Travel Notes
The hospitality industry in the Japanese metropolis gets creative for the 2020 Olympics with three new and authentic encounters
These stylish hotels in Tokyo pay tribute to Japanese culture while meeting the needs of modern travellers
KAGURAZAKA
Once a geisha entertainment district, this neighbourhood presents a contrasting tranquility to Shinjuku’s cacophony and Ginza’s high-end glamour
Thanks to the buzz created by Trunk(house), Kagurazaka is gaining a new crowd of visitors. Conceived by style maven Yoshitaka Nojiri, who reignited Shibuya’s cool with the Trunk Hotel in 2017, this hotel offers a refreshing new experience that happily disrupts Tokyo’s hospitality scene.
Charming shrines, cultural salons and more than 150 traditional Japanese restaurants interweave modern European eateries in the matrix of narrow alleyways. Trunk(house) sits in one of these avenues, within a 70-year-old former geisha house whose original architecture has been painstakingly conserved. An alabaster noren curtain —traditional Japanese fabric divider—heralds a holistic, intimate encounter marked with a fusion of traditional and modern elements representing Tokyo’s hybrid character and Kagurazaka’s charm. Guests can dine on meals prepared by an in-house chef, relax in a tranquil Japanese garden, gyrate in a mini neon-lit disco that’s dubbed the world’s smallest, or soak in a cypress bathtub presided over by a wall painting by contemporary woodblock print artist Masumi Ishikawa that collages old and new
Kagurazaka sceneries.
TRUNK(HOUSE) IS A HOLISTIC, INTIMATE ENCOUNTER WITH A FUSION OF TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ELEMENTS
While the first storey is cosy, the second is airy and flushed with natural light. Under a lofty ceiling, one can enjoy a tea ceremony on tatami mats around a lounge on Stephen Kenn-designed leather sofas. The interior foil of metal, timber, terrazzo and mortar is both warm and edgy, while objects of craft and character—a Japanese guitar-inspired pot, a stained-glass transom depicting Mt. Fuji, and lighting by Serge Mouille and Jean Prouve— reflect the high level of thought and detail.
SHINJUKU
A new ryokan that revitalises the historic roots of the neighbourhood while providing an urban oasis
Few would associate bustling Tokyo with ryokans— traditional inns that are more commonly found in the Japanese countryside. Onsen Ryokan Yuen Shinjuku aims to change that by creating a hotel in the city offering respite via an authentic experience. “We extracted the essential features of a traditional ryokan and edited them to fit the practical needs of the modern traveller,” says Dashi Yoshimoto, an architect at UDS who designed the hotel together with art director Shun Kawakami of Artless Inc; UDS also operates the establishment.
A stone’s throw from Shinjuku Station, the hotel sits atop a hilly backstreet. A single-storey, pitched-roof entrance (also housing the restaurant) fronts a minimalist 18-storey tower to resemble a traditional inn on street level. Subtle sounds of nature, such as water dripping into a stone bowl or rustling bamboo leaves, set a relaxed vibe from the start.
There are many Japanese craft elements, such as the wooden entrance gate made with traditional joinery and topped with clay shingles, as well as the reception’s paper screens and three-metre-long counter inspired by traditional Japanese lacquerware; a micro garden at the timber-wrapped restaurant alerting guests to Tokyo’s changing seasons. The louvred rooftop onsen bathes guests in natural spring water transported from mountainous Hakone.
Art at the elevator vestibules provides an exquisite welcome to the 193 tatami-floored guestrooms, which house amenities in multi-tiered boxes and has ceramic washbasins carved with the shigaraki technique that goes back more than a thousand years. The furniture emulates the traditional Japanese lifestyle and windows are intentionally placed low for guests to enjoy the view while seated or lying in bed.
“WE EXTRACTED THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A TRADITIONAL RYOKAN
AND EDITED IT TO FIT THE PRACTICAL NEEDS OF THE MODERN TRAVELLER”
GINZA
Cosy interiors beckon behind glass walls that bring the vibe of Tokyo’s most glitzy district into this new hotel
Tucked behind the Montblanc and Bvlgari boutiques, the 121room Royal Park Canvas Ginza caters to millennial travellers who cherish socialising as part of their travel experience; Canvas is a new brand from the Royal Park Hotels group with a strong focus on design and community.
Guests step into an intimate reception fronted by a tea salon and cocktail bar, Saryu, which serves teas by Kyoto cult favourite Nakamura Tea Life Store. Steps lead to a mezzanine furnished with records, books and a DJ booth while on the second floor, the Canvas Lounge is reminiscent of a stylish residence complete with a kitchen and plush seating. Lush plants and a material palette of jade-toned tiles, timber flooring, bronze stainless steel and vintage Scandinavian furniture complete the mood.
The work of Tokyo-based firm Garde, the interior theme is “vintage modern”, drawing upon Ginza’s classic glamour and trendsetting spirit. The interior design’s timeless and oldschool charm starts with a reception desk conceived like an antique timber chest that’s matched with hexagonal floor tiles and decorative grilles as screens. The hotel experiments with 10 different room types mainly designed by Field Four Design Office, including two concept rooms—one designed by Garde and the other by Transit General Office. On the 14th floor, the Opus restaurant offers a fresh view of the vicinity. Eschewing typical notions of luxury in the hospitality sphere, the hotel celebrates instead the convivial mood from the gathering of kindred spirits.
DESIGNED BY GARDE, THE INTERIOR THEME IS “VINTAGE MODERN”, DRAWING UPON GINZA’S CLASSIC GLAMOUR AND TRENDSETTING SPIRIT