With the 2020 Summer Olympics looming on the horizon, an unprecedented boost of travellers is expected, putting a spin on the Japanese capital’s hospitality scene. As part of a wave of new hotel openings, hotel zen tokyo carves a niche for itself by blending the core element of Japan‘s capsule hotel and zen minimalism into an upscale boutique concept. Opening coming April, the property is situated in the heart of the city, just a few blocks east from Tokyo Station and a handful of landmark venues. The hotel is founded by Taro Kagami, a Tokyo-based architect who, after earning his spurs in advertising, is now dipping his toe in the industrial design and hospitality pools. hotel zen tokyo offers a total of 78 capsule and rooms set across seven floors of a modern building. Interestingly, the property’s capsules are obviously more luxurious and ooze the relaxing vibe of a traditional teahouse. The majority of the floor-to-ceiling capsules have semi-double, 120 cm (47 inches) wide beds with tatami flooring, and the rooms come in five categories, each in a different bed-size and floor surface.
To boost the authentic Japanese atmosphere in each capsule, original art pieces by a number of graduates of the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts adorn the walls. But hotel zen tokyo isn’t just a place where to lay down one’s head in authentic style, it’s also a destination where to wind down over food and drink, and perhaps also a little jolly banter. The basement bar and lounge, called Taian, offers a drinks menu curated by Kota Narusawa, chef sommelier and general manager of Toyo, an upscale dining establishment with outposts in Tokyo and Paris. The venue will very soon expand its food offering, with a focus on pairing of food and Japanese wine and sake. Additionally, guests can make use of a separate lounge where to work or read, private lockers, full shower amenities and towels in the communal bathrooms, and the coin laundry facility.
hotel zen tokyo
1-5-8 Nihonbashi Ningyocho (Ningyocho)
Tokyo 103-0013
Telephone: +81 3 66670317
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
