Some places are built. Others accumulate.
造られる場所もある。重なってできる場所もある。
The Layer is a collection of boutique stays across Japan's Izu Peninsula and in Nagano — each one discovered, not invented. A 1936 Showa‑era villa, a 1968 perfectly designed kominka, a ski house from Japan’s bubble years, and a hotel taking shape in Atami. Each one has its own history, its own materials, its own way of being lived in.
A mid‑century Japanese home built in 1968, a short walk from the sea. The original carpentry, the proportions of the rooms, and the way the morning light moves through the house all remain. Our renovation kept those bones and added what felt right: Tajimi tile, Karimoku furniture, sashiko Ojami cushions, and design decisions that make the home feel lived‑in. Ito is the property that started The Layer — a home with a design shaped over years, and now one of the Izu Peninsula’s hidden gems for design‑conscious travelers.
A 1990s ski house in Nagano, renovated with the same attention to materials and mood as our coastal properties, just in a different climate. Six bedrooms, room for twelve, and the kind of communal spaces that make a winter trip feel like a tradition. The design leans into the era it came from: bubble‑era color, generous scale, and a sense of fun that belongs to snow country. Three minutes from Tangram–Madarao Ski Resort. A premium ski house in Japan, with character.
Built in 1936 in Nishiyamachō, Atami. A completely enclosed garden, bright engawa corridors, and woodwork that has been accumulating character for nearly a century. A hinoki and Tajimi‑tile onsen bath with birds chirping and bamboo swaying just outside. A record lounge that looks out onto the garden. Three tatami bedrooms, a dining room that feels good at any hour, and a kitchen arranged for real use. It is a private onsen villa under one hour from Tokyo shaped by early Showa‑era architecture and the choices we’ve made to let the house truly be itself.
ATAMI HOTEL
A 1960s building in the center of Atami, built for a different era, and ready for its next one. Seven rooms, each shaped by the bones of the original structure, with Bar Taki on the ground floor and Tampopo Kissaten next door. Together they form the rhythm of the building: morning coffee, late‑night records, the quiet hours in between. A design-focused hotel in Atami that understands the city’s past and wants to be a part of its future.