Located in a tranquil riverside neighborhood at the heart of Kyoto, GENJI Kyoto is a contemporary interpretation of Machiya townhouses, marrying traditional concepts with modern amenities. Inspired by the Japanese masterpiece Tale of Genji, the story of which took place in the vicinity, the hotel’s designers took motifs from the novel to create a wabi sabi world of beauty and harmony.

The Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park boasts an exposed raw concrete facade, a collaborative creation of Japanese studio Keiji Ashizawa Design and Danish firm Norm Architects. This boutique hotel, the third installment in the Tokyo-based Trunk hotel trio, embraces the concept of “urban recharge,” seeking harmony between tradition and modernity, nature and the city, and the fusion of Japanese and European craftsmanship.