Straight, broad and serene, the Kamogawa River has served as the lifeblood of Japan’s ancient seat of high culture, Kyoto, for generations, channeling fresh water from the mountains to the north into the city’s heart and giving rise to its unmatched traditions of kyo-yuzen dyeing, pottery, and a thriving culture of haute cuisine.
At the height of the autumn foliage season, an amble along its riverbank brings you across many vignettes: the grey herons wading past flocks of waterborne spot-billed ducks, families gathered for momijigari, or leaf-viewing picnics, and, through a break in the blazing foliage, a glimpse of the low-slung yet regal form of the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto.
The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto caused quite a splash when it opened in 2014, bringing with it a local sensibility and intimate awareness of Kyoto’s unique, often impenetrable character that nobody had expected from an international hospitality chain. The building itself, housing 134 rooms and 17 suites over four floors, was designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd. to be unintrusive (efforts to keep its height in line with city regulations necessitated the building to be sunk two stories into the ground), and to adhere to the concept of miyabi, or the Japanese interpretation of elegance.
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This aesthetic continues inside the interiors by Peter Remedios, where subdued, softly lit interiors are highlighted by an extensive art collection focused on local Kyoto artists, and displays of Kyoto craftsmanship throughout – think intricate shippo cloisonné, exquisite lacquered surfaces and textiles from famed local fabric mill Hosoo. Inner-facing rooms have a view of a Japanese Zen garden immaculately tended to by resident gardener Suzuki-san, but the river-facing rooms capitalise on the hotel’s highlight, where one can languidly observe the flow of time along the Kamogawa. The suites, meanwhile, offer spacious moon-viewing terraces and tatami rooms for a true Japanese experience.
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The restaurant interiors, designed by Design Studio SPIN, prove to be exquisite stages for Kyoto’s culinary tradition to shine. The Japanese restaurant, Mizuki, is divided into four cuisines: kaiseki haute cuisine, which is served on dishware designed by contemporary artists; Edo-style sushi served on a Wajima lacquered counter; Kappo-style tempura, and teppanyaki. Italian restaurant La Locanda features a private dining room that was reassembled from the former 1907 townhouse of industrialist Denzaburo Fujita with 700-year-old wooden elements, and wouldn’t look out of place in a Yasujirō Ozu film. High-end Parisian patisserie Pierre Hermé occupies a space in the lobby, while, elsewhere in the hotel, a full-service spa by ESPA offers head-to-toe pampering.
In an ageless city dyed by the patina of history, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto beckons to enfold guests in a rich tapestry of traditions borne, both literally and figuratively, by the steadfast waters of the Kamogawa.
A version of this article originally appeared in our November 2018 issue.
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