HOSHINOYA KYOTO
Hoshinoya Kyoto - Luxury Travel Magazine
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A Traditional Japanese Ryokan with a Twist | |||||
| By: Susan Gough Henly, Issue 45 – Summer 2011 | |||||
| (Kyoto, Japan) | |||||
| AT A PROTECTED HERITAGE SITE NEAR KYOTO, A FORMER NOBLE’S RETREAT IS NOW A CONTEMPORARY LUXURY RYOKAN OFFERING AN AUTHENTIC JAPANESE EXPERIENCE THAT MIXES TRADITIONAL CULTURE WITH A WHIMSICAL MODERN SENSIBILITY. HOSHINOYA KYOTO IS BREAKING NEW GROUND WRITES SUSAN GOUGH HENLY. | |||||
| I am sitting at a long carved bar transfixed by a Japanese chef’s rhythmic movements as he kneads, rolls and slices buckwheat dough into thin noodles in the softly lit restaurant at Hoshinoya, a unique contemporary ryokan on the outskirts of Kyoto. Located inside the aristocratic bones of a noble’s retreat on the banks of the Ooigawa River in Arashiyama, Hoshinoya Kyoto offers a rare vision of authentic Japan that incorporates a reverence for traditional culture with a whimsical modern sensibility. There are few high-end Japanese inns, indeed few resorts in the world, whose aesthetic appeals both to well-heeled locals and an informed international clientele. Hoshinoya is breaking new ground. Savouring a delicate array of seasonal specialities, I taste pike eel and pine mushrooms in a clear soup; sushi of cuttlefish, octopus, bonito, and sea bream; assorted tempura mushrooms (my favourite); slices of tender Kyoto beef sizzled on a hot stone exquisitely presented with autumn leaves and purple berries; and of course the soba noodles, prepared by the soba chef I’ve been watching, which I am told are “like eating the soul of the earth”. To finish: milk ice cream, two peeled grapes, an orange slice and nashi pear. To get to Hoshinoya, I arrive at a dock near the famous moon-viewing Togetsukyo Bridge for the ten-minute trip in a covered boat along the forest-lined river. Tomoko Tsuchima greets me and shows me around the re-imagined interior and exterior spaces of this protected heritage site. Hoshinoya’s designers have utilised centuries-old techniques of Kyoto craftsmen…hand-crafted washi paper, latticework, ceramic roof tiles, sand plastered walls…to create a modern gem embodying the lightness of touch inherent in good Japanese design. At the top of stone stairs, the restaurant and clean-lined library open onto a terrace that meanders beside a waterfall and pond. Inside the library are art books, a computer with Wi-Fi and complimentary drinks which can be enjoyed on comfortable lounges. On weekend afternoons, a kimono-clad musician plays haunting melodies on a shamisen, a traditional three-stringed instrument. My room is located along a pathway, fashioned from variegated pebbles and inlaid pavement stones and lined with moss gardens and miniature bamboo. Iron cut-outs filled with white stones accompany the path, each one a slightly bigger disk of the moon, until a stone sculpture with a full-moon hole completes the playful reference to the moon-viewing bridge below. We pass a Hidden Garden, a modern incarnation of a carefully raked Zen sand garden, only here the dark lines are made from swirls of oxidised tile thereby allowing guests to walk across it without disturbing the pattern. Hoshinoya Kyoto has 25 distinctively-designed rooms, with names like firefly/hotaru, moon/tsuki, and water/mizu. From a traditional tatami bedroom to a two-storey maisonette…with bed-style futons in a separate bedroom, a living room featuring a bench-sofa fashioned from curved fossilised pine, and a spacious study with books and audio-visual equipment...there is a multitude of fascinating options. My spacious room features a king-size bed-style futon backed with intricate Kyoto block wallpaper (an art form that has almost disappeared) and a comfortable couch overlooking the emerald river. Rice paper screens and glass doors slide open or closed for ventilation and privacy whilst the dark chestnut floors can be heated on chilly evenings. In the cupboard are pyjamas and casual leisure wear with raw silk jackets that guests are encouraged to wear around the property. The spacious bathroom has a glassed-in section with shower and traditional deep hinoki (Japanese cypress) bath with a window to gaze upon the maple-framed river. A separate room features the Todo Washlet toilet, which splashes, sprays, deodorises and air dries your rear end in a mind-boggling array of combinations. For now, I have another Japanese adventure in store. Hoshinoya is not only a relaxing retreat but also strives to engage its guests with Japan’s living arts. To this end, it offers morning meditation at a nearby Zen temple, ikebana flower arranging, calligraphy and more…a cultural immersion that has become a signature of the Hoshinoya experience. Many of these classes take place in the public tatami room, which is also stocked with traditional games and a remarkable collection of ceramic bowls, drums and gongs for ethereal music making. First off, Masako Suzuki dresses me in a kimono with its intricate layers and ties. It is fascinating to learn that a block is wrapped both in the front and back of my waist to ensure that my profile is straight and not shapely. Next Tomoko instructs me in the art of calligraphy, showing me how to grind ink stone with water, explaining formal and cursive scripts, and demonstrating how you must clear your mind for the practice. She offers great encouragement as I use brush and ink to create the characters, transported by the beauty of the script. Next morning, Ayano Kawase instructs me in monko, the way of incense, which started in Kyoto many centuries ago. We follow an intricate ritual using delicate silver instruments to prepare ash in a small bowl before placing a sliver of ancient sandalwood atop a burning ember. We then listen to the incense, rather than inhaling…a form of meditation since this wood has heard many stories in the ages it has taken to become aromatic. Outside the grounds, organised ancient tea ceremonies at teahouses around Kyoto can strip back modern indulgences for pure ritualistic practices involving tea drinking. Hoshinoya’s English-speaking staff is enthusiastic and graceful to a fault. Indeed, visionary owner, Yoshiharu Hoshino, is revolutionising the hospitality industry Japan. In his resorts, everyone multi-tasks: from manning in the front desk and cleaning rooms to serving breakfast and dealing with VIP guests. There is little hierarchy, initiative is justly rewarded and staff always goes the extra mile. Tomoko, for instance, returns on her day off with my best calligraphy beautifully mounted on cards. That night, as I sink my head into feather soft pillows, a rarity itself in traditional Japan, I reflect on Hoshinoya’s unique philosophy: It honours but is not enslaved by cultural traditions and offers a lateral management style which results in an enchanting guest experience. | |||||
| Stay HOSHINOYA KYOTO | |||||
| Genrokuzancho 11-2, Arashiyama, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City +81 75 871 0001 | |||||
| kyoto.hoshinoya.com/en/ | |||||
| Rates and inclusions: Rooms start from ¥46,000 (about A$580) per night (meals not included). | |||||
| When to go | |||||
| The best times to travel to Kyoto are spring to see the cherry blossoms in bloom (March, April, May), and autumn to see the trees turn to shades of red and gold (September, October, November). If you want to avoid the rainy season, stay away in early summer (June and July). | |||||
| Getting there | |||||
| Hoshinoya Kyoto is a one-hour taxi ride from Kansai Airport in Osaka. A hire car can be arranged if preferred. Qantas flies daily from Sydney to Osaka via Tokyo, Singapore or Hong Kong. Alternatively, you can take the Narita Express train from Tokyo airport to Tokyo station (a 60 minute trip) and then a two and a half hour ride on the Nozomo Shinkansen train to Kyoto Station. The property is a 25-minute drive from Kyoto station (a hire car can be arranged). | |||||
| What to do | |||||
| The tranquil nature of tea ceremonies in Japanese culture has evolved over centuries with developments in rituals and aesthetics. Essentially, tea ceremonies are characterised by naturalism and simplicity and can be practiced in any setting, including the outdoors, providing the place is conducive for tea making. Hoshinoya Kyoto introduces guests to tailor tea-drinking rituals at a number of Kyoto teahouses where tea and food is enjoyed in the company of geisha performers and/or maiko apprentices. Staff at Hoshinoya can advise and reserve the most suitable teahouse experience, two days in advance of your visit. | |||||
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