Lovingly designed from the ground up by the husband-and-wife team of architect Takafumi Kawakami and interior designer Masumi Kitayama, both long-term Kyoto residents, the property combines a chic modern sensibility with a deep connection to the city’s ancient culture and crafts. Kawakami’s layout makes excellent use of the canal-side Higashiyama location to offer views of Heian Temple’s iconic red torii gate and the lush eastern mountains from the 8 guest suites. A private open-air bath and rooftop lounge area, rarities in central Kyoto, grace the upper floors. Meanwhile, Kitayama’s thoughtful design weaves an ambiance of understated luxury with one-of-a-kind antiques, seasonally changing bonsai and ikebana, bespoke linens, and the use of handcrafted materials evocative of Japanese tea culture, such as woodblock-printed karakami paper from the centuries-old Karacho house and woven ajiro wickerwork ceilings.
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