Endo Lighting Supports the Creation of a Light Environment for "Rinn Kyoto Miyagawacho hitotose -Natsu-", a Fully-Rented Inn in Kyoto's Miyagawacho, Catering to the High-Value Inbound Era's Demand for "Deep Relaxation Experiences"

Endo Lighting Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka; President and CEO: Kunihiko Endo; Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market: Securities Code 6932; hereinafter referred to as "Endo Lighting") has supported the creation of the light environment through lighting design and fixture supply in collaboration with ODO Inc., the design firm, for "Rinn Kyoto Miyagawacho hitotose -Natsu-" (Operated by Real Co., Ltd.), a fully-rented inn that opened on March 1, 2026, in Miyagawacho, Kyoto.

Exterior of "hitotose -Natsu-"

Against the backdrop of recovering inbound tourism demand, accommodations are increasingly expected to offer guests an experience where they can relax their minds and bodies while feeling the local culture and stories, beyond mere convenience and facilities. In recent years, interest in "sleep tourism," which emphasizes sleep and relaxation during travel, has been growing, and the "quality of rest" in accommodations is becoming a key factor influencing their value.

The light environment of a space is one of the elements that support this experiential value.

For "hitotose -Natsu-", which is themed around the aesthetics of "shadow and light" and the Japanese summer, Endo Lighting supported the creation of a light environment that allows guests to feel detached from their daily lives and spend their time in tranquility, while leveraging the serenity and material textures of the traditional machiya architecture.

"hitotose -Natsu-" is a three-story wooden building, formerly a high-end restaurant, renovated into a fully-rented inn for one group per day. It combines the series' common concept of "shadow and light" aesthetics with motifs of Japanese summer such as reed screens, mosquito nets, and washi paper, creating a space where guests can experience the essence of a Kyoto summer.

"Shadow and Light" and the Japanese Summer Expressed with the Serenity of Moonlight

The lighting design for "hitotose -Natsu-" prioritized creating shadows and highlighting the texture of materials and the depth of the architecture, rather than uniformly illuminating the space.

Building on the insights gained from the previous series, "hitotose -Aki-", regarding brightness and the role of light, Endo Lighting supported the creation of a light environment tailored to the facility's spatial concept. By placing light where needed, while preserving the tranquil atmosphere of the machiya architecture and the impression of materials like washi paper, reed screens, and mosquito nets, they contributed to creating a space where guests can relax.

Notably, in the blue-toned third-floor bedroom, Endo Lighting's dimmable and color-tunable lighting system "Synca" was partially utilized to align with the world of the mosquito net-inspired space. Synca is a lighting system that can widely adjust "color temperature" (a measure of light color, where lower values are redder and higher values are bluer), from approximately 1,800K, reminiscent of a candle flame, to approximately 12,000K, equivalent to a clear blue sky. In this space, a serene atmosphere reminiscent of moonlight was achieved by using bluish-white light at approximately 12,000K, creating soft indirect lighting that harmonizes with the bluish interior materials.

Indirect lighting expressing the serenity of moonlight

Through such adjustments in color temperature and brightness, the aim is to create a tranquil stay experience that feels detached from everyday life.

Designing Light as "Quality of Rest Time," Not Just "Brightness"

Lighting in accommodations serves not only as a facility that ensures safety and functionality but also significantly influences the guests' mood and how they spend their time.

Especially in spaces with historical significance and rich material textures, such as machiya and former restaurant buildings, tranquility and depth are created by intentionally leaving shadows rather than illuminating everything uniformly.

In "hitotose -Natsu-", elements like the Japanese summer, machiya shadows, mosquito nets, and bluish interior were translated into the light environment. Consideration was given to the distance from walls and the focal point of light, planning the lighting not to be overly assertive but to enhance the overall serenity of the space.

Endo Lighting will continue to support the creation of light environments that enhance the experiential value of users, not just by providing brightness, but also in diverse spaces such as accommodations, commercial facilities, and offices.

About the Dimmable and Color-Tunable System "Synca"

Synca is a dimmable and color-tunable lighting system offered by Endo Lighting. It allows for light adjustment across a wide color temperature range, from approximately 1800K, reminiscent of a candle flame, to approximately 12000K, reminiscent of a clear sky. It also supports color rendering with soft, natural light colors, enabling the creation of light environments tailored to the space's purpose, time of day, and desired atmosphere.

In the current "hitotose -Natsu-" project, Synca was utilized not as the main feature of the lighting, but as an element to enhance the shadows and material textures of the machiya space.

Comment from Endo Lighting Representative

For this facility, we focused on how to naturally enhance the world of the space intended by the designer through light. We were mindful of placing light only where necessary, without overemphasizing it, so as not to detract from the charm of elements like the machiya architecture, washi paper, and mosquito nets.

Specifically, in the blue-themed third-floor bedroom, we leveraged Synca's wide color temperature adjustment function to achieve a quiet impression reminiscent of moonlight, using bluish-white light equivalent to a clear blue sky at 12,000K. By devising the illumination method to softly spread light from the four corners, we created a tranquil space that harmonizes with the bluish interior materials and the mosquito net-inspired design.

We will continue to contribute to creating light environments that enhance the spatial concept and user experience value in accommodations and commercial facilities.

Facility Overview

Facility Name

Rinn Kyoto Miyagawacho hitotose -Natsu-

Opening

March 1, 2026

Location

6-374-1 Miyagawasuji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Access

Approximately 2 minutes walk from Exit 5 of Keihan Line "Kiyomizu-Gojo" Station

Operation

Real Co., Ltd.

Design

ODO Inc.

Construction

YOSHIMI GODO LLC

Lighting Design

Endo Lighting Co., Ltd.

Collaborators

Washi paper craftsman Wataru Hatano / Light Phenomena Artist SAI (Saito Katagiri)

Building

Renovated three-story wooden building, formerly a high-end restaurant

Guest Rooms

Fully-rented (accommodates up to 6 people)

Company Profile: Endo Lighting Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Endo Lighting Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: ENDO Sakaisuji Building 8F, 1-7-3 Bingomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0051, Japan

TEL: +81-6-6267-7095 (Representative) FAX: +81-6-6267-7096

President and CEO: Kunihiko Endo

Founded: September 1967

Established: August 1972

Capital: 5,155 million yen

Business Activities: Planning, design, manufacturing, and sales of various lighting fixtures; sales of interior furniture and goods

Fiscal Year End: Annually on March 31

Net Sales (Consolidated): 55,473 million yen (Fiscal Year ending March 2026)

Number of Employees (Consolidated): 1,648 (as of the end of March 2026)