Azumi Setoda, Ikuchijima Azumi Setoda is the first hotel of a new brand inspired by traditional Japanese inns known as ryokan, says Claire Wrathall in the Financial Times. It is set to open in March on the island of Ikuchijima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, in a splendid 19th-century building that was once the home of a powerful shipping family. “The building has been restored and converted to accommodate 18 suites and four duplexes, each with its own garden or balcony, by Kyoto-based Shiro Miura, an expert in sukiya, a style of architecture dating back to the 16th century that strives to balance the elements.” Rather than focus on luxury, the concepts at the heart of Azumi Setoda are culture, community, arts and food. “Hence the neighbouring