Kaze no Heritage Announces Creative Collaborators Building the World of New Hotel Brand Series 'Kazeno Heritage'

Kaze no Heritage Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; CEO: Atsushi Tarikino) announced the creative direction and collaborators who will build the world of its new hotel brand series 'Kazeno Heritage'. Together with Keisuke Shimizu, Masaharu Kumagai, Yoshiko Fujita, Takashi Yamamoto, and Takayuki Kono, the company is designing regenerative lodging experiences in cultural properties. Through original in-house music by Mariko Hara and original fragrances by Nippon Kodo, the brand aims to deliver an intangible 'wind' that sweeps through the five senses. These creative elements are scheduled to be introduced at hotels operated under the Kazeno Heritage brand series.

Kazeno Heritage is a new hotel brand series that connects historical buildings such as castles and mansions, as well as intangible cultural heritage passed down in regions, to the future through the experience of staying.

Today, June 3, 2026 (Wednesday), at the 'Kazeno Heritage Brand Lineup Presentation' held at THE GRAND GINZA in Ginza, Tokyo, the company announced the creative elements that constitute its world. As a process of transforming the travel experience value of 'Heritage Retreat' into concrete creativity, collaborators active both in Japan and abroad participated. From the facility names and statements that form the foundation of the worldview, to symbols, logos, interiors, staging, music, and fragrances, each piece is an essential component of a new journey based on the concept.

Redefining Japanese Beauty Beyond Stereotypes

The 'Japaneseness' seen from overseas has often become biased towards specific cities or symbols, increasingly consumed as stereotypes. However, the true richness of Japan lies in the important cultural properties remaining in regional cities, the vitality of nature itself, and the shadows of craftsmanship, food, festivals, and townscapes within people's lives. Kazeno Heritage reconsiders Japan as a single cultural IP, editing and operating its value as a lodging experience.
The perspectives of leading Japanese creators were indispensable for the brand's expression. By combining international aesthetic sensibilities with experiences that design emotions within spaces that embody Japanese culture, the brand presents a new form of travel that reveals the beauty of Japan previously unreached by conventional tourism images.
Kazeno Heritage, created by a diverse group of creators, proposes unprecedented experiential value for a hotel brand. These brand items will be gradually introduced to each property, starting with 'Kaze no Kurayoshi', the first facility of the 'Kaze no' series, scheduled to grand open on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Brand Movie Set in 'Kaze no Kurayoshi' Directed by Yuto Nakamura

Creative members active both in Japan and abroad have been appointed as collaborators.

Co-creation of the Worldview by Keisuke Shimizu and Yoshiko Fujita

In the brand development of Kazeno Heritage, Keisuke Shimizu and Yoshiko Fujita jointly constructed the core worldview and expression of the brand. Mr. Shimizu oversees the creative direction of the entire brand. Ms. Fujita is in charge of visual expression and product design, including VI, symbols, logos, signage, in-room tools, bottle designs, and brand items.

Comment from Keisuke Shimizu:

'In an era where AI is pushing efficiency to its limits, what we aimed for was a return to 'humanistic knowledge,' the totality of wisdom and sensibility that cannot be quantified. By placing oneself in the light, texture, and silence of a place and touching the 'essence,' we awaken the rich sensibility sleeping within and restore original well-being. We have designed the stay experience under the concept of 'BEAUTY FOR RETREATS,' a beauty that supports the process of physical and mental recovery. Starting with Kurayoshi, we hope to weave the stories of the land through travel and enjoy this wind together with our visitors.'

Keisuke Shimizu, Creative Director (Co-lead)
As a creative director and art director, he has handled campaigns for numerous companies including Netflix Japan, Uniqlo, Shiseido, Nissan Motor, and Muji. He was responsible for planning and creative direction for YouTube's 'THE FIRST TAKE' and NHK's music documentary 'Okaeri Ongakushitsu.' He made his directorial debut in 2025 with the film 'Seishun Inoshishi ATARASHII GAKKO THE MOVIE.' He has won numerous awards including the Cannes Lions Gold, NYADC Grand Prix, and ACC Grand Prix.

Statement and Name Development by Masaharu Kumagai

The master brand design and facility names are closely linked. Landscape, customs, atmosphere, flavor, and seasonal features. 'Wind' (Kaze) as a word connecting the visible and invisible rooted in the land. And the word 'Fudo' (climate/culture), born from the overlapping of climate, topography, history, and human activity. Through deep discussions surrounding the word 'Kaze,' the inns where one stays across a region and experiences its culture and activities were named 'Kaze no' and positioned as part of the Kazeno Heritage brand series.

Comment from Masaharu Kumagai:

'I believed that while a beautiful name is important, a name that makes you want to talk about it is even more important. The word 'Fudo' came to mind during our inspections. It includes not just climate and scenery, but also the perspective of human activity. If the historical buildings built by people are the 'earth' (Do), then the 'wind' (Fu) spun from that foundation naturally has its own character and richness. Landscape, customs, atmosphere, flavor, seasonal features... from there we arrived at 'Kaze no'.'

Masaharu Kumagai, Brand Language (Statement/Naming) / BEARS Inc.
Creative director and copywriter. After working at Hakuhodo, he joined TBWA HAKUHODO and honed his skills at TBWA Melbourne in 2018. He founded BEARS in 2022. He is known for highly message-oriented advertising such as Sony Computer Entertainment's 'The final blow is heartbreaking.' and Nissan Motor's 'Yacchae NISSAN' campaign. He has won numerous awards including the TCC Award, ACC Gold, and Creator of the Year Medalist.

Visual Identity Design by Yoshiko Fujita

Starting with the development of the brand symbol 'Kaze Gamae,' the design extends to Japanese and Latin logotypes, signage incorporating Japanese kana expressions, and in-room tools. The design reflects considerations of land and time scales, as if the symbol, which also resembles the 'H' of Heritage, had always been there. The visual identity is designed and built upon the philosophy of not being overly assertive but naturally discovered within the space.

Adopting the 'Hifumi Norito' for guest room names character by character, room keys with the brand symbol, and amenity bottles adorned with brush characters that flow and connect like water.

Comment from Yoshiko Fujita:

'A new brand inheriting ancient culture is born. A name rich in narrative, leaving ample room for interpretation, was placed there. The continuity of time, the connection of characters. A continuous image was established.

It is characters that write the story. I sought formal ideas from that original source. Used before the modern era...'