Kumo no Ueno Annex and Yusuhara マルシェユスハラ

Yusuhara – the small gem surrounded by forest

Yusuhara is a charming town in central Shimanto, located in the western part of Kochi Prefecture. We chose this town as our base for several hikes in the area. Yusuhara itself is very pleasant and boasts a unique characteristic: over the last 20 years, the world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma has drawn inspiration from the surrounding nature and wood, as well as the town’s old theatre, to design several projects.

As of 2011, Yusuhara is home to six Kengo Kuma-designed buildings, including the hotel we stayed at, the Kumo no Ueno Annex. The other buildings are the Kumo no Ue no Hotel (the original hotel, currently under renovation with an unknown reopening date), Machi no Eki and Market, Kumo no Ue no Gallery, Kumo no Ue Library, Yusuhara’s Town Office, and the Welfare Facility Yururi.

There are several dining spots in town for dinner, so there’s no need to include dinner in your room rate. You can also enjoy a short walk in the park by climbing a small hill for nice views overlooking the town.

View on Yusuhara from the park

Kumo no Ueno Annex

This hotel is noteworthy not only for its access to the onsen but also as an excellent base for the side trips we took. The hotel itself is a large market hall, with rooms located on the upper floors. The market offers local products that you won’t easily find elsewhere, so we encourage you to buy something as a souvenir. Both the hotel and the market use surrounding wood in their construction, creating a very cozy atmosphere.

Kumo no Ueno Annex

Kumo no Ueno Marche

Wooden bridge in Yusuhara

Breakfast

Breakfast is Japanese-style, simple but tasty, and convenient for an early start.

Rooms

Image courtesy form website

Our room was Japanese-style. Although twin rooms are available, they were fully booked when we made our reservation. The room was simple, minimalist, but clean and well-equipped.

We stayed for two nights, and the room rate for two people with breakfast was 18,780 yen.

Onsen

The Kumo no Ueno Annex onsen is located 2 km from the hotel. A free shuttle runs every hour, but you can also drive yourself. Be sure to get enough coupons from the reception for each visit to the onsen during your stay. For more details, see our separate post about the Kumo no Ueno Onsen.