Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f Launches 'Mamebi' Experience Program in Collaboration with Creator Beni

Located in Sengokuhara, Hakone, surrounded by lush nature, the forest resort hotel Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f (Address: Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture) offers stays that provide an escape from everyday life by spending time with the forest. Amidst clear air, the silence of the deep woods, and a natural environment that changes with the seasons, the hotel fosters time that inspires new realizations and ideas, closely attuned to the senses and preferences of each visitor.

The hotel is launching an Ambassador Program in collaboration with creators active in diverse fields such as music, art, crafts, video, and photography. This program is an initiative where creators actually stay at the hotel and share aspects of how to spend time and the experience of staying, through their unique perspectives and expressions.

As the inaugural effort of this Ambassador Program, a creation by creator Beni, one of the first-term ambassadors, will be deployed. During the rainy season, in Hakone-Sengokuhara, enveloped in mist-laden air and the sound of rain, the senses of both nature and people tend to turn inward. Focusing on this period where the quality of time spent in guest rooms, terraces, and lounges becomes crucial—precisely because the stay is not aimed at going out—Beni expresses the serene time born during the stay through the quiet flickering of the fire created by 'Mamebi'.

This creation is also designed as an initiative closely suited for Father's Day stays. Through a Mamebi kit and a postcard featuring a photo of a small flame, it envisions an experience of quietly handing over feelings of gratitude—which can be a little embarrassing to put into words—along with the warmth of the fire. The moments spent around the Mamebi require no special staging or conversation; family dialogue naturally emerges within comfortable silence and casual interactions.

The time spent merely gazing at the flickering flame and surrendering to the rhythm of nature is not an experience for acquiring something, but rather a catalyst for taking a step back from everyday life. Starting with this inaugural creation of the program, the hotel plans to continue exploring diverse ways of spending time during stays through ongoing collaborations with creators.

[Program Overview] In this initiative, to help guests spend their stay more richly on rainy days, including the rainy season, and as a “memorable gift experience” suited for Father's Day, spaces and items using Mamebi will be developed.

Rainy Day Exclusive “Room of Mamebi” Exclusively during rainy weather, the “Room of Mamebi” will be held at the cafe & lounge within the facility. It proposes a moment during the stay as a space where guests can relax while listening to the sound of rain, surrounding the Mamebi with a cup of coffee. As a place to spend quiet time outside the guest room, this initiative also aligns well with Father's Day stays.

Sale of Mamebi Kits and Pillow Mist (Gifts) Mamebi kits will be sold at the cafe & lounge. As a gift that allows guests to remember the time spent surrounding the fire together during their stay even after returning home, it is an item well-suited for Father's Day presents. The entire process of preparing the fire, lighting it, and watching it flicker becomes an experience of conveying gratitude without relying on words, connecting the memory of the time spent in Hakone to everyday life. Additionally, as a proposal to take home the memory of the stay as a “scent,” the sale of an original pillow mist is also planned. By spraying it before sleep, guests can enjoy a lingering time recalling the forest air and the scenes from their stay.

Price: Mamebi Kit 8,200 yen (tax included) *The release date and price of the pillow mist are yet to be determined.

Creator Ambassador Mamebi Creator / Candle Creator Beni Instagram: @mamebi_creator_beni Using fire as a medium, she creates time to face “fire for gazing.” It is a minimal fire not meant to illuminate a space, but to turn one's consciousness inward. She perceives the flickering, the actions leading up to the fire, the time, and the pauses as a single holistic experience. Currently, focusing on the minimal fire “Mamebi,” she explores the time when senses open up in a stripped-down state. Utilizing her background knowledge related to the alignment of the body and senses, she values expressions of experiences where senses open up amidst silence.

[Accommodation Plan] [Stay of Fire and Space] <With Dinner and Breakfast> Time to savor the flickering of Mamebi and the silence in the Hakone forest (Includes Mamebi Kit) - Applicable Stay Period June 1, 2026 (Mon) – August 31, 2026 (Mon) - Accommodation Rates före: From 64,000 yen for 2 persons in 1 room with dinner and breakfast (includes tax and service charge, excludes bath tax) villa 1/f: From 110,000 yen for 2 persons in 1 room with dinner and breakfast (includes tax and service charge, excludes bath tax) - Accommodation Reservations före: https://bit.ly/4wBjJK1