In commemoration of the Randen tramway service’s 110th anniversary, Kyoto Tower Hotel introduced an exclusive new one-night hotel plan on Friday at one of its rooms. The Kyoto Tower Hotel Train Room is a themed guest room experience and celebration of Randen’s long history.

A look at the Randen Kitano Line

Randen tram photos decorate the guest room

Old train tickets and platform signs

A tatami area, train handles, and train priority seat

Randen Train Room souvenirs for guests

Randen was founded in 1910 and remains the only tramline in Kyoto. It’s part of Keifuku Electric Railroad and runs from Shijo-Omiya to Arashiyama. The Randen Train Room is a trainspotter and train otaku’s paradise. Inside, guests will find historical photos of trams that have run as part of the Randen service, as well as other train-related motifs like a Randen priority seat chair, carriage handles, and more. There’s also a little tatami seating area which is perfect for sitting on and planning your next day’s trip, putting out souvenirs you’ve picked up, or just relaxing. Guests can also watch a DVD on the TV that looks at footage of Randen trains, and even listen to a CD that has train sounds on it.

Ace Hotel Kyoto marked its 1st anniversary on June 11 since opening. In celebration of hitting the milestone, the hotel is collaborating with Japanese artist Yu Nagaba by displaying his work at its gallery until June 30. The works displayed are of the sights and people that Nagaba saw and penned in a memo pad while staying at Ace Hotel Kyoto. All of the illustrations were made for this exhibition and so they are being exhibited for the first time. One of the pieces is also being sold at stickers in the hotel’s shop.

Yu Nagaba‘s work

Yu Nagaba | Comment

“After I heard whispers that Ace Hotel was setting up in Kyoto, I hoped I could do something, so I was happy to take part in this project, but I also spent my time wondering what I could draw, and no ideas came to mind. After pondering I went to find inspiration by deciding to stay at Ace Hotel. I drew what came to mind during my time there as I walked the streets of Kyoto and spent time at the hotel. I drew a total of 49 illustrations in my memo pad. I painted six of my favourites on canvas. I hope people can get a feel for my experiences of Kyoto in these pieces.”

Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is a hotel in Kyoto that blends seamlessly into the town, offering a stay experience that’s like living there. For guests who use their baths, they have introduced a new selection of five ingredients to be put into the bath like bath salts. Each comes with a different effect, enhancing your bathing experience beyond getting clean.

Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is continuing to enforce precautions against the spread of COVID-19 so guests can enjoy getting away from home to relax and unwind safely. The hotel has and continues to enjoy many guests during this time who are seeking out some healing. One of the biggest selling points for guests is the hotel’s bathing experience. With that in mind, they have set up the Yadoru YUAMI service which allows guests to try a variety of bathing products made by local Kyoto businesses.

‘Yuami’ is an old Japanese expression for getting in the bath. The word ‘yadoru’ in the hotel’s name is also an old phrase meaning ‘to stay at a lodging on your travels.’ Yadoru KYOTO HANARE is wanting to have its site feel even more like a traditional Kyoto townhouse for guests to experience, so they are now using the word ‘YUAMI’ as part of their services.

With Yadoru YUAMI, guests can pick from five different bath products, each wrapped in pouches. Each offers a completely different bathing experience with different benefits and fragrances.

1. Sake Lees

Sake lees from Kyoto’s long-standing and historical sake brewery Sasaki Shuzou. Massage the lees in the bathtub while they are still in the pouch to create a milky white water that fills the bathroom with the fragrant smell of sake lees. The ingredients in the lees have a moisturising effect, improve blood circulation, and leave skin looking beautiful.

2. Gyokuro Green Tea

The Kyoto Distillery stands as Japan’s first establishment specialising in gin. One of their gins is called Ki no Bi, a Japanese craft gin. Its smell and taste is the result of a combination of 11 kinds of botanical products including gyokuro green tea, junpier berry, and hinoki cypress, all of which are featured individually on this list. Gyokuro is a type of high-grade Japanese green tea and contains theanine which stimulates relaxing, making it perfect for unwinding after a long day.

3. Juniper Berry

Juniper berry is an indispensable ingredient in making craft gin. This bathing product is made with the type that’s actually used in making Ki no Bi craft gin. When submerged in the water, the air is filled with the woody, relaxing, and inviting scent of gin.

4. Hinoki Cypress

This bathing powder is also made with the same hinoki cypress used in Ki no Bi which, when put in the water, emits the smells of a forest. Hinoki cypress contains phytoncide which has a relaxation effect, calming the autonomic nervous system and blood pressure.

5. Matcha

Matcha is the quintessential flavour of Kyoto. Guests who check in at Yadoru KYOTO HANARE are offered a cup. They can also bathe in it with Yadoru YUAMI.

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa has announced a special summer plan for guests called “Mori no Hotori cafe&Bar ~Suijo no Tokutoseki~” (Cafe & Bar by the Forest ~Special Seats on the Water~). The midsummer evening plan is available for one group per day and takes place at the hotel’s cafe and bar which sits by a forest and faces the Kera-Ike Pond. It invites guests to relax under the starry night sky on the water and enjoy the sounds of nature while enjoying drinks and bites to eat.

Japan is known for its summer hot summers. However, Karuizawa enjoys a cooler climate, so evenings dip to around 20°C for a comfortable temperature.

Stargazing on top of the water

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa is connected directly to Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary. At the entrance, by the Kera-Ike Pond, is the hotel’s Mori no Hotori cafe&bar which is open all year. The cafe/bar fusion is surrounded by Karuizawa’s lush forests, and it’s here that guests can enjoy sitting on specially-prepared seats on the water. It will feel like they are walking on water as they approach their seats where they can take their shoes off and sit on the tatami mats to gaze at the stars.

Calm the heart with an enchanting performance

When you walk up the stairs that face Kera-Ike from HOSHINOYA Karuizawa, your ears will be met with the enchanting sound of crystal bowls which add a mysterious depth to the natural sounds of the forest, spiriting guests away to another wonderful world.

Indulgent drinks and food

Guests can pick from a range of drinks and bites to eat scented with fruits, wood, and other natural fragrances of the forest. There arw six drinks to choose from including a gin and tonic made with lindera umbellata, a type of camphor, as well as a whisky made with ripe fruits. Food includes chocolate made from lindera umbellata and kuma bamboo grass, cherry blossom and walut chips, and more.

Hotel Keihan launched a new guest room plan in collaboration with the anime series The Promised Neverland at its Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Sendai, and Sapporo branches on Tuesday. It also released a collection of exclusive merchandise which can be bought at each hotel’s front desk.

Guest Rooms

Exclusive Merch Line-Up

Pins | ¥550 Each (Tax Included)

Key Rings | ¥550 Each (Tax Included)

Lobby display

The hotel plan was originally scheduled to take place for three months but has been extended by a further month to accommodate for travel restrictions as well as guest demand. New prices have also been introduced to make it more accessible to people. Fans of the anime series can get their hands on a range of items not available anywhere else too including pins, key rings, folders, and more.

The hotel room designs are inspired by both seasons of The Promised Neverland and come with life-size panels, wall decorations, and more, so fans can look forward to getting sucked into the world of the anime series.

(C)白井カイウ・出水ぽすか／集英社・約束のネバーランド製作委員会

Ace Hotel Kyoto will commemorate its first anniversary on June 11, 2021. The hotel opened on the site of the historical former Kami Branch of the Kyoto Central Telephone Office which was completely renovated and refurbished. The hotel takes on an ‘East Meets West’ theme with elements of art and culture found throughout. As part of the celebration, the 98-year-old Samiro Yukino, a dyer and the man responsible for creating the hotel’s logo, has made sign posters and will display 242 photos from his immense collection of 17,000 photographs he has taken over the years in 10 guest rooms as part of the special hotel plan.

Ace Hotel Kyoto Tatami Suite

Ace Hotel Kyoto Standard Twin

Samiro Yunoki

Ace Hotel displays works of art from artists from both Japan and abroad all around the building, from the hotel’s iconic logo to dye work, paintings decorating the guest rooms, eye-catching tapestries, and more. Despite the pandemic which began last year, Ace Hotel has enjoyed many guests staying there. In celebrating of their first anniversary, they are releasing offering their ‘We Are One’ package for guests booking Suite rooms.

Ace Hotel ranked No. 9 in the ‘Most Popular New Hotels’ in TripAdvisor’s 2021 Traveller’s Choice Best of the Best Hotels. It was also the only Japanese hotel to rank in the list.

Conrad Osaka is set to serve a very special rainbow-coloured dessert buffet called ‘OWNER OF A COLORFUL HEART’ at its Atmos Dining restaurant in collaboration with Japanese artist Sebastian Masuda, who is known for his iconic work in Japan’s culture of ‘kawaii,’ from June 4 to August 31.

OWNER OF A COLORFUL HEART Peach Dessert Buffet

The colourful line-up aims to bring light and strength to people during these dark times. It says that if we were to shine a light on our hearts, the hidden colours of our hearts would illuminate for all to see. We are all owners of a colourful heart. The beautiful and mouth-watering dessert table conceived by Masuda was made after he had discussions with Jimmy Boulay, executive chef at Atmos Dining, who helped bring this peach-filled sweet treat bounty to life.

The picturesque buffet is made so colourful thanks to a range of natural ingredients such as paprika, turmeric, coconut, rose, and more. The ‘Colourful Heart Tarts,’ which look like baby peaches, are fluffy and made sweet with peach and vanilla. The ‘Sunshine in the Dark’ is bright yellow like sunshine and contains peach and vanilla caramel cream. The ‘Peach Prism Cupcakes’ glisten vividly, and the ‘Daisy Celebration’ is a wonderful mix of almonds, rose mousse, and peach compote. Below is a small peek at just some of the goodies on this summertime feast.

Menu Sneak Peek

Marble Marble Mousse

Colourful Heart Tarts

Sunshine in the Dark

Peach Prism Cupcakes

Spring Garden

Daisy Celebration

Playful Macarons

The restaurant also has a photo booth where you can take photos together with some of Sebastian Masuda’s most iconic works. There’s also merchandise from the artist’s own brand Sebastian Masuda ART. And that’s not all – a special hotel plan at Conrad Osaka is also available where guests can stay in rooms decorated in Masuda’s art. The plan comes with the dessert buffet attached. There are just three rooms a night with this plan for the duration of the buffet.

Bonus Item

Win a free glass of sparkling wine by posting a photo of yourself with a heart in the picture at the buffet with the hashtag #ownerofacolorfulheart.

If you’re in Osaka this summer, show that you’re also the owner of a colourful heart at this very special dessert buffet.

The Kyoto-based luxury resort and spa AMAN KYOTO is now serving a special parfait for spring and early summer until June 30 which is inspired by traditional Japanese zen gardens.

Zen Garden Parfait

The Living Pavilion by Aman

Situated quietly in a secret garden at the heart of a forest, AMAN KYOTO is just a stone’s throw from Kyoto’s famous golden Kinkaku-ji Temple. This secluded spot is home to abundant nature with green filling your vision at every turn.

The Zen Garden Parfait is enjoyed at the resort’s dining space, The Living Pavilion. The sponge of the cake and the cookies are made with matcha and made to look like the moss of a zen garden. The delicious ‘stones’ are made from houjicha tea cookies, while the crunchy cocoa-flavoured cat tongue biscuits are reminiscent of trees. White chocolate sits hidden underneath the garden panna cotta while fragrant matcha tiramisu, which is made from organic matcha from Uji, helps to complete that garden look. Other sweet additions include rich matcha cream, a nine-layered tiramisu, yuzu ice cream, yuzu jam, and more.

The parfait is served in an original matcha bowl made by Japanese ceramics artist George Nakamura.

HOSHINOYA Fuji, a hotel which opened as Japan’s first glamping resort, has announced the Glamping Fruits Breakfast summer plan which is set to run from June 20 to August 31.

HOSHINOYA Fuji is located in Japan’s prefecture of Yamanashi, a place that enjoys a bounty of fruit cultivation. Yamanashi has been called the “Fruit Country,” offering a variety of different fruits. In fact, it has been the biggest producer of peaches, grapes, and plums in Japan for over 10 year. The glamping masters of HOSHINOYA Fuji have had knowledge bestowed on them from the growers of these sweet gems who have advised on the safety and best ways to prepare land for fruit growing, characteristics of fruits grown throughout the year, and other means of support. Now, guests at HOSHINOYA Fuji are set to serve these fruits to guests at breakfast this summer.

Dine outdoors from a terrace with a breathtaking view

Guests will enjoy their breakfast out on a sofa on a private terrace that overlooks Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. With the support of the hotel’s Glamping Master, food will be prepared outdoors using a skillet and burner. The main dish is roasted peaches made with bacon and fresh herbs. The salty bacon and sweet peach make for a delightful combination. Best of all, ingredients and condiments are all prepared for guests in advance so they can enjoy a hands-free outdoor experience.

Indulge in high quality fruits

Eight varieties of fruit are available during the breakfast experience including peaches, Shine Muscat, pione, and more. And only the tastiest fruit is served to customers.

An optional tour is available with the plan which offers guests a chance to depart HOSHINOYA Fuji early in the morning to visit a peach farm in the city of Fuefuki. Guests are given exclusive access to the farm where they can learn all about how the peaches are grown from the farmers. At the end, they can tuck into some freshly-picked peaches with a glass of sparkling wine in hand.

Tsumugi Machiya Inn has opened a new day-use plan which offers a chance for guests to enjoy an entire Kyoto-style townhouse to themselves for the day for up to 10 hours. The plan comes with a lunch service attached.

喧騒を外れた一棟貸しでプライベートな時間を

Enjoy the ‘Tsumugi Dining’ experience with a lavish bento

Gorgeous guest rooms

Inside Tsumugi Dining

Tsumugi Machiya Inn first opened its doors in April 2016 as a way to ‘tie’ (tsumugi) people to local towns. The hotel accommodation brand now has around 60 branches, offering guests chance to rent out an entire building to themselves for a day.

With the pandemic still in full swing, the desire for travel can be felt around the world. In Japan, it is difficult to travel between prefectures for many, and the risk of coming into contact with others is still a widespread fear. That’s where Tsumugi Machiya Inn’s new day-use plan comes in, offering people a chance to enjoy a stay elsewhere without the worry of bumping into other guests. The plan comes with lunch made with meat from Kyoto and other seasonal ingredients. The food is delivered to the private accommodation at an allotted time. There are luxurious beds, a bath, and other little amenities for a wonderful, relaxing stay.

Check out the links below to see which branches are participating in this plan.

Hokkaido’s largest hotel resort Hoshino Resorts Tomamu is set to open its enormous new 100-hectare farm area this summer for a limited time between July 1 and September 30. Guests are invited to sit and lay amongst the farm’s animals during the warm season.

Relax in nature

The farm area was originally an agricultural ground home to around 700 cows. Hoshino Resorts Tomamu wanted to bring the space back to its origins for people to enjoy, and so it is now operating as 100s hectares of farmland. The resort has offered a range of limited-time experiences on the land in the past, such as the Cow & Daytime Nap Hammocks where people can doze on hammocks and count the sheep, as well as the Pasture Lounge, and more.

What to expec

Inhale the smells of nature while laying on some comfy beds

Guests are invited to kick back and relax on a warm and cosy bed spanning 30 meters. Its large size means you don’t have to come into close contact with everyone, enabling you to enjoy yourself withour worry. Cushions and blankets are also prepared.

Soak up the sights and sounds of the farm

The cows on the grass

Hammocks for a siesta snooze

Yagi the Postman

InterContinental Tokyo Bay is set to serve up a special afternoon tea by French pastry chef Pierre Hermé at five of its restaurants including New York Lounge from June 1 to August 31.

A colourful, fruit-filled line-up

From the left: Mosaic Cheesecake, Macarons, Ispahan, Emotion Satine

From the left: Jardin de Misole, Jardin de L’atlas, Infiniment Cassis

Chocolate gateaux line-up

Two jam scones, one with raspberry and one with lemon

The savoury items are made by the French restaurant next door

The full afternoon tea at New York Lounge

The full afternoon tea at Hudson Lounge

The full afternoon tea at Manhattan

The full afternoon tea at La Provence

The full afternoon tea at Italian Dining Zillion

The afternoon tea line-ups are a collaboration between French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, who has been called the pastry industry’s Picasso, and award-winning executive chef Junji Tokunaga. Their first time working together, the duo have created an afternoon tea service packed with fruits like passion fruit, raspberry, orange, lychee, lemon, and more. Tokunaga also baked up chocolate gateaux as an homage to Hermé.

Items on the menu include Pierre Hermé’s signature Ispahan which is a rose-flavoured macaron stuffed with rose cream, fresh lychee, and raspberry; Mosaic Cheesecake which harmoniously combines griotte cherries and pistachio; the refreshing Emotion Satine in all its passion fruit, orange, cream cheese, and mascarpone richness; four original gateaux chocolate oranges by Tokunaga; scones, and more.

The afternoon tea served at French Dining Manhattan, a restaurant which has a terrace overlooking Tokyo Bay, also comes with its own original savoury line-up, while Fine Dining La Provence and Italian Dining Zillion serve up lunch plates with theirs.