Considering its creative credentials, Tokyo is surprisingly lacking in design hotels. The tide may turn, however, with the arrival of Trunk (Hotel), which has just opened its doors in the Shibuya district.
Expanses of recycled woods, tiered balconies and aromatic herb gardens set a contemporary tone at the hotel, housed in two four-storey buildings designed by local outfit Mount Fuji Architects. Inside, the 15 guest rooms, have been designed by Jamo Associates, and are more in keeping with a modern home than a hotel: there are wooden tables by Osaka furniture designers Truck, indigo patchwork wall hangings, monochrome bathroom tiling, organic made-in-Japan toiletries and vintage-style bedside Roland radio speakers.
Craft coffees and cocktails are served to locals as well as guests in the lively lounge and terrace, which is set around the base of a leafy Zelcova tree alongside large white cushions made from refashioned boat sails. Other highlights include its restaurant, Kitchen, complete with a large chef’s table at the back, a small kushiyaki grilled meat outlet, a pop up space, four banquet rooms and a clean-lined wooden rooftop chapel (guaranteed to be bit a hit in wedding-crazed Tokyo).
Local and eco are keywords throughout with a selection of dried fruits in the guest rooms from a nearby Shibuya fruit shop, dead stock denim staff aprons and a fleet of customised up-cycled abandoned Tokyo bicycles.
Perhaps best of all, the hotel even has its own convenience store, a minimal white affair by Torafu Architects, selling treats such as homemade onigiri rice balls and coconut popcorn plus craft beers and wines made in Tokyo, alongside a range of Trunk-branded products.
ADDRESS
5-31 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku
-
A Rancho Mirage home is in tune with its location and its architect-owners' passionsArchitect Steven Harris and his collaborator and husband, designer Lucien Rees Roberts have built a home in Rancho Mirage, surrounded by some of America’s most iconic mid-century modern works; they invited us on a tour
-
The world’s best swimwear brands, according to Wallpaper*From architectural precision to a sense of ease and luxury, our comprehensive guide to the world’s best swimwear brands – for both men and women – will help you find the perfect beach attire this summer
-
Aesop’s Queer Library bookmarks brilliant literature, no purchase requiredReturning to London’s Soho, 3-6 July 2025, the Queer Library pop-up offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies
-
Tune into the rhythm of Tokyo’s most ambitious record shopVinyl Delivery Service in east Tokyo’s Skwat Kameari Art Centre is spinning a new narrative for the traditional record store model
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Waldorf Astoria Osaka‘It’s rare to work on a brand new hotel of this scale in Japan in today’s landscape,’ says designer Andre Fu about Osaka’s newest luxury hotel. Wallpaper* paid it an early visit
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Rosewood Miyakojima: ‘Japan, but not as most people know it’Rosewood Miyakojima offers a smooth balance of intuitive Japanese ‘omotenashi’ fused with Rosewood’s luxury edge
-
A new book captures the kitschy allure of Japanese ‘love hotels’For his latest project, French photographer François Prost documents the whimsical façades that characterise these erotic roadside venues.
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu: a soothing onsen hotelIn Japan’s bucolic northeast, Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu breathes new life into a sleepy hot spring village without betraying its ancient roots
-
Shake off the winter chill at these design-led onsen hotels in JapanWhether you’re heading to the mountains of Hokkaido or the alleys of Kyoto’s Gion district, these immaculately designed onsen hotels will keep the shivers at bay
-
The new hotels you’ll want to stay at in 2025Where to stay in 2025? Let six of the most-read-about hotel openings of the past 12 months inspire your escape – from a tiny Tokyo bolthole to a Tanzanian safari retreat
