Kengo Kuma's architecture in Yusuhara

Kengo Kuma in Yusuhara

Kengo Kuma is one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary architects, known for blending wood, local materials, and traditional craft into designs that feel unmistakably modern. While many of his projects are scattered across major cities, one of the most concentrated collections of his work sits in a small mountain town most travellers have never heard of: Yusuhara, in Kochi Prefecture.

Tucked deep in the mountains near the border with Ehime, Yusuhara is often used as a base for hiking the Shikoku Karst. But spend even a day here and you'll stumble across an unexpected architectural trail — a library, town hall, hotel and market, bridge-shaped gallery, welfare facility, and hot spring complex, all touched by Kuma's hand.

Why Kengo Kuma built in Yusuhara

Yusuhara was historically a logging town, and forest still covers most of the surrounding area — a natural fit for an architect known for working with wood. Kuma's connection to the town began in the 1980s, when he helped preserve Yusuhara-za, the old wooden theatre. From there, the collaboration grew gradually over decades, one civic building at a time.

That history is part of what makes the buildings special: they aren't isolated landmarks built for tourists, but everyday places — a library, town office, market, and care facility that locals actually use.

The Kumo no Ue buildings

The phrase Kumo no Ue (雲の上), meaning "above the clouds," shows up throughout Yusuhara — in the library, gallery, hotel, and onsen names. It's a fitting theme for a town reached only by winding mountain roads.

The main Kuma buildings to look for:

• Kumo-no-Ue Library (2018)
• Machi-no-Eki Yusuhara & Kumo no Ueno Hotel Annex (2010)
• Kumo-no-Ue-no Gallery, near the hot spring (2010)
• Yusuhara Town Office (2006)
• YURURI Yusuhara, a welfare facility for elderly residents (2018)

None of these are roped off as "sights" — you'll likely pass them while picking up groceries, checking into your hotel, or heading out to the onsen.

Machi no Eki & Kumo no Ueno Hotel Annex

This is the most practical stop for visitors: part community market, part hotel, with shops on the ground floor and guest rooms above. Staying here makes Yusuhara an easy base for nearby hikes, and the market keeps it feeling like a real local hub rather than a hotel built only for outsiders.

The standout feature is the exterior: Kuma covered the walls in thatch, a nod to traditional roofing reimagined as wall cladding. Inside, the design is simple and warm, dominated by wood.

(Full review and room photos in the separate post on Kumo no Ueno Hotel Annex.)

Kumo no Ue no Gallery

Arguably the most striking building in town, this wooden bridge-shaped gallery is suspended between supports, with interlocking timber beams stacked below — a contemporary take on the bracket systems found under traditional temple eaves.

It sits just outside the town centre, next to the hot spring complex, so you'll need a car or the local shuttle to reach it. The onsen alone is worth the trip — more details in the separate post on Kumo no Ueno Hot Spring.

Yusuhara Town Office

Completed in 2006, the town office uses local cedar throughout its interior, giving it a warmth rarely found in municipal buildings. A small tea house-style structure on the ground floor adds a welcoming, distinctly Japanese touch — and it's still very much a working town hall.

Kumo no Ue Library

Opened in 2017, this is likely the building that draws architecture fans to Yusuhara in the first place. Inside, overlapping wooden beams form a canopy above the reading areas, alongside a café and a small bouldering wall — making it a genuinely lively local space rather than a museum piece.

YURURI Yusuhara

Just behind the library, YURURI Yusuhara is a welfare facility supporting elderly residents who live independently but need extra care. Cedar boards clad the exterior, while the interior incorporates handmade washi paper. Together with the library, it turns this corner of town into a small civic hub.

Visiting Yusuhara

Yusuhara isn't a place you'll stumble into by accident — it takes a dedicated trip into Kochi's mountains. But if you're hiking the Shikoku Karst, or simply looking for a slice of contemporary Japanese architecture far from the usual circuit, it's well worth the detour.