Aman Tokyo has long been one of the city’s most coveted stays, its rooms snapped up months and months ahead with near-clockwork regularity. The group’s first urban outpost, it brought Aman’s signature calm into the heart of the metropolis: all hushed tones, expansive views and a sense of stillness that feels almost radical in Tokyo. Impeccable service, naturally, comes as standard here.
Janu, its livelier sibling and the first hotel to open under Aman Group’s second brand, plays to a different rhythm. Named after the Sanskrit word for soul (with Aman meaning peace), it is conceived as a place of movement and shared energy: more sociable, more expressive, and firmly centred on wellness as a collective experience rather than a solitary pursuit. As chairman and CEO, Vladislav Doronin puts it: ‘If Aman is a sanctuary, then Janu is about connection.’
Wallpaper* checks in at Janu Tokyo
What’s on your doorstep?
Janu Tokyo occupies the 13 lower floors of a high-rise block, designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, in the new Azabudai Hills city-in-a-city development. The complex covers an area of more than eight hectares, comprising offices, residences (including 91 Aman-branded flats at the top of the Mori JP Tower, also designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners), galleries, and more than 150 retail and dining options. Janu is the only hotel in the development, making it the perfect location for visitors looking to explore this new must-visit Tokyo destination.
Who is behind the design?
All the interiors – from the reception, restaurants and pools to the 122 guest rooms – have been designed by one of Aman’s long-time collaborators, Jean-Michel Gathy. ‘It was important to me to work with Jean-Michel on this project, as I needed an architect who understands Aman’s DNA,’ says Doronin. Having dreamt up an extensive range of hotels for Aman, including Aman New York and Aman Venice, Gathy’s fluency in the brand’s design language no doubt made him an easy choice for Doronin.
Japanese-style reception with a bonsai tree area at Janu Tokyo
Pool area
‘We were involved in this project for five years,’ says Gathy. ‘The brief was to create a new product that combines the unique DNA of Aman with a touch of youthfulness, energy and vibrancy.’ There is a spaciousness to the design that feels very similar to Aman yet a bit more fun, as is evident in the oversized bracket lamps in the lobby or the vivid red (you won’t find red in any Aman retreat) lacquered ceiling in its Hu Jing restaurant. The eclectic artworks displayed throughout the premises (including several around the pools) also help to spice up the interiors.
Janu Bar
The room to book
The guest rooms maintain Aman’s signature sense of calm, expressed through a muted colour palette and understated nods to Japanese design. Standout details include partly unfinished grey plaster walls and shoji-screen-inspired room dividers. Most rooms feature balconies, while all have floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interiors with natural light. Among the largest in Tokyo, even the smallest measures a generous 55 sq m, while the expansive Janu Suite spans 519 sq m. Book the Tower View category for a flash of red against the city’s glistening skyline at bedtime.
Premier Room
Premier Room
Staying for drinks and dinner?
While Aman properties are generally designed to keep interaction with other guests to a minimum, Janu, instead, appears to foster sociability, with its spacious, open dining options. Take, for instance, the 151-seater Janu Mercato, an all-day option featuring counters serving freshly made pasta, locally caught seafood, and European charcuterie and cheese, or the 132-seater Janu Grill. But there are also more intimate dining options, such as Sumi, a contemporary interpretation of a traditional sumibiyaki restaurant, or sushi restaurant Ligura, where there are only ten table seats and seven counter seats, one of which is partly hidden from other diners, allowing Doronin to dine unobserved when he’s in town.
Ligura
Hu Jing
Where to switch off
The 4,000 sq m fitness and social wellness centre invites interaction between guests. A 340 sq m gym includes Outrace and Skill X circuits, along with five smaller studios offering classes in spinning, boxing, golf, yoga, and more – the idea being that individuals signing up will meet and mingle with other guests and form new connections. The large lounge pool, adjacent to the 25m heated lap pool, acts as a gathering point, or for a more intimate experience, there are two types of spa, banya and hammam, offering saunas and hot and cold plunge pools.
A serene swimming pool at Janu Tokyo
Seven treatment rooms offer a concise menu spanning classic therapies and Janu originals, including the 90-minute Signature Massage, which combines manual lymphatic drainage, copper wand therapy and a Kansa comb scalp massage. More recently, Janu Tokyo has expanded its programme beyond the spa, curating experiences across the city. Standouts include The Art of Bonsai at cult favourite Tradman’s Bonsai, where guests are guided by master craftsmen through the meticulous rituals of shaping and caring for these living sculptures.
The verdict
A stay at Janu Tokyo is energising by design, from the buoyant atmosphere to the breadth of offerings and confident architecture. Its social, high-tempo spirit won’t suit everyone; introverts may find themselves retreating gladly to the cocooning, ryokan-inspired rooms. The vast wellness centre hums at peak hours, but it is impressively comprehensive. Beyond the hotel, the surrounding neighbourhood is rich in dining options, yet Janu Tokyo’s own restaurants emerge as a particular highlight. Long associated with rarefied luxury, Aman looms large here, and while Janu clearly nods to its older sibling, it does so with intent, carving out a more expressive, outward-facing identity of its own.
Janu Tokyo is located at 1 Chome-2-2 Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0041, Japan