Hakone Honbako, a book hotel where you can "live" surrounded by books, will open in Gora, Hakone in August. The hotel will feature a bookstore, restaurant and cafe, shops, and a theater room, allowing guests and non-guests alike to relax and enjoy their time surrounded by books.
Hakone Honbako is a complete renovation of Ashikari, a resort owned by Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Co., Ltd. (Nippan) in Hakone Gora Onsen. The name "Hakone Honbako" is a combination of "hon" (book) and "Hakone." The hotel's theme is "encountering books," which will weave culture into the future by proposing a new lifestyle through books. It's a space where you can casually pick up a book, like at a bookstore in front of a station, and a comfortable space where books and daily life are closely integrated, allowing you to fully enjoy the joy of reading and facing a book while staying there as if you were "living there".
The book direction is handled by "YOURS BOOK STORE", a brand that handles book direction by Nippan, and the production, direction and operation of the entire facility is handled by Jiyujin Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the lifestyle-oriented complex "Satoyama Jyucho" in Minami-Utsunomiya City, Niigata Prefecture.
In a society where people are increasingly turning away from books, the library is dotted with various devices that will "bring you closer to books" and make you "want to live with them." One that is particularly noteworthy is the special project "That Person's Bookshelf," which will appear in various places throughout the library. You can enjoy original bookcases filled with books selected by famous people who love books and are active at the forefront of various fields. Participants in the project include writers such as Ishida Ira, Onda Riku, Omiya Ellie, Nishi Kanako, Wataya Risa, Yamazaki Naocola, and Tsujimura Mizuki, as well as artists such as Yokoo Tadanori, Ninagawa Mika, and Kiyokawa Asami, and actors such as Nakatani Miki and Yamada Takayuki.
These bookshelves will be installed in various locations throughout the hotel, primarily in the guest rooms. You'll have to wait until you visit to find out which bookshelves are located where. The same bookshelves don't always stay in the same place. Of course, the bookshelves in the guest rooms are a "treat" only available to those staying in those rooms.
The core hotel has 18 guest rooms in six types. All rooms are equipped with a "personal bookshelf" and an open-air hot spring bath, and more than half of the rooms offer views of the Hakone outer rim, including Mt. Myojogatake and Mt. Kintoki, famous for their Daibunji yaki grills. Each room has a different interior, so no two are alike. Enjoy a book "as if you were relaxing in your own living room," or even "in the bathroom or toilet, anytime, anywhere," in a space that inspires creative thinking, allowing you to spend your time however you like.
The restaurant and cafe serves natural Italian cuisine with an "organic and cleansing" theme. The restaurant's food director is Yuji Sasaki, who has experience working at two-star Michelin restaurant Antica Osteria del Ponte in Milan and Osteria Enoteca da Sassino in Hirosaki. The restaurant showcases Hakone's local gastronomy, showcasing "powerful ingredients imbued with the producers' passion," such as seafood from Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, and organic vegetables and citrus fruits from Kanagawa and Shizuoka. Reservations are required for dinner, and the restaurant will be open for day trips and during idle times as of autumn.
What's more, the books in the library aren't just for interior décor; all of them are available for purchase. With a selection of approximately 10,000 books, including new releases, used books, and foreign books, this bookstore will be the largest in Hakone. It also features a lifestyle and artisan shop, created with the same perspective as selecting a book. Based on the concept of "adding color to your life," the store sells a variety of goods that promise a comfortable lifestyle. The artisan booth will also feature a selection of carefully crafted accessories, textiles, leather goods, tableware, and other items that can be used or displayed.
Additionally, the store will offer a "Bookcase Lounge," equipped with Wi-Fi, perfect for bringing your laptop and immersing yourself in work, or relaxing with a cup of tea and a good book. The theater room, named "Honbako Theater," is a collaboration with "ShortShorts," a comprehensive short film brand in collaboration with the international short film festival Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, headed by actor Tetsuya Bessho. Each month will feature a different theme and screen carefully selected works.
From autumn onwards, the hotel will launch a membership program called "Honbako Kai." While the hotel's bookstore, shop, restaurant, and cafe are available for day use, membership will grant access to all areas of the hotel, including the hot springs, "Honbako Lounge," the guest-only lounge, and the theater room.
Whether you're a regular reader or not, why not experience the joy of discovering a book at Hakone Honbako?
Hakone Honbako is a complete renovation of Ashikari, a resort owned by Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Co., Ltd. (Nippan) in Hakone Gora Onsen. The name "Hakone Honbako" is a combination of "hon" (book) and "Hakone." The hotel's theme is "encountering books," which will weave culture into the future by proposing a new lifestyle through books. It's a space where you can casually pick up a book, like at a bookstore in front of a station, and a comfortable space where books and daily life are closely integrated, allowing you to fully enjoy the joy of reading and facing a book while staying there as if you were "living there".
The book direction is handled by "YOURS BOOK STORE", a brand that handles book direction by Nippan, and the production, direction and operation of the entire facility is handled by Jiyujin Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the lifestyle-oriented complex "Satoyama Jyucho" in Minami-Utsunomiya City, Niigata Prefecture.
In a society where people are increasingly turning away from books, the library is dotted with various devices that will "bring you closer to books" and make you "want to live with them." One that is particularly noteworthy is the special project "That Person's Bookshelf," which will appear in various places throughout the library. You can enjoy original bookcases filled with books selected by famous people who love books and are active at the forefront of various fields. Participants in the project include writers such as Ishida Ira, Onda Riku, Omiya Ellie, Nishi Kanako, Wataya Risa, Yamazaki Naocola, and Tsujimura Mizuki, as well as artists such as Yokoo Tadanori, Ninagawa Mika, and Kiyokawa Asami, and actors such as Nakatani Miki and Yamada Takayuki.
These bookshelves will be installed in various locations throughout the hotel, primarily in the guest rooms. You'll have to wait until you visit to find out which bookshelves are located where. The same bookshelves don't always stay in the same place. Of course, the bookshelves in the guest rooms are a "treat" only available to those staying in those rooms.
The core hotel has 18 guest rooms in six types. All rooms are equipped with a "personal bookshelf" and an open-air hot spring bath, and more than half of the rooms offer views of the Hakone outer rim, including Mt. Myojogatake and Mt. Kintoki, famous for their Daibunji yaki grills. Each room has a different interior, so no two are alike. Enjoy a book "as if you were relaxing in your own living room," or even "in the bathroom or toilet, anytime, anywhere," in a space that inspires creative thinking, allowing you to spend your time however you like.
The restaurant and cafe serves natural Italian cuisine with an "organic and cleansing" theme. The restaurant's food director is Yuji Sasaki, who has experience working at two-star Michelin restaurant Antica Osteria del Ponte in Milan and Osteria Enoteca da Sassino in Hirosaki. The restaurant showcases Hakone's local gastronomy, showcasing "powerful ingredients imbued with the producers' passion," such as seafood from Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, and organic vegetables and citrus fruits from Kanagawa and Shizuoka. Reservations are required for dinner, and the restaurant will be open for day trips and during idle times as of autumn.
What's more, the books in the library aren't just for interior décor; all of them are available for purchase. With a selection of approximately 10,000 books, including new releases, used books, and foreign books, this bookstore will be the largest in Hakone. It also features a lifestyle and artisan shop, created with the same perspective as selecting a book. Based on the concept of "adding color to your life," the store sells a variety of goods that promise a comfortable lifestyle. The artisan booth will also feature a selection of carefully crafted accessories, textiles, leather goods, tableware, and other items that can be used or displayed.
Additionally, the store will offer a "Bookcase Lounge," equipped with Wi-Fi, perfect for bringing your laptop and immersing yourself in work, or relaxing with a cup of tea and a good book. The theater room, named "Honbako Theater," is a collaboration with "ShortShorts," a comprehensive short film brand in collaboration with the international short film festival Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, headed by actor Tetsuya Bessho. Each month will feature a different theme and screen carefully selected works.
From autumn onwards, the hotel will launch a membership program called "Honbako Kai." While the hotel's bookstore, shop, restaurant, and cafe are available for day use, membership will grant access to all areas of the hotel, including the hot springs, "Honbako Lounge," the guest-only lounge, and the theater room.
Whether you're a regular reader or not, why not experience the joy of discovering a book at Hakone Honbako?
【Facility Information】
Hakone Nemoto Hako
Opening: August
Address: 1320-491 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Price: From 18,321 yen per night, 2 meals (price per person for a 2-person occupancy)
Hakone Nemoto Hako
Opening: August
Address: 1320-491 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Price: From 18,321 yen per night, 2 meals (price per person for a 2-person occupancy)
