Osaka Honwaka TV (Yomiuri TV, Friday 7pm) is an information program that introduces recommended spots and gourmet food in the Kansai region. On January Getsuku, in the popular segment "Suchiten Building - Let's Climb the City's Mountain!", the leader of Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, Suchi, and the comedy duo "Tensai Pianist" (Tensai Pianist), Takeuchi Chisaki and Masumi, head to a building in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, which cost a total of 40 billion yen to build.
When Masumi saw the exterior of the building, she was surprised, saying, "It doesn't look very Japanese." The building's true identity is the luxury hotel Nanki Shirahama Onsen Hotel Kawakyu, which opened in 1991. The nine-story, 49-meter-tall building has 85 guest rooms, two large public baths, a restaurant, and a pool.
Designed by Yuzo Nagata, a genius in the world of Japanese architecture, the lobby is modeled after an ancient Egyptian temple. The ceiling, which holds a Guinness World Record for the amount of gold leaf used, was designed by a French Living National Treasure who has also worked on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and the Palace of Versailles.
Furthermore, the lobby floor is adorned with tiles made by Italian artisans, the walls feature art said to have been painted in Syria over 1,800 years ago, and the roof is made of Chinese glazed tiles, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship of the artisans everywhere.
The program will introduce the magnificent banquet hall as well as the "troubled history" of the luxurious building.
