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Stay at the unique Artist in Hotel and absorb some Japanese culture — through your hotel room!

Kay Aug 15, 2014
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Tired of staying at nondescript, ordinary-looking hotels? If that’s the case, and you’re traveling to Tokyo, you may want to check out this highly unique hotel located in the Higashi-shimbashi area. In fact, when you stay at this hotel, you may not want to leave your room, because the rooms there have practically been turned into works of art, and not just any kind of art — each room is filled with elements of Japanese culture. So, why don’t we take a look at the stylish rooms at the Artist In Hotel, where the interior is not only stunningly artistic, but can be a cultural lesson as well!

The Artist in Hotel is actually a project being undertaken by the Park Hotel Tokyo, where rooms are designed and transformed, each by a different artist with a specific Japanese theme. What makes the project extra special is that the artist responsible for decorating each room actually stays there while completing the decor. Yes, the artist drew on the walls or placed ornamental objects and paintings while spending time in the room and being inspired by the atmosphere . With such a unique concept, it’s not surprising that the hotel has been exceedingly popular with foreign tourists. Today, one of the writers from our sister site Pouch reports in detail on three of the rooms: the “Hyakunin Isshu (One poem each by 100 poets)” room, the “Matsuri (festival)” room and the “Yokai (supernatural monsters)” room. We have a feeling we’re in for a visual feast!

■ The “Hyakunin Isshu (One poem each by 100 poets)” room
This room featuring the Hyakunin Isshu, a collection of 100 famous poems by 100 poets, is apparently one of the most popular rooms at the hotel. The walls are covered with the words of the 100 poems and also images of the four seasons in Japan. How gracefully elegant!

And when you look up at the ceiling, you’ll see that it’s colored completely black, with what appears to be a beautiful river of golden stars running thought the middle. But when you look closely, you’ll see that the “stars” are actually countless Japanese kana letters written in gold!

Other illustrations in the room also use kana to express natural elements like rain and snow, creating a picture like a traditional ink-painting. It’s intriguing how the various shapes of the kana letters, some round and others pointed, can be used to masterfully create different effects. The images seem to symbolize how the Japanese idea of beauty is powerful yet flexible and also complex all at the same time.

▼The letters written here have been taken from the Hyakunin Isshu. If you’re having trouble sleeping, maybe you can try reading each of the letters …. (although they’re in an old cursive-type kana that we don’t write with anymore, and the old-fashioned letters are extremely difficult to read for modern Japanese people.)

Masako Inkyo, the calligrapher who designed the room, has commented that she hopes guests can “appreciate the beauty in the characteristic lines and space created by kana and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere”.

The way the kana letters in this room are used to express such a wide range of imagery, including the seasons, is impressive even for native Japanese. And for foreign guests, we guess the writing can stimulate the imagination and make you wonder about what Japan is really like, even if you can’t read the letters.

■ The “Matsuri (festival)” room
The next room we’re showing you is the Matsuri room, and it’s festive all right! It’s one of the hotel’s newer rooms, and the walls are completely covered with images of lively festivities going on, with no white space to be seen at all. Revelers dressed in traditional happi and yukata are portrayed dancing wildly and playing on taiko drums, while animals as well as dragons, and even a girl in a sailor school uniform, are also seen joining the wild fun!

▼This wall is decorated with illustrations that bring to mind the bright large flags traditionally used on fishing boats in Japan. The images of the energetic women against a backdrop of dynamic waves and all the lucky red-and-white coloring fits the festival theme perfectly.

▼There are also other adorable touches as well. Open the closet, and you’ll see the insde painted with a picture of a happi.

▼The air conditioner is also decorated like it’s the mouth of a traditional “guardian lion” (shishi).

▼And how cute is this cat drawn above the door that looks a little like the famous carved cat of the Nikkō Tōshō-gū Shrine! You’ll no doubt want to check the entire room thoroughly so that you won’t miss any details.

According to artist Nanami Ishihara, who decorated the room, she wanted to “create the image of a never ending festival so that the sense of elation from the festivities in the pictures melded and resonated with the excitement of being on a trip away from home”. Well, the drawings certainly make you feel like you’ve done some instant traveling!

■ The “Yokai (supernatural monsters)” room
Among the rooms in the hotel, this one apparently took the longest to complete. Since the room had a yokai (monster) theme, we expected it to be filled with dark and terrifying pictures, but that wasn’t the case at all. The yokai depicted against the blue sky which seemed to reach up to the heavens were all quite cute and mischievous looking. The kappa, a kind of water imp, which features largely on the wall above the bed , is apparently a favorite of the artist Nobuo Magome who painted the room and has a charm that we think is pleasantly soothing.

▼The large green creature on the right is the kappa. He doesn’t look scary at all, does he?

▼Here are some of the other yokai in detail.

▼The only figure that looks even remotely frightening is the one-horned demon shown holding a spiked club. This guy is drawn close to the safety box inside the closet — so that he can keep a close watch on your valuables. He should make one fearsome security guard!

▼It’s also fun that the artist has drawn old-fashioned gold coins showering onto the safety box from above. It seems to symbolize money coming your way! The Matsuri room also had pictures drawn inside the closet, and it’s interesting to see how each artist decorates the space with different ideas and styles.

It’s really quite impressive to see so many various types of yokai with such a wide range of looks. Some serious imagination must have gone into creating all these monsters! You know, Japan’s fondness for anthropomorphism may even have its roots in yokai culture. Who knew Japan had such monster power?

So, those are the three rooms we have detailed photos of, and we’d like to briefly show you other parts of the hotel as well.

▼Here’s the lobby, where there are works of Japanese artist on display. (Lobby pictures by Momo Momomura)

▼And here are some of the other rooms in the hotel. This is the “Sumo” room. (Photos of rooms below provided by Aritst in Hotel.)

▼The “Zen” room

▼The “Washi (Japanese paper)” room

▼The “Ryu (dragon)” room

▼The “Junishi (12 animals of the Chinese zodiac)

Aren’t the rooms beautiful? And each in its own distinct way! The hotel’s PR rep, Saotome-san said to us, “Even if guests forget the name of our hotel, we want them to remember that they stayed at a fun and interesting hotel.” Oh yes, we’d say this is definitely a memorable hotel — a kind of place you would remember for a lifetime.

Currently, there are eight “Artist in Hotel” rooms on the 31st floor of the Park Hotel Tokyo, and they plan to add more over the next three years so that eventually they’ll have an entire floor of 31 artist rooms. With more rooms coming, hopefully, it will get easier to get a booking, and when you do, you can select the artist room of your choice, so you’ll know exactly what kind of decor you’ll be getting. The Artist in Hotel should be a delightful way to feel like you’re immersing yourself in Japanese culture, and our reporter recommends the experience for both foreign and Japanese visitors alike!

[Hotel Details for Artist in Hotel ]
Address: Shiodome Media Tower 1-7-1 Higashi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7227
(31st floor of Park Hotel Tokyo)
Tel : +81-3-6252-1111
Check in: 14:00　Check out: 12:00

Reference：Artist in Hotel, パークホテル東京
Photos of rooms provided by: Artist in Hotel
Original article and photos in part by: Momo Momomura (c)Pouch
[ Read in Japanese ]