even the tatami edging differ from room to room, reflecting the individual pride and skill of the miyadaiku craftsmen who built them. The diversity of materials and techniques used throughout the building constitutes a living museum of Japanese woodworking traditions.

The hotel also features a large communal bath and an outdoor hot spring bath with panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding mountains, including Mount Kushigamine and the silhouette of the Hakkoda mountain range.

Visitor Information

The Towada Hotel is situated on the western shore of Lake Towada within Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Guests can enjoy the hotel as a base for exploring the lake and the famous Oirase Gorge, one of Japan's most celebrated scenic streams.

The hotel's dining room offers Japanese-Western fusion cuisine featuring local seasonal ingredients, with the prized Towada Lake himemasu (landlocked salmon) being a particular highlight. This delicate freshwater fish was introduced to the lake during the Meiji period by the pioneering aquaculturist Sadayuki Wainai and has become a signature delicacy of the region.

The Hakka Pass Observatory, located approximately five minutes by car from the hotel, offers what is considered the most beautiful panoramic view of Lake Towada among the four observation points surrounding the lake. The central tourist area of Yasumiya, home to Towada Shrine and the famous Maiden of the Lake statue, is about ten minutes away by car, while the Oirase Gorge entrance at Nenokuchi is approximately twenty minutes away.

Please note that the hotel typically closes during winter, from mid-November through mid-April. It is advisable to confirm operating dates before planning your visit.

Surrounding Attractions

• Oirase Gorge (Oirase Keiryu): A 14-kilometer stream valley renowned for its waterfalls, mossy rocks, and spectacular autumn foliage. Accessible from Nenokuchi, about 20 minutes by car from the hotel.
• Towada Shrine: A serene lakeside shrine nestled in ancient cedar forest, about 10 minutes by car in the Yasumiya area.
• Maiden of the Lake (Otome no Zo): A bronze sculpture by the renowned poet and sculptor Kotaro Takamura, standing at the edge of Lake Towada near Yasumiya.
• Hakka Pass Observatory: The premier viewpoint overlooking Lake Towada, offering sweeping panoramic views. Just 5 minutes by car from the hotel.
• Kosaka Town: A historic mining town with the beautifully preserved Kosaka Mining Office (a National Important Cultural Property) and the Korakukan theater, Japan's oldest existing wooden playhouse.