The historic Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, which blends a hotel and a traditional Japanese museum, will offer a tour of the Hyakudan Kaidan (Hundred Stairs) from December 3 until December 25, 2022. This Tangible Cultural Property of Tokyo is an incredible sight, and those with an interest in Showa-era architecture won’t want to miss it.

In 1988, part of the old Gajoen structure was torn down to make way for new structures along the Meguro River basin,  and the hotel underwent a large-scale renovation over a period of three years. The Hundred Stairs were originally built in 1935 and designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2009.

Over the years, the Gajoen has served as a restaurant and gathering place for visitors from both the Showa-era and Heisei-era. Filled with traditional Japanese aesthetics, the location is now filled with art and pieces of cultural significance. A number of special exhibitions are held throughout the year. 

Why not come enjoy this tour of a piece of Japanese history?

From October 1 until November 27, Hotel Gajoen Tokyo will hold a special event in conjunction with the film Sen wa, Boku o Egaku. Visitors to the hotel’s historic One Hundred Steps Staircase will be surrounded by a world of color and paintings made from India Ink.

Fisherman and Woodcutters Room with Colored Wood Carvings

Grapevine, Hiromasa Togami.

Atelier (Image courtesy of Toho)

The coming-of-age story Sen wa, Boku o Egaku won 3rd place in the 2020 Honya Taisho and the 2019 TBS King’s Brunch Book Grand Prize. The book received rave reviews from booksellers nationwide and has now been adapted into a live-action film by Norihiro Koizumi, best known as the director of the Chihayafuru film adaptation. The film will be released on October 21, 2022. As a tie-up project with the film, the One Hundred Steps Staircase, a Tangible Cultural Property of Tokyo built in 1935, will be the setting for an incredible display of paintings that appear in the film.

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, which blends a hotel and a traditional Japanese museum, is celebrating summer in the spookiest way possible. From July 2 until September 25, guests can enjoy the ‘Wa no Akari x Hyakudan Kaidan 2022 ~Light and Shadow: 100 Stories~’ event, inspired by the tradition of telling ghost stories in summer to send a chill down your spine. Since opening, over 10,000 visitors have come to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event. 

Each of the seven exhibition areas is connected to the stairway, and each has its own theme pulled from the overarching theme of light and darkness. From Light of Passion to Midnight Light, guests will be surrounded on all sides. As you ascend the stairs, a festive atmosphere transforms into a more frightening one. Although the ghosts are out to play, guests are welcome to enjoy the many art pieces and crafts on display. 

Sokyu Room / Lights of Passion

This Kabuki stage is filled with the passion of women who are addicted to love, a common theme in many traditional plays. The eye-catching Japanese umbrellas and lanterns will no doubt leave an impression, and the wistful music is titled Red Thread. The tale depicted here tells the story of a woman who becomes a haunting specter clad in flames of passion, sobbing and laughing in time with the song. 

Still Water Room / Inverted Light

The three trees crowned with horse heads were created by the artist Eros Nakazato. Guests will feel as though they’ve been transported to the middle of a meadow as they explore this fantastical room covered in traditional paintings. In the work The Reverse of the Reverse, there are no wild horses on the earth, and those who have been tamed by humans sway in a beautiful and sad way. To make this scarier, the story has been reimagined as guests look through a crystal ball–now, humans are ruled by horses

Starlight Room / Midnight Light

Passing through a corridor of suspiciously flickering yokai lanterns, you will find that the clock has struck midnight. In the darkness, as most humans are asleep, specters are having a lively party. Playful cats dance and play and a number of artistic works by contemporary artists are on display. The music played fuses Japanese and ethnic instruments, some of which are interspersed with the voices of creatures of the night.

Experience this immersive art experience that will delight all five senses through light and shadows while you can!

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, which blends a hotel and a traditional Japanese museum, is celebrating summer in the spookiest way possible. From July 2 until September 25, guests can enjoy the ‘Wa no Akari x Hyakudan Kaidan 2022 ~Light and Shadow: 100 Stories~’ event, inspired by the tradition of telling ghost stories in summer to send a chill down your spine. The art illumination exhibition promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Jounen no Akari (Lights of Passion)

Bamboo Lights

Without light, there are no shadows. In this exhibition, light and shadow complement one another, portraying the popular 100 ghost stories in a new way. Last year’s event received critical acclaim as guests found themselves moving breathlessly from room to room, exploring the many incredible pieces put on display. Along the dusk-lit promenade, goldfish lanterns lead guests to the start of their mysterious adventure. The atmosphere changes from room to room, with bamboo lights and shadows surrounding you from all sides. 

An Immersive Light Art Space

Odawara Wind Chimes at Dusk

Luxurious Cherry Blossom Hairpins

Glass Lamp, Iroshita Studio

Flower Arrangement, Rikou Otsuka

As you ascend the stairs, a festive atmosphere transforms into a more frightening one. Although the ghosts are out to play, guests are welcome to enjoy the many art pieces and crafts on display, from flower arrangements by master ikebana artist Rikou Otsuka and sculptures by some of Japan’s most influential traditional creators. 

Enjoy Traditional Summer Ghost Stories with Light Art

Ghost Lanterns

Born from the Earth, Yasumaro Ozawa

Byakko, Yuji Nishijima

Inverted Light, Eros Nakazato

Mysterious music will drift through the air, making guests feel as though they’ve been transported into another world. The eerie space is lit by Ghost Lanterns made by a 200-year-old company in Fukuoka, and the venue is decorated with art blending ukiyo-e with contemporary styles. 

Culture and Crafts from Around Japan

Paper Lanterns from Ise

Bamboo Lights, Akarinowa

3D Knit Lights

Paper Fireworks

Summer fireworks have been recreated in colorful paper form by an artist in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, and materials found in a neglected bamboo grove in Shizuoka Prefecture were used to create the many iconic lights seen throughout the unique exhibition. Local craftsmen are at the heart of the event, with pieces brought in from areas all around Japan.

Wa no Akari Room

A concept room featuring gently flickering lights and lanterns is available to book for a limited time. Why not come spend your summer in this otherworldly atmosphere?

Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, which blends a hotel and a traditional Japanese museum, will hold a Taisho Romanticism exhibition from April 16 to June 12, 2022. The event will take place at the famous Hyakudan Staircase, a tangible cultural property designated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Selection of Exhibited Works 

[Minatoya Edo-period Illustrated Storybook Shop] Woodblock Print (Partial)

Matsuo Hiromi –  Cosmetics Department from  ‘Department Store Waltz’

Kimono from Shochiku Costume

Taisho Romanticism Tea Room

Online-only Special Ticket

Includes a Set of Reprinted Retro Postcards (Limited Quantity)

Taisho Maiden Memo Set (Limited Quantity)

Camellia Accessory (Limited Quantity)

Special Tour with Gallery Discussion (Limited Capacity, Date to be Determined)

Main Hall ©Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

First Staircase ©Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

Large Guest Room ©Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

This year’s exhibition will feature collaborative exhibits with works by Yumeji Takehisa, a leading painter of the Taisho period, and popular illustrator Hiromi Matsuo’s famed piece Department Store Waltz. Coordinated displays of kimono and modern girl’s outfits based on the concept of Taisho Romanticism by Shochiku Costume will also appear, and guests can visit a modern coffee shop with retro stained glass windows by an artist belonging to the Stained Glass Artists Association.

After the Meiji Period when Japan was opening to the outside world, a new blend of cultures never seen before blossomed into the world of Taisho Romanticism. Come enjoy this unique atmosphere and learn more about this time period while you can!

Cafe Accueil Ebisu is currently offering a limited Sakura-themed menu featuring pancakes, afternoon tea, and drinks until April 10, 2022.

Sakura & Strawberry Pancakes

Sakura Afternoon Tea

Special Latte with Cherry Blossoms

The seasonal menu includes Sakura & Strawberry Pancakes with pale pink and strawberry red accents, and savory items such as a croissant with cherry cheese cream. Guests can also enjoy Sakura Afternoon Tea, a colorful 12-item menu featuring cherry and strawberry delights. Come enjoy the coming of spring at this gorgeous Tokyo cafe!

People flock to Kanda Myojin to pray for good luck at the start of the new financial year, surrounded by beautiful pink blooms. The shrine offers beautiful sights during the day, and this year, it’s collaborating with digital art collective NAKED to host a beautiful light-up event every evening from March 26 until April 10, 2022.

Kanda Myojin is a hidden cherry blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. This spring-only event is held in the hope that people will pray at Kanda Myojin, one of the most popular power spots in Tokyo, for a great start to the new year.

Guests will be able to see cherry blossom trees lit up in iridescent lights with pink petals projected on the ground. Some of the digital sakura are interactive and change shape and color when you’re nearby. Digital art is even incorporated at the hand sanitizing station, where you’ll see vivid pink sakura projected onto your palms. Visitors will also be handed a special Naked Distance Lantern, which naturally creates distance between others as you hold it up.

Lake Biwa Canal, one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Shiga, will be completely illuminated each night from March 25 until April 10! The nearby Onjo-ji Temple will also be lit up during the duration of the event.

Lake Biwa, Otsu Spring Illumination – Cherry Blossoms on the Lake Biwa Canal

The Lake Biwa Canal carries water from the biggest lake in Japan to Kyoto and was built during the Meiji era using the best civil engineering technology of the time. Both sides of the bank are lined with almost 200 cherry trees, making it one of the most beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots with a spectacular view leading to Onjo-ji Temple.

Onjo-ji Spring Illumination 2022

Over 600 lights will be set up around the temple grounds to illuminate the cherry blossoms. The national treasures and designated cultural properties will be completely open to the public for nighttime viewing.

Wishing you could be in Japan to see the cherry blossoms? The Cherry Blossom Drone Project on March 27 will be live-broadcasting some of the most beautiful blossoms in the country to viewers around the world. 

Incredible 4K aerial footage will be available to watch on YouTube LIVE for free from 12:00 until 19:00 on March 27, 2022. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to lose yourself in the feeling of spring. 

Three Best Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots Chosen by Sakura Enthusiasts

Breathtaking Mountain Cherry Blossoms at Mount Yoshino in Nara

The First New Sakura Species in Over 100 Years Found in Wakayama Prefecture

A Sea of Cherry Blossoms at Takato Joshi Park in Ina, Nagano Prefecture

Creative company NAKED has opened its popular annual spring event NAKED Sakura Aquarium at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa until April 17, 2022. 

Since winter 2015, Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa and NAKED have held a number of collaborative events each season based on blending the concepts of sound, light, images, and living things. The centerpiece of this spring event is the immersive area titled ‘Patterns.’ The walls of the aquarium are decorated with fluttering cherry blossoms as petals dance across the ground, pulling guests into a virtual Japanese garden. 

The Garden of Dancing Sakura

Fluttering Sakura

Flower Lantern

Nighttime Dolphin Performance ‘Sakura Story’

NAKED Tsukubai – Sakura Version

Guests can also enjoy a cherry blossom version of NAKED Tsukubai, a virtual hand-washing experience. Why not come experience spring in a whole new way?

Flower Miffy Juice Garden, a drink stand featuring Dick Bruna’s popular character Miffy, is now offering a limited-time cherry blossom beverage at its Asakusa location!

Strawberry

Green Apple

Cherry Blossom Season with Miffy

The Slightly Sakura Drink is inspired by springtime and features a sweet whipped topping with cherry blossom-colored copeau de chocolat. The base of the drink is sakura-colored milk available in green apple and strawberry flavors. Each beverage comes with a Miffy cookie for added cuteness!

A Cherry Blossom flower arrangement is also available for purchase at the Flower Miffy online store. 

Illustrations Dick Bruna Ⓒ copyright Mercis bv,1953-2022　www.miffy.com

Hoshino Resort Aomoriya, an inn where visitors are invited to fully enjoy Aomori’s culture, will begin its Hanami Kotatsu event from April 1 until May 31, 2022. Guests can enjoy local sake while warming themselves beneath a cozy kotatsu. In the chilly Aomori spring, a kotatsu) will be set up beneath the blooming trees for visitors to comfortably view the cherry blossoms. Hot-water bottles will also be available for rent if guests can a little too cold!

April in Aomori is spring according to the calendar, but it’s still quite chilly. Nevertheless, the people of Aomori look forward to flower viewing to overcome the cold winter and enjoy the long-awaited arrival of spring.

Three Fun Additions to Make Cherry Blossom Viewing More Fun

1  A Traditional Umbrella with a Sakura Pattern

Next to each kotatsu is a row of Japanese umbrellas with cherry blossoms painted on them, spreading the pink cherry blossom imagery all around. When opened, the umbrellas are covered with cherry blossoms, making you feel as if you are under the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

2 Choose a Local Sake and Sake Cups for a Flower Viewing Sake Tower

Choose your favorite local sake and three sake cups to make a sake tower! Guests can choose from 10 Aomori sake brands, each with unique aromas and flavors. 

3 Cherry Blossom Patterned Cotton-Filled Hot Water Bottle for Extra Warmth

To keep extra warm beneath the kotatsu, a cotton blanket with a cherry blossom pattern and a hot-water bottle are available for rent. Doesn’t it sound heavenly?