Luxury with a taste of wabi-sabi―Hotel Gajoen Tokyo

The concept of wabi–sabi—an acceptance and appreciation of the subtle beauty of imperfection—lies at the heart of Japanese culture. And it is everywhere to be felt in the stylish rooms reopened in July 2019 at the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo.

The living room of the Sagami Suite looks out over the Meguro River.

The Gajoen is renowned as a repository of Japanese culture. Established more than 90 years ago, with some of Japan’s top artists and craftspeople contributing to the decor, it combines comfort with exquisite style from floor to ceiling. Spending time surrounded by historically important carving, painting, mother-of-pearl inlay, and other treasures makes for an experience wonderfully different from staying at any other hotel.

The newly reopened rooms are on the sixth floor of this living museum. Refurbished in a 21st-century interpretation of time-honored aesthetic tradition, they have been carefully designed in every aspect to evoke the respect for nature and humanity that wabi-sabi imparts to the tea ceremony and other long-standing contemplative practices. A charming lattice door for each guest room opens to reveal a small entryway. Inside, the entire floor is covered with tatami mats, recalling a tea-ceremony room. The headboard decorated with Nishijin-ori fabric is inspired by the low screen used in the tea ceremony.

The headboard of the bed in each room features a different pattern of Nishijin-ori brocade.

The distinctive rooms are identified by names connected to places around Japan. Every room features Nishijin-ori fabric, furnishings, and artworks associated with that particular place-name. Each of the capacious attached bathrooms has its own sauna.

The Sagami Suite is themed on the Heian period (794–1185), an era when many aspects of Japan’s cultural and artistic traditions were refined. The rich, colorful tastes of that age are visible throughout. All rooms in the hotel are more than 80 square meters; this suite has a 120-square-meter footprint.

The hotel also boasts an executive lounge, Ouka, exclusively for the enjoyment of overnight guests. It’s open throughout the day, and offers beautifully presented comestibles from breakfast nibbles to late-night cocktails.

Afternoon tea in the Ouka executive lounge.

Once you experience the lavish combination of venerable refinement and modern convenience at the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, you’ll be eagerly looking forward to your next visit.

hotelgajoen-tokyo.com

Find out more on many other choice accommodations all over Japan
in the Autumn / Winter Issue 2019.