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
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressingPart of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationshipAnnouncing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craftThe heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Ireland is having a moment in JapanAt 2025 Expo Osaka, a new sculpture for the Irish pavilion brings together two nations for a harmonious dialogue between place and time, material and form
-
Tour the brutalist Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo's newest urban hubGinza Sony Park opens in all its brutalist glory, the tech giant’s new building that is designed to embrace the public, offering exhibitions and freely accessible space
-
A first look at Expo 2025 Osaka's experimental architectureExpo 2025 Osaka prepares to throw open its doors in April; we preview the world festival, its developments and highlights
-
Ten contemporary homes that are pushing the boundaries of architectureA new book detailing 59 visually intriguing and technologically impressive contemporary houses shines a light on how architecture is evolving
-
And the RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 goes to... SANAA!The RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 winner is announced – Japanese studio SANAA scoops the prestigious architecture industry accolade
-
Architect Sou Fujimoto explains how the ‘idea of the forest’ is central to everythingSou Fujimoto has been masterminding the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka for the past five years, as the site’s design producer. To mark the 2025 Wallpaper* Design Awards, the Japanese architect talks to us about 2024, the year ahead, and materiality, nature, diversity and technological advances
-
Tadao Ando: the self-taught contemporary architecture master who 'converts feelings into physical form’Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect who rose to become one of contemporary architecture's biggest stars. Here, we explore the Japanese master's origins, journey and finest works
