New Echizen washi paper craft lodging SUKU hanare opens in Fukui

Visitors will soon be able to experience daily life in a traditional craft production centre. A new accommodation facility, SUKU hanare, will open on 1 October in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, an area renowned for its 1,500-year history of Echizen washi (Japanese paper) papermaking.

The Imadate area where the accommodation will be hosts more than 40 paper manufacturers, maintaining one of Japan’s highest concentrations of certified traditional papermaking craftspeople. The main SUKU craft lodging opened in autumn 2025, combing Echizen washi into room interiors through handmade wallpaper, shoji paper screens and light fixtures. Increasing demand from international travellers, long-term visitors and remote workers seeking multi-day stays led to the development of SUKU hanare, located a one-minute walk from the main building.

SUKU hanare is renovated from a former woodcraft fitting shop, and comprises of two kitchen-equipped units, KETA and KAI. KETA accommodates up to six guests. Its dining and sleeping areas are designed around an inner courtyard with a pottery bath, and its kitchen is stocked with local Echizen pottery, lacquerware and hand-forged kitchen knives. KAI offers a smaller space for up to two guests, catering to extended stays and remote work.

The interior design was handled by SEN, a Fukui-based collective of four artisans and designers formed in 2024. Taking inspiration from papermaking tools, the design incorporates artwork based on the sukiketa (a wooden frame used to scoop paper pulp) and the kai (a paddle used to mix paper fibres). Breakfast features local Fukui produce served on Echizen tableware. Reservations have already opened for booking in August.