The star attraction of Aman’s new 24-room boutique property in Kyoto is, no doubt, its spectacular natural setting within a once-forgotten secret garden and beyond that a 72-acre backdrop of lush forest, swathed with maple, pine and cedar trees.
Formerly owned by one of Japan's most respected collectors of the obi - the ornamental sash for a kimono - whose intention was to house his collection in a textile museum to be built within the garden, the estate has now been transformed by architect Kerry Hill who, for his final project with the Aman group, inserted a series of low-key black timber-slatted pavilions over the garden’s terraced platforms, which are laced with a tableau of moss-covered paths and fringed by a small stream and a wooded hill.
In sticking to the Aman MO, the interiors are calm, minimal and understated, taking their cues from traditional Japanese architecture and highlighting the work of local artisans. The guestrooms take their cues from traditional ryokans - albeit with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the leafy views outside - with tatami flooring, low-slung furnishings, fragrant cypress wood ofuro bathtubs and tokonomas (traditional alcoves) adorned with scrolls by artist Sakai Yuji and sake vessels, by Terada Teppei, which are used as vases. Meanwhile handcrafted ceramic tiles, by Kyoto-based Shigeo Yoshimura, adorn the Dining Pavilion.
After a morning spent exploring Kyoto's 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites, including the nearby Kinkaku-ji Temple, pick up one of the bamboo picnic hampers to enjoy in the gardens or indulge at the Aman Spa, which has traditional onsen bathing facilities using water from a local spring. Follow this with a a traditional kaiseki meal in the Dining Pavilion, or for something more laidback, home-cooked Kyoto obanzai-style fare is served throughout the day in the Living Pavilion restaurant.
The Aman group opens its third property in Japan, this time in Kyoto
Formerly owned by one of Japan’s most respected collectors of the obi, the estate has now been transformed by Kerry Hill Architects
A series of low-key black timber-slatted pavilions have been inserted into the garden’s terraced platforms
The interiors are calm, minimal and understated, taking their cues from traditional Japanese architecture and highlighting the work of local artisans
The guestrooms take their cues from traditional ryokans, albeit with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the leafy views outside
There are tokonomas (traditional alcoves) adorned with scrolls by artist Sakai Yuji and sake vessels, by Terada Teppei, which are used as vases.
Meanwhile handcrafted ceramic tiles, by Kyoto-based Shigeo Yoshimura, adorn the Dining Pavilion
The Aman Spa has traditional onsen bathing facilities using water from a local spring
A traditional kaiseki meal is served in the Dining Pavilion, or for something more laidback, home-cooked Kyoto obanzai-style fare is served throughout the day in the Living Pavilion restaurant
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
1 Okitayama Washimine-Cho
Kita-ku
Kyoto
-
New tech dedicated to home health, personal wellness and mapping your metricsWe round up the latest offerings in the smart health scene, from trackers for every conceivable metric from sugar to sleep, through to therapeutic furniture and ultra intelligent toothbrushes
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week'Tis the season for eating and drinking, and the Wallpaper* team embraced it wholeheartedly this week. Elsewhere: the best spot in Milan for clothing repairs and outdoor swimming in December
-
How Stephen Burks Man Made is bringing the story of a centuries-old African textile to an entirely new audienceAfter researching the time-honoured craft of Kuba cloth, designers Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper have teamed up with Italian company Alpi on a dynamic new product
-
This Fukasawa house is a contemporary take on the traditional wooden architecture of JapanDesigned by MIDW, a house nestled in the south-west Tokyo district features contrasting spaces united by the calming rhythm of structural timber beams
-
Take a tour of the 'architectural kingdom' of JapanJapan's Seto Inland Sea offers some of the finest architecture in the country – we tour its rich selection of contemporary buildings by some of the industry's biggest names
-
Matsuya Ginza lounge is a glossy haven at Tokyo’s century-old department storeA new VIP lounge inside Tokyo’s Matsuya Ginza department store, designed by I-IN, balances modernity and elegance
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthThis September, Wallpaper highlighted a striking mix of architecture – from iconic modernist homes newly up for sale to the dramatic transformation of a crumbling Scottish cottage. These are the projects that caught our eye
-
Utopian, modular, futuristic: was Japanese Metabolism architecture's raddest movement?We take a deep dive into Japanese Metabolism, the pioneering and relatively short-lived 20th-century architecture movement with a worldwide impact; explore our ultimate guide
-
A new Tadao Ando monograph unveils the creative process guiding the architect's practiceNew monograph ‘Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings, and Architecture’ by Taschen charts decades of creative work by the Japanese modernist master
-
A Tokyo home’s mysterious, brutalist façade hides a secret urban retreatDesigned by Apollo Architects, Tokyo home Stealth House evokes the feeling of a secluded resort, packaged up neatly into a private residence
-
Landscape architect Taichi Saito: ‘I hope to create gentle landscapes that allow people’s hearts to feel at ease’We meet Taichi Saito and his 'gentle' landscapes, as the Japanese designer discusses his desire for a 'deep and meaningful' connection between humans and the natural world
