Japanese forest house is the ultimate retreat

Hidden among trees in a Japanese forest, a recently completed home made up of five tent-like structures is like something out of a fairytale.

And while they might look like just tents from the outside, this home is stylishly decked out in concrete and white timber on the inside.

It’s nestled on a mountain ridge in the Shizuoka Prefecture and, while it resembles a campsite, sophisticated design certainly hasn’t been forgotten.

Japanese architect Issei Suma says he designed the complex, named Jikka, to be “something as unembellished as a primitive hut and something as holy as a chapel”.

The home belongs not to a group of fairies or Hobbits with classy taste, but to a two-woman team of a cook and social worker.

From the home the women run a food delivery service for the elderly and a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities.

More than just a design statement, the spiral-shaped pool allows wheelchair users to access the pool for physical rehabilitation.

Each timber structure has a square base despite its curved, conical roof.

The pointed roofs double as skylights and give the place an enchanting effect after dark.

The largest tent structure makes up the dining area and stainless steel kitchen with an oversize island bench, where meals are prepared for elderly neighbours and then delivered. Two more structures are bedrooms with en suites for the owners, one is for the pool, and the last is a guest bedroom.

The high ceilings and concrete floors keep the place cool, eliminating the need for heating and cooling.

If we were to escape to the forest without having to give up a house’s comforts – this place is how we’d do it.