Kengo Kuma-designed building paves path as Japan's 1st zero-emissions hotel

Solar panels are seen on the roof of the Itomachi Hotel 0 in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, on Sept. 24, 2023. Mount Ishizuchi is seen in the background. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Ota)

SAIJO, Ehime — A recently opened facility designed by famed architect Kengo Kuma in this southwest Japan city is gaining wide interest both as the country’s first zero-emissions hotel and as an industry-led initiative.

Part of a new push for regional revitalization through renewable energy in the face of a declining population, the Itomachi Hotel 0 (Zero) achieves net zero carbon emissions through energy produced by rooftop solar panels.

The hotel was conceived and opened by Advantec Co., a Tokyo-based semiconductor company that also works on renewable energy projects. Representative director Masahide Yamana wanted to do his part to revitalize Saijo, where he is from. With the help of architect Kengo Kuma, the project lifted off in 2017.

When a commercial facility housing a market and restaurants opened on the site in 2020, solar panels with 140 kilowatts of capacity were installed on the roof. The building can also serve as an emergency shelter able to provide enough food, water and backup power for 300 people over a three-day period. The newly added hotel’s power generation capacity is on the 300-kilowatt level. The hotel is the first in Japan to receive the highest level of green accreditation as a zero-emissions building.

The addition of a hotel to the popular market and restaurants is hoped to bring about new exchanges with those beyond the city’s borders, turning it into a more bustling place.

“Through this new form of project combining decarbonization and regional revitalization efforts, we want to create a prosperous future for people within and beyond Saijo. We will be happy if Itomachi becomes a model for other municipalities to tackle their issues,” Advantec stated.

The facility is reportedly fielding a large number of requests for on-site tours from governmental and educational institutions, businesses, community organizations and others within Ehime Prefecture and elsewhere, offering one around every two weeks.

This past September, 15 members of the international cooperation club at Ehime Prefectural Uwajima Higashi High School visited on a field trip to learn about sustainable enterprises. The tour touched on measures to maximize air conditioning and lighting efficiency, such as daylight entering through the large windows, as well as nutritious lunches produced and consumed locally. Kazuhito Kusu, the teacher who led the trip, commented, “We’re also involved in tackling regional issues as a school, and this trip allowed us to experience firsthand the efforts being taken in Ehime.”

(Japanese original by Hiroyuki Ota, Matsuyama Bureau)