In 2023, four facilities of Okinawa Hotel were registered as Tangible Cultural Properties. When the hotel began offering a cultural heritage tour, I decided to take part.
Okinawa Hotel was founded in 1941 at a different location from today, on the western coast of Naha known as Naminoue. It was established as the first tourist hotel in Okinawa and went on to play a leading role in shaping the region’s hotel culture from the wartime period through the postwar era.
The designation as a Tangible Cultural Property centers on the prewar Ryokan Building, which has remained in use since the early Showa period. Alongside it are the rare brick-built Brick Wing, the Tile-and-Stone Wall composed of traditional Ryukyuan red tiles and limestone, and the Daido Gate with its traditional design. Together, these elements have been reevaluated as a valuable ensemble representing postwar hotel architecture in Okinawa.
Participating in the cultural heritage tour allowed me, through direct experience, to reflect deeply on the hotel’s unique character, its long history, and the future direction Okinawa Hotel might take. It proved to be an exceptionally meaningful experience.
In particular, I sensed great potential in the brick-built wing. As a registered cultural property, its historical value—something that can never be recreated—must be fully respected. At the same time, I found myself imagining possibilities: carrying out appropriate seismic reinforcement and renovating the interior spaces so that more people can experience the building, reconnecting with the intentions of its original creators, and reactivating it as a hotel that preserves and passes on its authenticity. I also considered whether it could be repurposed as a restaurant, café, or auxiliary facility of the hotel, and my spatial imagination continued to expand.
From its beginnings in Naminoue to its relocation to the present site, Okinawa Hotel has continued to evolve. Looking back on its past, sensing its present appeal, and feeling its strong potential to develop into an even better hotel in the future, the cultural heritage tour left a lasting impression.
For this series, I applied the Negative Film image control of the GR IV. Through its retro color tones, I documented Okinawa Hotel as a historical cultural property. ■
Tap to see Japanese
2023年にホテルの4施設が有形文化財に登録された「沖縄ホテル」が文化財ツアーを行っていたため、今回参加した。
沖縄ホテルは1941年に、現在とは別の場所である那覇市西海岸「波の上」に、沖縄で最初の観光ホテルとして設立された。戦中から戦後にかけて、沖縄の観光ホテル文化を牽引してきた存在である。
有形文化財としては、沖縄ホテルの昭和戦前から続く「旅館棟」を中心に、煉瓦造の希少な「レンガ棟」、琉球赤瓦と石灰岩で景観を整えた「瓦石垣」、伝統意匠の「大道門」が一体となり、戦後沖縄のホテル建築を代表する貴重な施設群として再評価された。
実際に文化財ツアーに参加し、自身の実体験として、このホテルの魅力、ホテルの歴史、そしてこれからの沖縄ホテルのあり方について考える、非常に貴重な体験となった。
特に、煉瓦造のレンガ棟には高いポテンシャルを感じた。登録有形文化財として、「再び同じ建物はつくることができない」という歴史的価値を最大限に尊重しつつ、より多くの人に文化財を体験してもらうために、適切な耐震補強を行い、特に内部空間をリノベーションすることで、当時の想いをつなぎ、「Authenticity」を継承したホテルとして再活用できないか。もしくは、レストランやカフェ、ホテルの付属施設として活用できないかと、空間の妄想が次々と膨らんだ。
波の上にあったホテルから、現在の場所へと移転し、さらに進化を続ける「沖縄ホテル」。過去の歴史を振り返り、現在の魅力を感じ、そして未来に向けて、より良いホテルへと発展していくポテンシャルを強く感じた文化財ツアーだった。
今回は、GR IVの「ネガフィルム調」のイメージコントロールを適用した。ネガフィルムのレトロな色調で、歴史的な文化財である沖縄ホテルを記録した。（→noteで詳細を読む）■
More detailed stories are available on my note page (Japanese article).
「note」では今回の写真について、背景や物語を一枚ずつ丁寧に解説しています。
→ Read on note
Discover my postcards and prints available for purchase.
All items are printed on high-quality paper and shipped worldwide.
→ Shop on EtsyLocation: Naha, Okinawa
This map shows the approximate area where the photos were taken.
All photos in this article were taken with a RICOH GR IV and edited in Lightroom.
All images are protected by copyright. Please contact me for usage requests.
