OUR HOTEL
INSPIRED BY THE VIVID CULTURE OF INUYAMA
Feel the vivid and colourful design through art
Our garden consists of nine major zones, featuring a captivating strolling path, two national treasures “Urakuen’s Joan,” and a garden path that leads to “Inuyama Castle.” Each area offers a unique and immersive experience.
Explore a new time-traveling experience in the garden at Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden. The hotel’s interior design beautifully incorporates the traditions and history of Inuyama, creating a unique and extraordinary world view. Immerse yourself in a playful and vivid environment that reflects the local culture.
The intricate design holds a mysterious story waiting to be unraveled, inviting curiosity much like analyzing a piece of artwork.
Representation of the elements of the “five senses.”
The exterior design combines modern and Japanese elements, reflecting the rich history, culture, and natural surroundings of Inuyama. Inspired by traditional Japanese architecture and the theme of the “five senses” (air, wind, fire, water, and earth), the design captures a harmonious blend of old and new.
Homage to Joan’s architecture
The design of the roof at the building takes inspiration from the traditional roof tiles (momo kawara) of Inuyama Castle. Furthermore, the exterior walls are plastered to resemble the clay walls of the Joan Tea House, reflecting the aesthetic of a traditional tea ceremony house.
Traditional Japanese Colours
The exterior colour palette draws from traditional Japanese colors, including Rikyu for a tea-like hue, Gen-iro for a dark brown, Ame-iro to evoke wood, Shiro-neri for the exterior walls, and Kuro-rubber for the paving stones. This colour scheme reflects a classic Japanese aesthetic.
Garden
The garden offers a unique experience, allowing guests to immerse in a time-traveling world.
We invite you to enjoy the striking contrast between the contemporary and vivid Hotel Indigo experience and the magnificent Inuyama landscape of the Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden.
Approach
As you enter the hotel grounds, you’ll be greeted by a charming pathway that guides you through a captivating bamboo grove. This tranquil and enchanting entrance sets the tone for a memorable stay at Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden.
Entrance Zone
As you approach the entrance and step out of your car, you are welcomed by a serene bamboo grove. En route to Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden, you will encounter a meticulously designed Japanese dry garden. The entrance area offers a tranquil and captivating glimpse of Japan, promising a soul-soothing experience.
Basin Zone
At the water basin zone, contemporary events are held with a view of Inuyama Castle, showcasing the area’s history. The view reflected in the water basin changes based on the viewer’s perspective, offering a unique water scenery. This includes the water mirror reflecting Inuyama Castle providing a one-of-a-kind experience.
Memorial Zone
The scenic waterside view and the use of “blackboard walls” that resemble a castle town’s atmosphere combine to create a nostalgic time-traveling experience.
Castle Zone
Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden boasts a garden with 20,000 seasonal trees, featuring around 65 different species. The garden transforms with each season and becomes particularly stunning at night when illuminated. Guests can take a leisurely stroll through the castle zone, where they can admire the shining figure of the hotel and Inuyama Castle.
Kiso River Bank Zone
This location offers the opportunity to appreciate the cherry blossoms along the Kiso River, a beloved local symbol. Visitors can partake in river play and hanami while taking in the stunning view of the river. Take a moment to unwind and savor the natural beauty of this nostalgic landscape.
Spa Zone
Hexagonal stones are natural rock formations created by the cooling and contraction of lava, resulting in pentagonal to hexagonal cracks. The spa zone features these magnificent natural artworks, which have formed over time. It offers a tranquil escape surrounded by these unique geological wonders, creating a serene and distinctive atmosphere.
Walk Path to Tea Garden
The garden serves as a tranquil entryway for guests attending a tea ceremony at Hotel Indigo’s Urakuen Garden. Located between the hotel and Urakuen Garden, this peaceful garden provides a serene transition from the outside world to the unique environment of Urakuen Garden.
Sakura Trees
Sakura-ji is a newly established cherry blossom viewing spot in Inuyama, known for its picturesque views of pale pink petals in full bloom. The parkway connects the hotel to Inuyama Castle, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful spring scenery that Japan is renowned for.
Our Unique Design
Immerse yourself in the unique world of Hotel Indigo
Reception
Influenced by the rich traditions and history of Inuyama, the reception space features an innovative and contemporary design. The art wall vividly portrays the bonfire of cormorant fishing, a practice that dates back 1,300 years along the Kiso River. The round windows pay homage to the national treasure tea ceremony room “Joan,” while the geometric rug represents the local toy “denden-daiko,” a traditional Japanese drum. This space serves as a dynamic storyteller, effectively conveying the past and present of Inuyama.
Entrance Lobby
The grand view of Inuyama Castle through the expansive glass windows lends a feeling of spaciousness to the lobby. Guests will encounter displays showcasing the history of the Inuyama Festival, featuring the picturesque spring landscapes of Inuyama and the charming streets surrounding the castle.
Resort Centre
The design of resort centre draws inspiration from the “Joan” tea ceremony room, featuring a symbolic shelf design. The modern and stylish interior enhances the space with a sense of peacefulness atmosphere for guests to enjoy.
The Bar ‘YOYAMA’
Unexpected combination of local icons creates the unique and special experience for the guests. Lobby bar is the combination of the national treasure Joan tea pavilion and the lantern decorated night festival float. Inspired by unique composition of the wall and window and creative usage of old Japanese style calendar as wall covering of Joan Tea pavilion and impressive appearance of the festival float decorated with fill of lanterns at night, bar counter is housed in the contemporary pavilion as a focal point of the lobby lounge.
Indigo Home Kitchen ‘YAMATERAS’
Inuyama is known for food and exploration. Our hotel embraces old-fashioned hospitality while echoing the city’s rich culture. You will enjoy local tastes inspired by season, history and the hotel’s neighbourhood. Hotel Indigo’s chef brings the story of Inuyama to life with dishes that will stimulate your five senses in a way that is uniquely Hotel Indigo. Get a taste of Inuyama’s food culture while discovering local stories from your hosts.
Treasures around every corner
Detailed Design
Natural Hot Spring Hakutei no Yu
Inuyama’s natural hot spring “Hakutei no Yu” is rich in beneficial minerals, known for its skin healing properties. It is the only natural hot spring in Inuyama. A clear odorless and alkaline hot spring with a pH of approximately 8.5. As you relax, you will admire the striking tiles that features a Kiso River motif and the open-air bath where you can touch the air of Inuyama.
Fitness Centre
The fitness Centre features renewable wood machines carefully selected from US and German forests to minimise environmental impact. Rather than being operated by power, our equipment uses self-propelling and water resistance technology to help you reconnect with your body and nature.
Ballroom Hibiki
The ceiling is made up of a combination of lanterns and wooden frames inspired by the Inuyama Festival. A carpet that combines the babbling and glitter of the Kiso River with Japanese geometric patterns.
Guestroom Design
Quality interiors and the comfort and coziness of a holiday home. In your room at Hotel Indigo, you will have a special time to start thinking outside the box and start living a richer lifestyle. Discover the pride of the local landscape and local culture in the details of the wall art and amenities that playfully express the local culture, even in your room while you’re travelling.
Fusuma Art
The diagonally placed dummy fusuma was designed with the characteristic diagonal wall inside the national treasure tea ceremony room “Joan” in mind. The handle has a camellia pattern, a favorite flower of Oda Urakusai. The sink counter and mirror in the bathroom are decorated with parts of karakuri dolls. The skin counter expresses the lively atmosphere of the Inuyama Festival’s Yama (floats).
Table
This table is reminiscent of the Urakuen round window. The legs are covered with paper cords inspired by the strings used in karakuri dolls. The colourful and innovative design add a touch of inspiration to the time spent in the room.
Lamp
The design is based on a wooden cage for cormorants, and is linked to the Kiso River on the art wall, creating the image of a floating figure on the water.
Flooring
The atmospheric wood flooring is inspired by the rimmed deck of the Joan.
Art Wall
The art wall showcases a contemporary arrangement of rare ukiyoe woodblock prints depicting the scenic view from Inuyama Castle, which overlooks the Kiso River and the historic castle town.
Sofa
The sofa is designed with a casual, Japanese-inspired aesthetic, reminiscent of a traditional porch setting. Its comfortable design aims to evoke feelings of nostalgia and relaxation when you sit down.
Cushion
The playful shuriken pattern inspired by the Negoroshu is used.
Headboard
The headboard design is inspired by a wooden boat traditionally used for cormorant fishing. Paired with the art wall depicting the Kiso River, the space creates an illusion of floating on the river, adding a unique and immersive touch to the room.
Lights
This indigo-coloured pendant light was inspired by the cormorant baskets used to bring cormorants to the side during cormorant fishing
Mini Bar
This design combines the diagonal walls of the national treasure tea ceremony room “Joan” with the Mizuya (water storehouse) for a unique fusion.
Drawer
The design was inspired by a Uraku window. The colour of the handle is inspired by the light leaking through the window. It expresses the beautiful shining of light.
TV Board
The part of board is inspired by the tokonoma (alcove) floor post. The crosspiece on the lower part is based on Joan’s calendar and the design of a karakuri doll associated with Inuyama.
Creative Art
Noren bath facility entry
The design combines the general onsen logo with Inuyama’s symbolic cormorant “Ayu sweetfish” and “water pattern” of cormorants and the Inuyama city emblem. Enjoy your own healing time in this artful space with a sense of tradition and playfulness.
Live kitchen door
The restaurant’s sliding doors feature the original family crest of Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden, along with the crests of the Oda and Naruse families, all of which have significant historical ties to the area.
Ukiyoe Art
Inspired by the Karesansui (Japanese dry garden), the ceramic artwork of the former Meitetsu Inuyama Hotel is combined with plaster that imitates the flow of a river, and revived as a contemporary artwork. A picture of a cormorant is hidden in this artwork, which beautifully expresses the flow of water.
Hallway Art
The graphic artwork of bird’s eye view of Nagoya railroad lines by Hatsusaburo Yoshida, which was popular from the Taisho period to the early Showa period, is displayed in the corridor leading to “Hakutei no Yu”. Guests are transported back in time to the world of about 100 years ago, where they can enjoy the scenery along the railway lines of that time.
