ZEN & THE CITY
Tokyo’s newest hotel combines the tradition and tranquillity of a countryside ryokan with high tech luxury and exquisite design.
Tokyo’s newest hotel combines the tradition and tranquillity of a countryside ryokan with contemporary design
EVEN THOUGH TOKYO has no shortage of captivating architecture, crafts or restaurants boasting everything Japan can offer, until recently it did lack one thing — an authentic, Japanese-style inn, or ryokan. And visitors looking for a luxury hotel had to be happy with accommodation dominated by Western luxury hotel groups. However, the opening of Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel in the heart of the city has changed that, and merged the past with the present. This 84-room venture in the Chiyoda district could be no closer to the action. It stands just a few minutes’ walk from busy Tokyo Station and is right in the centre of the Otemachi financial zone. In other words, it is about as far removed from where you would expect to find a ryokan, usually a serene, rural retreat where guests slip off their shoes and walk barefoot on tatami floors. Another unique charm is that unlike many hotels, where anyone can come and dine at its restaurants or have a drink or two at its bars, ryokan service is dedicated to the guests staying overnight. This homestyle intimacy means guests can completely leave the outside world behind. Traditionally guestrooms have no keys, the cuisine is proudly local, and regional customs and culture are studiously observed. Yes, it’s little wonder that ryokan is hailed as one of the treasures of travelling in Japan. Hoshinoya Tokyo is owned by Hoshino Resorts, which operates 35 countryside inns across Japan and aspires to offer this precious essence of calm and peace in the city. Whether guests are visiting to work or to play, they are invited to forget the maelstrom of a day dictated by deadlines or itineraries and discover the ‘real’ Japan. From an architectural façade that makes use of a traditional Edo Komon motif found on kimonos to lighting shades in silk threads that resemble lanterns and the aroma of incense wafting through the corridors, many of Hoshinoya Tokyo's design elements reference traditional Japanese materials.
Upon arriving, guests to the 17-storey hotel are welcomed by a hall with a five-metre ceiling lined with a wall of bamboo work — and straight away receive their first ryokan experience. This wall is actually a vast shoe cupboard, and guests slip off their shoes and store them, in individual compartments, during the length of their stay. “Taking shoes off at the entrance is an important ritual here,” says Hoshinoya Tokyo’s general manager Masae Kikuchi. “Even if a guest arrives from Tokyo Station or the financial district, by taking off their shoes at the entrance he or she can switch off the mundane mode and slip into the blissful experience of ryokan.” The adventure is further enhanced by the interiors and furniture, all designed by Tokyo architect Rie Azuma, who has previously worked on four ryokans for the hotel owners in other parts of the country. “We searched for ways to evolve the essence of Japanese space so it can fit into the contemporary living style of modern people, and not simply bring in the formal vocabulary of traditional Japanese aesthetics,” she explains. The little touches are key. There is a futon-bed (a futon mattress fixed on a bed base) in each guestroom instead of a futon laid directly on the floor as per ryokan tradition. And the sitting furniture and tables are designed slightly lower than furniture placed in Western-style houses, so that guests can try the Japanese style of floor-level living. “Tradition shouldn’t be stuck to its original form,” Kikuchi says. “It should evolve so as to be appreciated today. We have incorporated all the conveniences needed in modern living without losing the aesthetics in traditional ryokan.” While these rooms do have keys, guests can have the room key auto-lock or keep it unlocked. They can also link the key to the elevator system so that when they are ready to check out and catch the elevator down, their shoes will be waiting at the genkan (entrance). Once the guest steps outside, they are soon back in a very hectic and different world — dodging the crowds but all the richer for tasting the calming, traditional aesthetics of Japan.
By taking off their shoes at the entrance, a guest can switch off the mundane mode and slip into the blissful experience of ryokan