Ahead of its opening next month, The Tokyo Edition, Ginza has shared imagery of what guests can expect from the brand’s second hotel in the Japanese capital. Created by Ian Schrager – veteran hotelier as well as the founder of New York’s iconic Studio 54 – in partnership with Marriott International, the new 14-floor boutique promises to be a vibrant locale and social nexus in one of Tokyo’s most sought-after districts.
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Schrager has once again teamed up with prominent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who designed The Tokyo Edition Toranomon three years prior, to ensure the hotel’s design is a delicate balance between the rich traditions of Japanese culture and the avant-garde desire that Edition is known for. And while Kuma’s fingerprints are all over the hotel – from the vertical garden that envelops the outside of the tower to the soothing tones of walnut timber, cream-colored leather and green marble used in each of the 83 guest rooms – Schrager ensures the Edition signature sophistication is on full display. The result? Think Japanese minimal timelessness meets New York sensibilities.
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Each of the hotel’s 10 suites and 86 guest rooms – which, even at entry-level, start at 440 sq ft, making them the largest standard rooms in the district – feature the signature Edition white faux-fur throws and artwork by Sayaka Maruyama and photography by Japanese photographer Takay. The crowning jewel, however, can be found on the 13th floor, where the Penthouse Suite unfolds into an open-plan living room, dining area and a fully equipped pantry kitchen, making it perfect for hosting intimate social gatherings.
The hotel also boasts the Japanese-tinged modern brasserie, Sophie, which pays homage to Japan’s culinary traditions seen through a contemporary lens – from matcha French toast with red bean puree for breakfast to heartier dinner options like roasted blue lobster and saffron dashi broth. As has come to be expected with Edition hotels, there are a multitude of innovative bar concepts to quench guests’ thirsts, including a punch-focused cocktail bar and Ginza’s first natural wine bar, The Roof.
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Where the brand’s first outpost in the Japanese capital, The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, immerses guests within Tokyo’s gleaming skyscrapers and neo-glowing streets, guests in the new Ginza location will find Endo-era charm in abundance. In addition to being the postcode that boasts the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the country – with equally renowned cocktail hangouts calling it home – those who venture into the alleyways behind Ginza’s legions of designer flagship stores will find a pocket of Tokyo that feels frozen in time; picture soba noodle shops and yakitori joints brimming with life, women in their finest kimonos on their way to perform at the Kabukiza Theatre.
“Ginza is a district where the cutting edge of the world and traditional Japanese culture are interwoven,” says architect Kuma, “it’s an area where various city functions overlap and are woven together.” Kuma goes on to explain this concept of ‘weaving’ the fusion between history and progress, function and aesthetics informed many of the design choices: “We have designed The Tokyo Edition, Ginza in this human-scale and walkable city as a new landmark weaving Ginza together and connecting it to the world.”
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The Edition Tokyo, Ginza officially welcomes guests from March 14.
editionhotels.com/tokyo-ginza/
