Soba master Tatsuru Rai is passing on his secrets for the next phase of the Raku Ichi story! Most people making soba from scratch, mix wheat flour with the buckwheat to make it easier to work. Not soba master Tatsuru Rai. With centuries of samurai ancestry, he was taught to uphold the most exacting standards in everything. Now, after decades of serving up soba perfection at Raku Ichi, the humble but world-famous restaurant he built himself, Tatsuru-san is passing on his secrets. And his legacy extends well beyond culinary artistry, for the next phase of the Raku Ichi story will see it reimagined as the centrepiece of an exclusive collection of exquisite residences. Channelling Tatsuru’s meticulous approach, and rooted in the cultural heritage of the Ainu, Hokkaido’s first people, the project has been realised by architect Tanabe Nobuaki. At its heart is a zen garden, evoking the surrounding winter landscape – the peaks of Annupuri and Yotei stood majestically above snow-blanketed fields and woods. Flanking this are the restaurant and residences, exhibiting an elegant and contemporary Japanese aesthetic, with extensive use of traditional materials, all accented by Ainu-inspired artwork and furnishings. For the discerning investor, Japanophile, skier, nature-lover, Raku Ichi Residences promises a Niseko home with a thoughtful, sincere connection to the landscape and people. A home built to standards of which even a master of his craft can approve.