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Naoshima Ryokan ROKA

Naoshima / 直島
Newly opened on Naoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture in April 2022, Roka is the grand vision of Shin
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THE STORY

Newly opened on Naoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture in April 2022, Roka is the grand vision of Shintaro Sasaki, a fourth-generation hotelier whose family founded the elegant Kifu no Sato ryokan in northern Okayama. Sasaki has launched stylish eateries in Osaka and Tokyo’s Roppongi district, but Roka is his first foray into independent inn operations. His discerning eye shows in every micro-decision behind the conception and design of Roka, although he is quick to point out that the art-infused ryokan is not his brainchild but rather the “heart child” of all on his team. The fact that morning staff meetings conclude with a meditation on mindfulness is indication of the relaxed welcome you’ll find here.

More than a place to stay and dine on exquisite modern kaiseki and sushi, Roka is itself an art project that makes for an exciting new destination on Naoshima. The ryokan is a gallery, an incubator for emerging talent, and a nightlife venue for meeting other art lovers and collectors from around the world. Curated by editor and art producer Shigeo Goto, a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, the Roka Art Project features works by Kohei Nawa (b. 1975), Masafumi Shigeta (b. 1985), Ryo Shinagawa (b. 1987), Kohei Yamada (b. 1997), Shohei Yamamoto (b. 1994), and Daisuke Yokota (b. 1983) in its growing permanent collection, and staying guests have the opportunity to purchase artworks featured in special exhibitions that rotate two times a year in spring and fall collections. Plans are underway to establish artist residencies as well.

A poetic balance of yin and yang is found throughout the inn’s spaces and offerings, right down to its name. Roka unites the warmth of the hearth (ro) with the softly enveloping qualities of woodland mist (ka) that inspired Sasaki to build on this site. On his first visit, he crested the hill just up the road to find mist rising from a reservoir encircled by trees. Moved by its yin qualities—nurturing, reflective, and filled with potential—he knew he had found a happy place for gatherings and creative exchanges centered around art. Roka is a mere ten-minute walk from Honmura Port, where you can alight from the ferry and begin your Naoshima sojourn with a visit to the Art House Project. Alternatively, head straight to the ryokan to check-in and drop your bags, then return on foot. The Honmura Lounge & Archive is only an eight-minute walk away.

Sasaki’s vision of a small hamlet that rises in harmony with its gently sloped surroundings continues to take shape under the sure hands of architect Hironori Fujioka of the Okayama-based nottuo Inc. With its restaurant and café-bar, 11 guest suites, central firepit for outdoor gatherings, and planned artist studios, it is an exciting new addition to the delights of Naoshima, very much in step with the island’s mission to strengthen community ties through contemporary art.

ROOMS

  • ROOM Roka Suite At 106 square meters, the Roka Suite is the largest of the 11 guest residences and is as equall…
  • ROOM Premium Suite Two Premium Suites of 62 square meters each offer all the benchmark comforts of the eight Delux…
  • ROOM Deluxe Suite Generously sized at 56 square meters each, the eight Deluxe Suites set the Roka standard of com…
    ROOM Roka Suite At 106 square meters, the Roka Suite is the largest of the 11 guest residences and is as equally suited to private getaways as it is to catered receptions and dinner parties, or for use as a breakout room at retreats. In addition to a kitchen and bar, the Roka Suite has a 12-mat living room, a dining area that comfortably seats six, and a semi-outdoor bathing area with the largest of the cypress baths at Roka. The deep soaking tub is a generous 2.5 square meters in size, and the hardwood balcony runs along the rear garden for more than nine meters. The pitched ceiling of the Roka Suite soars to a height well over four meters, making for a truly uplifting space.

    Fresh flowers beautifully arranged in a pit-fired vase thrown by potter Masafumi Shigeta (b. 1985) greet guests at the entrance, setting the mood for the understated Japanese luxury within. Inside, low-slung Daruma chairs of woven rattan by Kanemitsu and a stunning bespoke coffee table carved of sustainable cedar by Toshiaki Umemoto of Studio Khii in Wakayama bring signature style to the relaxed setting. Gently curving ergonomic chairs by Karimoku and small touches like the shoehorn hand-whittled of bamboo add to the sense of place. Sliding doors are papered with an original design created by Roka owner Shintaro Sasaki himself. Entitled Hikari no ame (Rainshine), the imagery is his tribute to peace, diversity, and yin-yang qualities of balance, and was inspired by his travels around the world. The original artwork on the walls, commissioned by Roka and part of the inn’s rotating purchasable gallery of original works by emerging artists, speaks expressly to the spirit of art-island Naoshima.

    All design features and amenities mentioned in the Deluxe Suite category apply to the appointment of the Roka Suite as well.
    ROOM Premium Suite Two Premium Suites of 62 square meters each offer all the benchmark comforts of the eight Deluxe Suites, with a larger balcony and a bit more space for unwinding. Because they are situated side-by-side, the Premium Suites are convenient for larger parties traveling together.

    As with all suites at Roka, the cypress-wood trim and refined greys of the fabrics, wallcoverings, and carpets create a serene atmosphere that is set off by stylish accents of black in the fittings, fixtures, and accessories. A single stunning coffee table carved of sustainable cedar by Studio Khii in Wakayama features in each residence, all of them cut from the same 200-year-old tree. Sliding doors are papered with an original design created by Roka owner Shintaro Sasaki himself. Entitled Hikari no ame (Rainshine), the imagery is his tribute to peace, diversity, and yin-yang qualities of balance, and was inspired by his travels around the world.

    All design features and amenities mentioned in the Deluxe Suite category apply to the appointment of the Premium Suites as well.
    ROOM Deluxe Suite Generously sized at 56 square meters each, the eight Deluxe Suites set the Roka standard of comfort. The ikebana display in a pit-fired Jomon-style vase by Masafumi Shigeta (b. 1985) at the entrance is the first hint of the understated Japanese aesthetic that awaits within. From the unique tokobashira pillar of figured timber in the tokonoma alcove, to the semi-outdoor bath of cypress wood and the private balcony overlooking a garden beyond, each residence is a treasure box of quiet, restrained elegance.

    From the entrance of the suite, the earthen wall gives way to softly textured wallcoverings of shifu paper cloth handwoven by Tosa Washi of Shikoku. Futon-style bedding and tatami-mat relaxation spaces with low-slung furniture and indirect lighting are still further visual reminders of the contemporary Japanese aesthetic, while a deep inhale of the clean natural scents of tatami mats and cypress wood, and perhaps even the saline tinge of the island air outside on the balcony, add to the sense of place. The original artwork on the wall, commissioned by Roka and part of the inn’s rotating purchasable gallery of original works by emerging artists, speaks expressly to the spirit of art-island Naoshima.

    The all-natural body-care products include olive-oil soap by the Okayama-based Okada, specialists in additive-free, plant-based formulas, and the Yo line of professional salon products. These, too, are formulated with organic botanicals: a jojoba-seed hair conditioner and a delicately fragranced shampoo and body soap formulated with sage leaf and angelica root. After your bath, slip into the yukata robe and don a pair of the elegant leather-soled black sandals handmade in Nara by Yamato Kobo before wandering over to the firepit and restaurant wing for drinks or a relaxed and informal meal.

FACILITIES &
SERVICES

  • Restaurant EN “Letter from Dad,” “There’s something far ahead,” “Let go of karma,” “Diversity is possibility.” Like a fun riff on the Chinese fortune cookie, the wooden chopsticks at En, the main restaurant, are carved with conversation starters and inspirational reflections by Roka owner Shintaro Sasaki. This, too, is an example of the relaxed playfulness and attention to detail you’ll find throughout Roka. (1/3)
  • Restaurant EN The name En is taken from two homophonic characters: one that means to gather, another that refers to the heat of the fire element—essential, of course, to the magical transformations that happen here in the kitchen daily. Executive chef Yuji Makishima presides over a five-person team who prepare modern kaiseki and sushi multi-course feasts, each with a vegan option, for lunch and dinner. Staying guests enjoy sumptuous Japanese-style breakfasts at En as well. And while the ultimate star is the superb seafood of the Seto Inland Sea, regional delicacies like Nagi Wagyu beef from northern Okayama and olive-fed Wagyu from nearby Shodoshima island feature on the menus, too. (2/3)
  • Restaurant EN Housemade herbal infusions highlight the drinks menu, organized into seasonal flights with themes such as energizing, relaxing, beautifying, and cleansing. Both non-alcohol and sober options for these tonics are offered. Italian-style specialty coffee masterminded by Kiyohisa Fugino of Gino is served here and in Moya, the adjacent café.

    The bowls, plates, and even the Bizen coffee mugs are, like the art on the walls, a showcase of emerging artists and craftspeople, each one-off creation personally selected by Sasaki, Makishima, and manager Daisuke Ichikawa on their travels throughout Japan. The emphasis on detail and natural materials is found as well in the softly beveled edges of the walnut tabletops, hand-whittled bamboo spoons and forks, and the textured wall coverings of all-natural washi-textile by paper craftsman Wataru Hatano of Kyoto. Fixtures are painted black and the walls and flooring are rendered in creamy-beige and grey earth tones to set off the art; on one side of the restaurant, a glass wall overlooks Muryoraku-an, the outdoor hearth. With both table and counter seating, En seats a total of 37 guests. (3/3)
  • Café-Bar MOYA Designed for relaxed gatherings and creative exchanges centered around art, the café-bar Moya is the public face of Roka and Naoshima’s premier nightlife spot open to residents and visitors alike. Mere minutes on foot from the Art House Project near Honmura Port, Moya serves lunch and after-dinner drinks late into the night—in fact, it is the only venue on the island that stays open past 9 p.m. (1/3)
  • Café-Bar MOYA Buy your drinks at the bar and unwind with them outdoors at the Muryoraku-an firepit, or stay inside where the music may make you want to get up and dance. Cocktails, both alcoholic and sober, feature Roka’s signature housemade herbal infusions. The original Gino blend of Italian-style specialty coffee masterminded by Kiyohisa Fugino is on the menu as well.

    At lunch, two kinds of donburi rice bowls, roast-beef and seafood, are served with soup. Moya seats a total of 28 guests at comfortable lounge chairs and sofas and its 13-seat counter. Souvenirs sold at the shop include books on art and photography, bags by Haruka Nomura, artworks by emerging artists, and oyster and other food specialties of the Setouchi area. (2/3)
  • Café-Bar MOYA Colored in deep earth tones of greys, golds, and browns, Moya is built of natural materials. Traditional plasterer Akiyoshi Tanaka of Arashiyama in Kyoto hand-finished the walls in the same traditional troweling style used in temples, shrines, castles, and machiya townhouses from generations ago. The shop walls at back are covered in washi cloth made by the Kyoto-based paper craftsman Wataru Hatano, who dyed them a rich dark brown using kakishibu persimmon tannin. Three granite posts supporting the cypress counter were repurposed from an older building on Naoshima. A contemporary nihonga painting on a gold-leaf ground by artist Ryo Shinagawa anchors the far wall, bringing a dynamic pop of fresh color to the space. (3/3)
  • Cuisine In a country where quality seafood reigns supreme, the Seto Inland Sea—Setouchi for short—is revered for the sheer variety and taste of its fish. Thanks to the mild climate and plentiful nutrients and minerals that flow into these waters from the many tree-covered small islands, marine life flourishes in Setouchi, and its seafood is sought after by chefs across Japan for its springy texture and depth of flavor. At Roka, Kyoto-trained executive chef Yuji Makishima presides over a five-person team who prepare modern kaiseki and sushi multi-course feasts, each with a vegan option, for lunch and dinner. Staying guests enjoy sumptuous Japanese-style breakfasts as well. (1/2)
  • Cuisine Ninety percent of the ingredients are sourced locally, right down to the miso, salt, and soy sauce, all from Kagawa Prefecture. The delicately flavored salt is Sanuki Moshio, derived in the same way as ancient times by boiling down mineral-rich seaweeds like sargassum. The soy sauce is brewed on nearby Shodoshima Island and infused in-house with Roka’s own blend of umami-rich bonito shavings and kombu. While emphasis is placed on seafood, other regional specialties include premium Nagi Wagyu beef from northern Okayama and olive-fed Wagyu from Shodoshima, the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan. Wagyu cattle on the island are grown on feed blended with the leftover pressings for a lusciously rich and clean flavor packed with high levels of oleic acid.

    True to form, all meals at Roka are presented with the characteristic warmth of ryokan-style hospitality. (2/2)
  • Herbal Infusions One of the first things you’ll notice upon entering the restaurant and café wing at Roka are the one hundred+ glass bottles of colorful home-cured herbal infusions lined up on the counter, each thoughtfully labelled with a hand-embossed leather tag.

    In addition to such usual suspects as lemongrass, peppermint, ginseng and rosehip, some of the more curious liqueurs include infusions of loquat leaf, desert broomrape, valerian, and seahorse, not to mention mamushi pit viper steeped in a liquor of wild ginseng. A range of coffee liqueurs is variously infused with lemon, mint, rose, and cinnamon. While the stock does vary according to season and demand, the knowledgeable team of herbal sommeliers at Moya and En are at the ready to recommend both sober and alcoholic drinks to meet your mood and condition, and the lunch and dinner menus offer omakase flights of these healthful infusions, primed to the season.

    Need Vitamin C? (1/2)
  • Herbal Infusions Try a non-alcoholic tonic of camu camu sour berry juice, hibiscus syrup and tonic water garnished with cherry-blossom powder. For a boost to the digestive system, an aperitif of fennel and butterfly pea with lemongrass, fine-grained cane sugar, and dried lemon might be suggested, while old standbys like Kahlúa and milk with chamomile or a tonic of sweet ginger and lavender will invite a sound night’s sleep. For a fusion of Japanese and world tastes, try a lemon sour made from the fresh-squeezed juice of a whole lemon and garnished with powdered butterbur, or the housemade amazake of fermented rice blended with green tea and olive powder.

    The herbal infusions prepared at Roka are overseen by the Medical Herb Liqueur Association, an organization dedicated to providing education about herb gardens and orchards and homeopathic methods of preventive medicine using botanical remedies. (2/2)
  • Special Exhibition New works commissioned by curator Shigeo Goto for the Roka Art Project will be exhibited in each of the guest suites two times a year, from April through September for the Spring/Summer collection, and October through March for the Fall/Winter collection.

    For the initial three months of each semi-annual collection, Roka’s staying guests will have the first option to purchase the works by lottery. The results will be announced on Roka’s website on June 30 and December 31, respectively. After this initial three-month period, any works not yet spoken for will be released and offered for sale to the general public for online purchasing by lottery until the show’s conclusion.

    The inaugural Spring/Summer 2022 show (April 14 – September 30), features a dozen works by the Kyoto-based painter Ryo Shinagawa (b. 1987). Entitled Shin Kokin Wakashu (New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern) after the celebrated imperial anthology commissioned in 1201, this new series is Shinagawa’s personal interpretation of 12 select poems. Shin Kokin is one of the best-known works of Japanese literature, considered a crystallization of Japanese aesthetics in what was a highly poetic age. To this source material Shinagawa brings his honed technique, perceptive eye, and sense of humor. (1/2)
  • Special Exhibition ー Curator Shigeo Goto ー
    The Roka Art Project is curated by Shigeo Goto, a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and an editor and art producer known for his prolific projects in collaboration with such leading lights as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kishin Shinoyama, Mika Ninagawa, and many others. A visionary dedicated to the development of creative talent, he heads the Goto Lab, a correspondence school for graduate studies in art and design, as well as the A&E (Art & Edit) online salon, where he hosts sessions on how to introduce art-based thinking into business and other endeavors. Goto’s latest book, Unraveling the secrets of art, was published in Japanese in 2021. (2/2)
  • Permanent Collection A perfectly poised organic form rising from a boulder in the front courtyard is the first hint of the playful art on display at Roka. From the Ether series by Kohei Nawa (b. 1975), the sculpture is modelled after the changing forms of a liquid droplet as it falls, mirrored vertically to suggest infinity and a virtual state of weightlessness.

    A painting by Ryo Shinagawa (b. 1987) anchors the far wall of the café-bar Moya, bringing a dynamic pop of fresh color to the interior of this space that functions as the de facto lobby. Its gold-leaf ground and theme of seasonal flowers and plants recalls the bird-and-flower paintings that embellished the sliding screens and walls of castle residences in the late sixteenth century. Adjacent to it is Alluvion (2021), a kaleidoscopic print by Daisuke Yokota (b. 1983). He exposed undeveloped film to light and a cocktail of chemicals to yield fissuring, bubbling polychromatic layers, which he then photographed.

    Still more eye candy hangs on the walls of En, the restaurant. To the left as you enter is an untitled triptych (2022) of oil paintings by Kohei Yamada (b. 1997), who eschewed representation to return to the three foundations of his medium: outlines, gradation, and layering. At the rear wall of the restaurant is a 2022 work from the Calcite on Myth series by Shohei Yamamoto (b. 1994). (1/2)
  • Permanent Collection It, too, questions the parameters of painting: Yamamoto used a hand roller to overlay rhythmic patterns of calcite on his reproductions of Greek heroic myths. Behind the counter are two 2022 works from Nawa’s Moment Photography series, in which the sculptor draws on his longtime interest in photography to explore notions of representation and materiality. Finally, the entrance to each guest suite is adorned with a large pit-fired vase by potter Masafumi Shigeta (b. 1985). Roka owner Shintaro Sasaki fills them himself with flowers and plants he gathers from the surrounding hills; these arrangements can be enjoyed from the main corridor, like a mini-gallery of ikebana.

    ー Curator Shigeo Goto ー
    The Roka Art Project is curated by Shigeo Goto, a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and an editor and art producer known for his prolific projects in collaboration with such leading lights as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kishin Shinoyama, Mika Ninagawa, and many others. A visionary dedicated to the development of creative talent, he heads the Goto Lab, a correspondence school for graduate studies in art and design, as well as the A&E (Art & Edit) online salon, where he hosts sessions on how to introduce art-based thinking into business and other endeavors. Goto’s latest book, Unraveling the secrets of art, was published in Japanese in 2021. (2/2)
  • Sanshi-suimei Garden Sanshi-suimei is the front garden designed by architect Hironori Fujioka and built by Kei Amano of Yard Works Inc. Reminiscent of ancient Chinese poetical texts, the name literally means “Mountain Blessings, Sparkling Water.” The water element is expressed by two circular rice paddies, a nod to the site’s former role and, eventually, a place where staying guests might try their own hands at planting or harvesting this most fundamental of Japanese crops. True to the other half of its name, the garden features a diversity of plants, from Asian evergreen shrubs and black pine to burning bush, broad-leaved banksia, a variety of maples, and flowering cacti like yucca, aloes, and prickly pear. The range of shapes and bright notes of color are pleasing to look at year-round, and play host to a variety of pollinators from bees to butterflies and birds. Eventually, some of the garden’s fruits and leaves may be harvested for use in Roka’s impressionable collection of housemade botanical infusions—blessings, indeed.
  • Muryoraku-an Firepit The joyful enchantment of gathering with others around a warm fire outdoors at night, sharing food and drink and swapping stories beneath the stars . . . these simple joys seem wired into our very DNA. Muryoraku-an, a custom-built firepit complete with a wrap-around cypress counter, cypress bench seating, and a roof, is just such a place at Roka. Situated between the guest suites and the restaurant and café wing on one axis, and the front and rear gardens on the other, it is an ideal place for visitors, residents, and artists to relax together for sundowners and cheer over the flickering flames. A hearth at the very heart of Roka, its name literally means “haven of immeasurable delights.”
  • Setouchi Island Hopping by Charted Catamaran Charted catamaran cruise trip to Inujima and Teshima is available during your stay at Naoshima Ryokan ROKA. The scenery of over 1,000 islands in the Seto Inland Sea is called "Tajima-bi," and it is a spectacular view either from the ocean or the mountains. Uno Port is the gateway to Naoshima, which is well-known for contemporary art worldwide. From here, we will take you on a journey around the islands of Setouchi, including Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima.

    Teshima is located between Shodoshima and Naoshima. Teshima offers abundant gourmet food, including cultivated agricultural products and Seto Inland seafood, with fertile soil and water. (1/3)
  • Setouchi Island Hopping by Charted Catamaran You can also enjoy art museums and outdoor art displayed on the island.

    Inujima is an island that floats about 3 km (approx. 1.9 miles) off the eastern part of Okayama City, which is the only inhabited island in Okayama City. Like Naoshima and Teshima, Inujima is also known as an island of art with some art sites, including the Inujima Art House Project and the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum recreated the historical site of the copper smelter as a modern industrial heritage of the island. (2/3)
  • Setouchi Island Hopping by Charted Catamaran Boat Specs
    Boat Type: Catamaran Yacht
    Manufacturer: Chantier CATANA
    Model: BALI 4.0
    Length: 40 ft (12.19 m)
    Width: 22 ft (6.71 m)
    Weight: 10 t
    Draft: 3.67 ft (1.12 m)
    Maximum Power: 26.0 KW x 2
    Speed: 6 knots
    Maximum Occupancy: 10 people (accommodates up to 6 people for a stay)
    Number of Guestroom: 3
  • Private Glamping Experience on KUJIRA-JIMA A small desert island, KUJIRA-JIMA, floats off the calm blue Seto Inland Sea coast. This experience is a private paradise that offers you the new charm of the Seto Inland Sea as a private campground exclusively for one group a day. Surrounded by the clear ocean water and lush greenery, you will experience extraordinary island time at the glamping. The mysterious sunset and the stars shining in the night sky will also refresh your soul. Sophisticated cottages and bell tents promise you a comfortable stay. You can enjoy various activities such as kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding during your stay.
  • Sunset Cocktail Cruise You can rent a luxury catamaran yacht where you can stay and enjoy a cruise on the Seto Inland Sea. The 360-degree view of “Tajima-bi” from the luxurious yacht is breathtaking. Enjoy a meal on board like a small resort hotel or enjoy your drink while feeling the sea breeze on the deck of the bow. The sunset cruise, where you can enjoy the dynamic Seto Ohashi Bridge, and the red ocean sunset, will surely be a gorgeous experience for you.

Map &
Transportation

Closest Train Station JR Uno Station
ROUTE DETAILS
Closest Bus Station Naoshima Town Management Bus Yakubamae
ROUTE DETAILS
Free pick-up service YES
Key Gate Way Int'l Airport and Train (Shinkansen) Station
Route details

Ryokan Data

Area Naoshima / 直島
Name of Ryokan Naoshima Ryokan ROKA / 直島旅館ろ霞
Address 1234 Naoshima-cho, Kagawa-gun, Kagawa 761-3110
〒761-3110 香川県香川郡直島町1234
Total Number of Rooms 11 rooms
Check-in Time 15:00
Check-Out Time 11:00
Credit Card Yes

Meals

Dinner Start Time 18:30 / 19:00 / 19:30
Breakfast Start Time 8:00 / 8:30 / 9:00
In Room Dining Available No
Bar
Special Dietary Arrangements Yes
Vegan Friendly Yes
Western Breakfast Available Yes

Other Facilities & Services

Communal Bath No
Family Bath No
Private indoor bath in room Yes
Private open-air bath in the room Yes
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