Shiguchi is a new Japanese cultural hub set amid nature, by artist and collector Shouya Grigg
Shiguchi was born out of the vision of one man – artist and collector Shouya Grigg, who transformed a group of centuries-old farmhouses into a cultural haven that bridges Japanese heritage and hospitality, and modern luxury in an unspoiled secluded valley in Hokkaido, the country's northernmost island.
Fascinated by the monumental architecture of the A-frame-shaped, thatched, pitch-roofed rural farmhouses that dot the Japanese countryside, in 2015, Grigg found an abandoned dwelling of this typology in Tochigi, and had it carefully dismantled, beam by beam, by a team of master craftsmen.
Grigg’s intention was to offer guests a deep connection with Hokkaido, its ancient culture, crafts and contemporary influences, in a uniquely refined and timeless alchemy of architecture, art and nature. However, updates to the interior were needed throughout to make thefit for 21st-century use.