Imperial Hotel Kyoto revives a former geiko theatre

For architect Tomoyuki Sakakida of New Material Research Laboratory, the idea of transcending time was elemental in shaping the design of the new Imperial Hotel, Kyoto.

‘Time. This word sums up everything. Over 1,000 years ago, people in Kyoto would watch the moon rise above the mountains from here. We want guests to see the same moon and mountains and feel a sense of continuity. The hotel is a vehicle for going beyond time.’

The 55-room hotel is a dialogue between old and new, reimagining a historic theatre where Kyoto’s geisha, or geiko, once performed, layered with the luxury Japanese hospitality that has defined the Imperial Hotel brand for more than a century.

Wallpaper* checks in at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto

What’s on your doorstep?

The hotel blends into the Gion Kōbu Kaburenjō theatre complex – the heart of local geiko culture, just beyond lies Gion itself: a time-etched townscape of narrow stone lanes, wooden machiya townhouses, tiled rooftops and Higashiyama mountains beyond.

Who is behind the design?

‘Old is new’ is the philosophy of New Material Research Laboratory, an architectural practice founded by Sakakida and artist Hiroshi Sugimoto in Tokyo in 2008 – an idea that deeply aligns with the spirit of Imperial Hotel, Kyoto.

Preservation and innovation are softly harmonised. The restored southwest facade of 90-year-old Yasaka Kaikan remains in place, beneath reconstructed copper-tiled roofing. Countless original elements are woven into the new hotel – from stone pillars and window frames to intricate terracotta reliefs and 16,387 exterior tiles (about a tenth of the total).

Time imprints material surfaces, old and new. At the ancient end of the spectrum, there is the 1,000-year-old zelkova wood signboard at the entrance and a catalogue of primitive Japanese stones and woods destined to age with natural beauty. Hints of Frank Lloyd Wright are also found in geometric motifs and Art Deco lines.

And on the modern side? Interiors are anchored by connective sweeps of a warm matte surface with a softly metallic edge, from elevators to walls. A signature material of the architects, it’s stainless steel with a corroded patina in a new shade called kobishoku – ‘antique colour beauty’ – inspired by a Ming Dynasty plating technique used to make the handles of screens.

Meanwhile, artwork Tobanjan by Sugimoto consists of a dynamic slash of ceramic made by swinging onto its surface the Gibeon meteorite, one of the world’s oldest known materials, dating back over 4 billion years.

Where is the heart of the hotel?

The Executive Lounge, where guests are greeted, resembles an elegant contemporary take on a traditional Japanese home. Beneath a tilted wooden ceiling, a long wall of glass frames horizontal lines of pebbles, jewel-green moss, Tamba rock slabs, cedar bark fencing, bound bamboo, a 16th-century stone wellhead and a small shrine (where staff pray daily) – while momiji maples of a neighbouring geisha residence peek over the back wall.

Inside, polygons – a recurring Art Deco motif – shape the crafted wood furniture and carpet designs, alongside decorative Lloyd Wright-inspired metal columns. The lounge is framed by two time-rooted creations by Sugimoto. Gold and green pine trees on fusuma-e screens on one side; and on the other, a Seascape – a signature monochrome abstraction of seas and skies, shot in 2025 to mark the hotel’s completed construction.

The room to book

Heritage rooms span the south and west sides of the restored Yasaka Kaikan. Atmospheric spaces are shaped by moss green carpets, original framed windows and bespoke furniture – including lights with dynamic angular forms of patinated stainless steel and washi paper. The Imperial Suite also has a meditative rooftop gazebo – in one corner, a five elements artwork by Shiro Tsujimura sits on an antique smoke-blackened former ceiling panel from Kinkakuji Temple.

A different tempo unfolds in the North Wing, a low-level black timber extension, with eight tatami mat rooms (the first in the Imperial’s history). Immersed in the Gion townscape, shoes are slipped off in cherry wood entrances, leading into crafted tatami, chiselled naguri chestnut and lantern-like lighting alongside low-level beds. ‘The lighting is very important, particularly in the evening,’ explains Sakakida. ‘I wanted to create gentle, subtle, quiet lighting so the hotel and Gion share the same atmosphere.’

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Yasaka – with its mirrored banana leaf artwork from the original Yasaka Kaikan – serves all-day dining, plus deliciously layered Japanese breakfasts in collaboration with Gion restaurant Kawakami. A counter seat at elegant Ren is the place to enjoy a creative dialogue with the seasons, with French cuisine and Japanese precision expressed through quality ingredients, from Awaji seabream to grated caviar.

After dark, head to the Old Imperial Bar, anchored by an ancient jindai keiyaki wood counter, and sip a Mount Hiei, a sweet blend of matcha, yuzu and a hint of nostalgia – a Kyoto nod to the century-old Mount Fuji cocktail at Imperial Hotel, Tokyo.

Where to switch off

Recover from temple fatigue in the cave-like serenity of the basement, swimming laps in the clean-lined blue pool waters, flanked by the raw beauty of vast Kitagi stone boulders (originally used in the façade), alongside fitness facilities. A spa will soon open.

In addition, local experiences range from geiko teahouse visits to doll-painting workshops. As GM Reiko Sakata clearly understands, Gion is a driving force, particularly the estimated 80 okami san women running generations-old teahouses.

The verdict

This is the fourth property in Japan’s Imperial Hotel collection (after Tokyo, Kamikochi and Osaka) and its first opening in around 30 years. It joins the monumental Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, founded in 1890 as a state guesthouse during a seminal moment in Japan’s modernisation. It shaped the nation’s hotel industry and became a playground for experimental design, most famously with its 1923 incarnation by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Time is written in its DNA – expressed in the layers of history, Gion’s deep community, material textures, conceptual artworks and Art Deco accents.

Imperial Hotel Kyoto is located at 289 570 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0074, Japan