Updating the "Sauna x Capsule" Culture Born in Japan. Renovation Project for Osaka's "NEW JAPAN UMEDA" Achieves 2 International Design Awards, Strengthening Branding Support for Hotels and Bathing Facilities Nationwide

NEW JAPAN UMEDA is located at the eastern end of the "Umeda Higashi Dori Shopping Street," which connects Umeda and Saginomiya. It serves not only tourists and business travelers from Japan and abroad but also as a local public bath for residents.

The renovation project for "NEW JAPAN UMEDA," a long-established bathing facility in Umeda, Osaka, handled by the spatial design firm HiGe creative partner (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Shinichiro Yokoi), has achieved two prestigious international design awards. The project received the highest award, "Platinum Winner," at the "MUSE Hotel Awards 2026," and "ASIA'S BEST HOSPITALITY INTERIOR DESIGN" at the "ASIA ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AWARDS 2026." (Award ceremony held on June 26, 2026).

Following a design explanation, we will discuss the contributions of this renovation to the "client," the "city," and the "era," as well as future initiatives.

Design Explanation

"NEW JAPAN UMEDA" is a men-only complex facility, considered the origin of Japan's bathing and accommodation culture, featuring the world's first capsule hotel along with multiple large baths and saunas. In essence, the "combination of capsule hotel and bathing sauna" can be called a Japanese culture born in Osaka. This project focused on the design commonalities between "Japanese aesthetics" and "sauna." From this starting point, we aimed to express "Japanese sensibility and values" throughout the facility. However, instead of relying on conventional Japanese expressions, the design incorporated Osaka's characteristic emphasis on surprise and humor (sense of satisfaction) in a balanced way. This objective and innovative approach to enhancing the overall stay value of the facility earned high praise from international judges.

【1F: Facade】A New Face for the City, Fusing Sauna Symbolism with Japanese Sensibility

Sauna items such as thermometers, clocks, towels, firewood, ladles, and stoves are effectively displayed. A large noren (traditional Japanese curtain) is used for the exterior wall to highlight the meticulously crafted sauna interior. This also contributes to an inexpensive renewal of the old exterior wall.

Amidst the restaurants and izakayas lining the Umeda Higashi Dori Shopping Street, the interior and exterior were constructed to evoke "sauna itself," making it immediately clear that this is an attractive bathing facility. While directly expressing the symbolism of sauna, it was combined with Japanese sensibility, style, and spatial rhythm. It creates an original "face for a bathing sauna facility" that evokes surprise with "a sauna suddenly appearing in the shopping street!" and a chuckle upon closer inspection, "Ah, it's a hotel with a sauna!" This design intuitively draws in guests from Japan and abroad, presenting an appearance that serves as a prologue to the experience that continues on the upper floors.

【3F: Capsule & Workspace】A Hotel Colored with the Traditional "Bengara" Hue, and a High-Function Workspace

Based on the existing Nordic-style space, two functions were inserted: guest rooms in "bengara" (red oxide) color and a lounge (workspace).

The guest room area has been renovated into a capsule hotel unified by the traditional Japanese color "bengara" (red oxide). In the back alleys of old Japanese shopping streets, one often sees scenery unified by the bengara color. This was a measure taken in response to the sumptuary laws of the Edo period (prohibiting extravagance) and a reflection of the aesthetic sense of merchants who believed that "flashy colors that are too conspicuous are not chic." It was an effort to blend into the private and quiet landscape of the back alleys. In this project, we envisioned "this sleeping space as a back alley of the Umeda Higashi Dori Shopping Street" and incorporated the sensibility of ancient merchants into the design. Adjacent to this space is a workspace that also serves as a lounge. With green, the complementary color to bengara, as the base, an environment is created where guests can immerse themselves in thought and work in a relaxed state after bathing, providing a comfortable stay tailored to modern business professionals.

【5F: Capsule & Lounge】An "Unexperienced Art Space" Woven by Kisho Kurokawa's Legacy and Mirrors

From a lounge where one can relax as they please, one is led through a narrow tunnel connecting time and space to a new sensation capsule space.

The world's first capsules, designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, have been in use since the facility's opening in 1979 and are recognized as part of the "Living Architecture Museum Osaka" collection. We have preserved these capsules, a crystallization of Japanese sensibility and a treasure of Osaka, in their existing state, performing only cleaning for complete preservation. A technique was adopted where a material with a mirror effect is applied to the entire ceiling of the space where the capsules are located. In museums, when exhibits are three-dimensional, mirrors are placed behind and above them to allow art to be viewed from various perspectives. Similarly, with respect for the capsules as "exhibits within a museum," we adopted this method with the desire for guests to experience the capsules from various angles. As a result, the entire space takes on a maze-like appearance reminiscent of Escher's works, offering a surprising and immersive accommodation experience as if one has entered a piece of art. The adjacent lounge projects original visuals that pay homage to the capsules, further enhancing the stay here.

The historical capsules are re-expressed in their value while creating a new world. An art space like a four-dimensional maze.

Contributions of this Total Design to the "Client," the "City," and the "Era"

This project, which comprehensively elevated the value of the entire building based on the axis of Japanese-born culture and Japanese values, rather than highlighting a specific area, has made a tangible social contribution from the following three perspectives.

【Contribution to the Client (Owner)】: Cultural Succession and Evolution of Business Models

While preserving the unique historical asset of the "world's first capsule" without modification, distinct values (sophisticated facade, workspace/lounge, unexperienced art space) have been added to each of the 1F, 3F, and 5F. This has solidified the prestige of the facility as a beloved long-standing establishment while establishing "diverse accommodation styles" that cater to the needs of business travelers, inbound tourists, and fashion-conscious younger generations, greatly contributing to the maximization of the facility's profitability and sustainability.

【Contribution to the City】: Enhancement of Urban Cultural Appeal through the Revitalization of "Living Architecture"

As mentioned above, the capsules at this facility, which have been cherished for many years in the entertainment district of Umeda, Osaka, are an urban asset and part of the "Living Architecture Museum Osaka" collection. The total update of the facility's exterior and interior connects the city's context (history) to the next generation, while simultaneously bringing a sophisticated landscape and new vibrancy to the surrounding area, contributing to the enhancement of Umeda, Osaka's appeal as an international tourist city.

【Contribution to the Era】: An Innovative Role Model for Renovation Beyond "Scrap and Build"

The shift from "scrap and build" (demolishing old structures to build new ones) to sustainable development that redefines value by utilizing existing assets is a major contemporary trend. This work, which inherits the Japanese-unique cultural heritage of "sauna x capsule" through the power of design, is precisely the kind of initiative that the current era demands, prompting consideration of how to utilize architectural stock and "how to select and preserve existing assets."

※ The photo on the right shows the 5F guest rooms before renovation.

Although the capsules had historical value, they were actually in a state of being a "old and dark capsule hotel." From the question of how to showcase this value and form in a way that it could be re-recognized, the idea of "renewing only the ceiling and floor, utilizing a mirror effect like in a museum" was born.

Future Initiatives: Comment from Shinichiro Yokoi, Representative and Designer of HiGe creative partner

The combination of saunas and capsule hotels inherent in NEW JAPAN UMEDA is a unique bathing and accommodation culture that Japan, and particularly Osaka, can be proud of to the world. While the primary objectives of the renovation were to address aging and create new value, we are extremely honored that it has been recognized with international top awards, surpassing those initial goals. Japan has many hotels and bathing facilities that possess wonderful history and unique contexts but have not yet fully utilized their overall potential. At HiGe creative partner, we provide original interpretations of such potential and always strive to create designs that offer leverage for all challenges, including uniqueness, profitability, efficiency, and continuity. Taking this award as an opportunity, we will become more broadly involved in branding and rebranding projects, as well as total new construction and renovation projects for hotels and bathing facilities nationwide, deploying spatial designs that connect the unique value of each location and facility to the present and future across the country.

【Overview of Awards Received】

MUSE Hotel Awards 2026

Award Rank: Platinum Winner (Highest Award)

Organizer: International Awards Associate (IAA)

Evaluation Summary: Selected as outstanding hospitality design worldwide from applications from over 30 countries, following rigorous judging by experts.

ASIA ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AWARDS 2026 (AADA)

Award Rank: ASIA'S BEST HOSPITALITY INTERIOR DESIGN (Best Interior Design Award)

Evaluation Summary: A prestigious award honoring excellent architecture and design in Asia. It comprehensively judges not only commercial impact but also consideration for cultural background and outstanding spatial beauty.

【Project Overview】

Facility Name: NEW JAPAN UMEDA/CAPSULE INN OSAKA

Location: 9-5 Doyamacho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture

Facility Characteristics: A complex accommodation facility featuring the world's first capsule hotel, multiple baths, saunas, and a salon.

Renovation Target Areas: Facade, entrance, lobby (1F), capsule hotel/workspace (3F), locker area (4F), capsule hotel/lounge (5F), etc.

Project Members:

Creative Direction, Interior Design, Interior Coordination, Sign Design: HiGe creative partner

Construction: KIKUSUI

Furniture Design/Production: seia

Lighting Design: DAIKO ELECTRIC

Video Production: THANK

Acoustic Design: Sound System

Capsules: KOTOBUKI SEATING (for both 3F and 5F)

Photography: AKTGraphy / HiGe creative partner

Operating Company: New Japan Kanko Co., Ltd.

Official Facility Website: https://www.umedasauna-newjapan.jp/

【Company Profile】

Company Name: HiGe creative partner

Representative: Representative Director / Designer Shinichiro Yokoi

Location: Look Heights Shinjuku 803, 5-18-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Business Activities: Creative direction, interior design, and design for hospitality spaces (accommodation facilities, clinics, beauty salons, etc.), commercial facilities, and residences.

URL: https://www.hige-cp.com/