SOAN KOSUMOSU Travel Journal

Shintaro Ota (born in 1980) was appointed as the second president with full responsibility.
He is a member of the Yufuin Onsen Ryokan Association's youth club, opened a pickle store called "Shiki Koubo" in the same Yufuin, established a non-profit organization, and is a central figure in the revitalization of the entire Yufuin Onsen community.

The president Ota decided to renew "Soan Kosumosu" in 2017.
Not just renewing, redesign or reborn would be a more accurate description. The man entrusted with this renewing task was Eiji Mitooka. Most people know him as the charismatic designer who revolutionized railroad design at JR Kyushu, created numerous unique and original trains, and gave birth to the much-talked-about luxury sleeper train "Cruise Train Nanatsuboshi in Kyushu".

In the modern age, the means of transportation are all about "Speed" and "Economy".
He dared to disregard this aspect and took a 180-degree different approach, proposing a way to enjoy the true nature of travel, which is to "Enjoy the time spent travelling in a relaxed manner" and "Travelling is also a real pleasure", and people were moved to empathise with his proposal.
While the exterior of the train is superb, it is the meticulousness of the interior that is particularly eye-catching. The interior of the train, which is supposed to be a steel box, is filled with the aroma of wood, from the floor to the ceiling to the furnishings, such as the inclusion of shoji screens, which are not commonly used on trains, and the use of kumiko work.
The "Handiwork" by Japan's top-class craftsmen evoked a sense of excitement in the passengers.
One passenger described the train as "like a dream" and "A treasure box".

The proposal to "Enjoy the time" instead of seeking "Speed of transportation" reminded us of a feeling that busy modern people have almost forgotten. If we are talking about "Enjoying time", then "Accommodation" is also the mainstay of "Travel". That is why Mr. Shintaro Ota, president of "Soan Kosumosu", entrusted Mr. Mitooka with the design of not a train, but a ryokan, which should be the final destination after the journey.

In Yufuin, there are three nationally renowned, long-established luxury ryokans known as the "Gosanke".
Each of them has its own unique design of building and guest rooms, but President Ota has always been thinking of a major change that would make "Soan Kosumosu" stand out from the rest, and would be a plan for the next 100 years. The Kumamoto-Oita earthquake that occurred in April 2015 was one of the triggers.
Fortunately, the building did not collapse or suffer any major damage, but cracks were found in the walls, some roof tiles were broken, and durability was weakened in several places. So they asked Mr. Mitooka, whom they had asked to renovate the coffee shop about 10 years ago, to design all the guest rooms, the lobby, and the dining area.
However, Mr. Mitooka, who has become an even bigger name over the past 10 years, was extremely busy with a flood of design requests, mainly from railroad companies nationwide, but he gladly accepted President Ota's passionate offer.