Stay & Play

A Tranquil Urban Oasis: The Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

Article and photography by Steve Gillick

There are not too many hotels in Tokyo that offer a speechless view. But we deliberately left the curtains open at night so every time we woke up, we could take in the beauty of that amazing, illuminated, 700 year old Pagoda in the hotel garden.

And while the three-storey Pagoda served as the crowning visual jewel of the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo garden, an earlier walk revealed other treasures. The stone statues of Rakan memorialize spiritual practitioners from the 17th century. The Koshin stone monument, with Chinese Taoist origins, was made in 1669 and has never moved from its location. A 500 year old Sacred Chinquapin Tree with supports for its branches, is encircled by a rope called a ‘shimenawa’ to indicate that a kami, or spirit, resides here. The Shiratama Inari Shrine is accessible by the forest pathways that meander through the garden where seasonally, sakura (cherry blossoms) and camellias bloom. In fact when the property was originally acquired in 1878 by Aritomo Yamagata, a former Prime Minister of Japan, he named it “Chinzanso” or “mountain of camellias” after the fragrant flowers that bloom in hues ranging from white to dark pink.

The hotel was formerly a Four Seasons property and has maintained a true Five Star ambiance that includes the lobby, the hallways, the rooms and the hotel’s welcoming customer service. Ms. Ayumi Sanada, the Assistant Director of Marketing gave us a tour of the facilities that include 267 accommodation rooms, 6 chapels, 9 restaurants, as well as numerous function rooms.

Ayumi-san informed us that on weekends, there could be up to 40 weddings each day at the hotel, but that during the week this was a true ‘urban oasis’ where guests can revel in luxury and nature but also participate in workshops that include the tea ceremony, kimono fitting, Japanese language lessons and a garden tour. The hotel’s newest activity is the Be a Samurai program where guests can learn sword techniques (with optional Samurai costuming) and enjoy a talk on the teachings of bushido (the Way of the Samurai).

And to enhance the feeling of ‘getting away’ guests can enjoy ‘YU, The Spa’ that includes a fitness gym, hot spring and swimming pool. Some of the treatment rooms have their own outdoor garden and waterfall.

“Omotenashi” denotes hospitality from the heart and the Chinzanso has embraced this as their philosophy. In the accommodation rooms, from Standard to the ‘View Bath Suite” (where a round tea-cup bath tub allows guests to luxuriate as they take in the view of the garden), specially designed table lamps from the town of Arita, customized silk sashes on the beds and original art work on the walls contribute to the comfort of the spacious rooms. We visited the Japanese Suite, a Tatami room for up to six guests, with the traditional tea burner ‘hidden’ in the floor mats, a shoji screen hiding the large-screen television, and an upper floor garden view that enhanced the serenity of the experience.

The Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is about 20 minutes from Tokyo Station, accessible by the JR Yamanote Line (train) with a short taxi or bus ride from the Mejiro Station, or on the Tokyo Metro (subway) with a short taxi ride or a 20 minute walk from the Edogawabashi Station along the Riverwalk.

In Tokyo this is tranquility at its best!

www.hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.com