Up until recently, visitors to Tokyo mainly had the choice of business hotels, traditional ryokans, capsule hotels and Airbnbs, but now the trendy Trunk House and Hotel bring the boutique ‘lifestyle’ concept to Japan, with an integrated concept store, millennial wedding chapel and the country’s ‘smallest disco’. Emily Eastman reports
Opened in 2017, and a member of Design Hotels, the Trunk Hotel is a 15-room, art-filled guesthouse situated in the colourful Shibuya district – a cultural centre brimming with shopping, dining and nightlife, close to Harajuku.
It’s two new-build, four-floor, low-rise buildings have been designed by Mount Fuji Architects Studio. Interiors are deliberately inviting to attract a crowd of stylish, hipster types from the nearby community who can come and work, eat and shop, making Trunk Hotel an unusual proposition for Japan, which usually sees hotels as places for travellers or special occasions such as weddings (there is a chapel on the roof).
The lounge is a public space where both Japanese residents and guests from overseas can come together – throughout the week there are workshops and events scheduled, and coffee is served in porcelain mugs made from recycled clay. Walls are decorated with local art and the bar serves local drinks such as Ogasawara rum and Hoji-cha tea.
Trunk House
At the heart of Trunk House is the notion of “Tokyo salon”, a reference to the myriad salons that permeated the city in the 17th and 18th centuries. In these spaces, artists and academics would come together to debate and discuss the issues shaping Tokyo’s cultural landscape.
What sets the Trunk brand apart is its commitment to exhibit and express the spirit of the neighbourhood. With his latest concept, Nojiri sought to offer a private, bespoke hospitality experience.
The exterior denotes a traditional geisha house – the entrance cast in stone, genkan-style. Inside, nods are given to tradition in the form of grey mortar walls, paper screens, wood-panelled ceilings and stained-glass windows.
Central to Trunk (House) is socialising. Nojiri believes that Trunk can go beyond being a place to stay and become an agent for change. “Through Trunk, I wanted to provide a tasteful way of giving back as well as a means for people to do this in their daily life and not just after disasters,” Nojiri told Asia Tatler in an interview in February, referring to the tumultuous periods that followed the global financial crisis and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
“For instance, a great number of the products we use in the hotel are sourced from small local companies and charities that embrace an eco-friendly direction. Of course, as a hotel, ‘socialising’ also means fostering connections with others. At Trunk Hotel, we accept anyone and everyone, and promote the value of the human connection.”
There’s an irori fireplace, a traditional sunken hearth, and tatami flooring where guests can sit sipping matcha tea and admire the work of local artist Chiaki Hirano, who specialises in the art of paper-cutting, or kirie.
Meanwhile, the bath area pays homage to Japan’s traditional public onsen – it is surrounded by shunga – images depicting sensual pleasures – printed on to white tiles by contemporary woodblock print artist Masumi Ishikawa.
Affectionately known as “Little Kyoto in Tokyo”, Kagurazaka was once home to samurai residences, and today the neighbourhood retains the characteristics of the Edo period. Its rich culture and history has cemented the district as a favourite among Japan’s creative community.
The opening of Nojiri’s second property comes at an opportune moment for tourism to Japan. In 2018, more than 30 million international travellers visited the country – with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games around the corner, 40 million be achieved next year.
Rates for Trunk House begin at ¥500,000 (£3,600) per night for two people based upon exclusive hire of the whole space, and includes breakfast and free minibar (excluding alcohol).