Toraya, which was founded in Kyoto and can trace its history back to the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) , selected a densely wooded site as the location for its new wagashi (Japanese confectionery) plant. The scale of the new plant was far too large to enable it to be hidden away within the natural surroundings, so the facilities was divided into segments and distributed geometrically in such a way as to face undulating hills and deep forests reminiscent of the natural condition of the site. The buildings feature traditional Japanese-style sloping roofs, vertical latticework, and stone walls that integrate beautifully with landscape design features such as a parking area designed to resemble a terraced rice paddy, and plantings of native local tree varieties. The overall concept was to recreate a traditional Japanese country landscape. Care was also taken to protect the local environment by preserving an existing grove of hinoki cypress trees, as well as an ancient kofun burial mound located nearby.