Scan Magazine, Issue 128, September 2019

Page 40

Feel the full impact of ‘the Yasuragi effect’ Yasuragi is somewhat of a magical place. With a pioneering Japanese hot-spring concept, it highlights another way of living that is more sustainable. It promotes health and reduces stress, which has an impact on creativity, collaboration and empathy. By Malin Norman  |  Photos: Yasuragi

Located at Hasseludden, just 20 minutes east of central Stockholm, Yasuragi offers stunning views of the archipelago. The building itself was designed by Japanese architect Yoji Kasajima in 1972 and used as a conference centre before its transformation into a Japanese-style hotel in 1997. Owner Petter Stordalen took over in 2006, and since then, the hotel has been continuously updated, including an extension by White Arkitekter. What is unique about Yasuragi is that it is primarily a Japanese bath, not a traditional spa. It feels just like visiting a real 40 | Issue 128 | September 2019

‘onsen’ in Japan, and not just the baths are authentic – the restaurants, the hotel and the gardens are Japanese, too. The concept is based on the principal idea that all people need stillness, beauty and harmony – and it is all about simplicity.

A 360-degree perspective “People talk about sustainability, but sometimes it’s just used as a trend word and doesn’t say much. Instead, we talk about ‘the Yasuragi effect’, which is both complex and simple,” says Per Keller, CEO. “Basically, we are looking at sustainability from a 360-degree perspec-

tive, including everything from the impact of food on humans and earth to how we can affect the overall wellbeing of people in the sense of both physical and mental self-awareness. The foundation is all about reducing our climate impact as far as possible. The next layer is where we look at how we can help people live more fulfilling lives. This is something we have been doing for many years; it’s in the DNA of Yasuragi.” Keller elaborates further on the idea behind the approach: “These days, by default, we tend to have a stress level that we think is normal, but which is actually very unhealthy. To counteract stress, we use the Japanese bathing rituals, but we also look at what we eat and how we treat each other in our relationships to other people, and provide practical tools for how


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