Meguro Gajoen - worth a visit

[Mulboyne]

The Asahi have run quite a few decent articles in their Weekend Beat section recently. Here's another:

Asahi: Meguro Gajoen: Hotel like a theme park with a Japanese spirit

With its walls and ceilings brimming with richly colored-gold, vermilion, green and others-paintings and reliefs, the sumptuous interior of the Meguro Gajoen hotel's old wing is on a par with the grandeur found in Europe's most beautiful buildings...A stone's throw from JR Meguro Station, the hotel, which is now a popular wedding hall, was originally built as a restaurant and inn in the early Showa Period with the stated aim of "offering the public a taste of what it's like to be a millionaire.'' The building was designated as a registered tangible cultural property in 2001.

Gajoen Kanko, the operator of the hotel, has been steadily going under since the bubble burst. They were de-listed from the stock market in 1997 so the registration came in quite handy.

The lavish interior of Meguro Gajoen is rumored to be the model for the setting of the award-winning animated film "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi'' (Spirited Away). The 30-mat Sokyu no ma is just like the room where the protagonist Chihiro lives with the other female servants in the film...Furthermore, the 100-step staircase resembles the stairs where Chihiro is cornered by the character Kaonashi, while Gyosho no ma is reminiscent of the bathhouse in the film.

It's definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. It's a perfect time to go now because Kariyazaki is holding his exhibtion until the 14th November (10:00 am to last-entry at 5:30pm, 1000 yen). If you don't think you like ikebana, give this a go.

Ikebana artist Shogo Kariyazaki has held an annual exhibition on the 100-step staircase for the past four years.

Shogo Kariyazaki page (Japanese only)

[GomiGirl]

I second this. I spend a whole heap of time in Arco Tower next door. It is a busy place with lots of tour busses etc. But they have the poshest loos that I have seen in a while.

[Mulboyne]

The Yomiuri has an article on Kariyazaki to coincide with his exhibition there.

Arranging history

Convention doesn't play a role in flower arrangement for Shogo Kariyazaki. Known for his delicate yet bold floral creations, the celebrity florist continues to shun the norm in his work, which is currently set against the background of Tokyo's 80-year-old Meguro Gajoen. Kariyazaki told The Daily Yomiuri he did not foresee a clash between his beautiful work and the architecture of the spectacular Hyakudan Kaidan, but instead a unified beauty. The resulting exhibition, Kadoka Kariyazaki Shogo no Sekai: Hisho (World of Flower Artist Shogo Kariyazaki: Flying), opens today and runs until Nov. 9. "Each of the seven rooms of the Hyakudan Kaidan has a unique feature, so I will choose flowers best suited for them, and make my flowers become one with the space," said Kariyazaki, whose flower arrangements have been used on a number of special occasions including the 10th anniversary of the Emperor's accession to the throne and the 1996 visit by then U.S. President Bill Clinton to Japan. "I will arrange the flowers in a variety of styles. Some will have a sense of wabi-sabi [the traditional Japanese notion of simplicity and serenity], while the others will diffuse the slightly imposing atmosphere," said the flower artist, whose motto is "A flower is a vitamin for the heart."

Hyakudan Kaidan, a national tangible cultural property, was built in 1935 as part of the seven-phase construction of Meguro Gajoen, a wedding hall and restaurant. With the complex, proprietor Rikizo Hosokawa hoped to provide families with a place to enjoy high-quality Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Hyakudan Kaidan, the only wooden structure remaining in Meguro Gajoen--now the site of a wedding and banquet hall, a hotel and offices--was erected on the side of Gyoninzaka hill, near what is now Meguro Station. It has six rooms--named Juppo, Gyosho, Sokyu, Seisui, Seiko and Kiyokata--along with Chojo no Ma at the top of the stairs. This is the ninth time Kariyazaki has presented his arrangements at Hyakudan Kaidan. He said he would make this year's event special, however, as it marks the 25th anniversary of his debut as a kadoka, or flower artist, while Meguro Gajoen celebrates its 80th year in business.

"This year, my arrangements will be based on the theme of flying. I will try to build on past exhibitions, presenting novel images of flowers," said the fast-talking Kariyazaki at his studio in Tokyo's Akasaka. "I want to make people say of my arrangements, 'That's very Kariyazaki-like,' while at the same time exploring new horizons as an artist," said Kariyazaki, who recently has been expanding his sphere of work to other fields, including cooking. Although he said he had not yet decided which flowers he would use for which arrangements, a recent visit to his solo exhibition at the Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku revealed his innovative use of flowers and materials as well as unorthodox presentation.

Visitors to the exhibition, held last month, also to mark the 25th anniversary of his career, were greeted with a wall-to-wall arrangement of cymbidium, climbing rose and other flowers together, highlighted with long stakes painted in blue, yellow and red and arranged in different directions. In the next portion of the exhibit, white orchids were combined with strands of spangles and beads in a variety of vases, while roses were decorated with white or blue ribbons. Especially impressive was a gigantic arrangement of noble white Phalaenopsis orchids and rugged floodwood, backed by a gorgeous kimono with colorful embroidery. A series of treelike arrangements with flowerless dodantsutsuji (a kind of azalea), chrysanthemums and others were complimented with refreshing green tones. In sharp contrast to these surprising and audacious presentations, celosia, burnet and other small, friendly-looking flowers were grouped in small arrangements with a variety of glass vases, also made by Kariyazaki.

"It is just meaningless to employ ready-made ideas when arranging flowers," Kariyazaki said. "Flowers are already complete in their natural beauty. You need to have originality and ingenuity when making beautiful arrangements with them. "Arranging flowers can be compared to cooking. You can make tasty dishes once you are able to apply your own ideas to basic recipes," Kariyazaki said. The seven rooms at Hyakudan Kaidan surround a staircase with 99 wooden steps made of Japanese zelkova, and is divided into eight landing sections. As you walk upstairs, you can find ceilings and panels adorned with paintings and engravings by different renowned artists. "The stairs are called hyakudan [100 steps], despite having only 99 steps. [This is because] odd numbers were considered a yang [bright or upward] idea in the Chinese concept of yin and yang. It also represents an idea of being very close to 100, or perfect," Meguro Gajoen spokesperson Ayako Tada said as she guided me to the building, which is usually closed to the public.

Stepping inside, I was enveloped by a faint musty smell. Then, in front of me were the impressive beautiful wooden stairs climbing almost straight up. The rooms leading from the polished stairs were all designed with a different look, but are equally solemn. Extravagant paintings, gigantic alcove posts or carvings are reminiscent of the boisterous and festive moods that once filled the now quiet rooms.

The room you will reach first is Juppo no Ma, a two-room space adorned with paintings of flowers and birds of the four seasons by Juppo Araki (1872-1944). Mother-of-pearl inlay designs in black lacquer give the space more of an air of substance. Gyosho no Ma is the most lavish room among the seven. The room is named after a story about opposites, whose images are carved on two pillars flanking the alcove. The carvings and paintings by Horei Sakari, Kashu Kikuchi and other artists are grouped into themes such as spring and autumn or sea and mountains, decorating the ceiling and walls. While the paintings of aristocrats from the Heian Period (794-1185) are colorfully eloquent, the carvings overwhelmingly stand out, giving off a feeling of Japanese baroque. It is quite understandable, according to Tada, that Kariyazaki loves this room.

Sokyu no Ma is a refreshing room where you can enjoy greenery outside the window, too. The ceiling and ranma panels of the room are decorated with paintings of plants, mountains and water of the four seasons as painted by Sokyu Isobe (1897-1967). Shoji sliding doors of "kumiko," an elaborate latticework made entirely without nails or glues, accentuate the room. The stairs continue on to four other rooms, including Chojo no Ma at the top. According to Tada, Chojo no Ma will be filled with about 10 bouquets by Kariyazaki at the exhibition. "Last year, we had a total of 60,000 visitors to the event. Although we are little bit worried whether the building would be damaged because of so many people, we believe the Hyakudan Kaidan and Kariyazaki's flowers are a great combination," Tada said.

"Cultural heritage and buildings are interesting places themselves," said Kariyazaki, who enjoyed the view of the Grand Place square and old buildings on a trip to Brussels this summer. "They need to be taken care of and beautifully preserved. And, by adding flowers to such a place, I think I can give them another, new dimension." "A teacup, or even a hat, can become a flower vase when a glass is put inside. You don't have to follow any rules to arrange flowers," Kariyazaki said. "And even a single flower in a glass placed in a bathroom or at your bedside can enrich, refresh or revitalize your life."

"Kadoka Kariyazaki Shogo no Sekai: Hisho"until Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Meguro Gajoen, a five-minute walk from Meguro Station on the JR Yamanote and Tokyu Meguro lines as well as the Namboku and Mita subway lines. Admission: 1,000 yen. For more information, call (03) 5434-3140, or visit the Web site at http://www.megurogajoen.co.jp/index.php.

[GuyJean]

I second this. I spend a whole heap of time in Arco Tower next door. It is a busy place with lots of tour busses etc. But they have the poshest loos that I have seen in a while.

Wow, I missed this thread 4 years ago!..

I third this.. A very unique experience for the middle of Tokyo.. Isn't there a Disney-castle love-hotel visible from the Gajoen? Next to the river. Prices ranging from 10 to 20k? Clean sheets and spacious rooms? I've heard there is..

GJ

[kamome]

[quote="GuyJean"]Isn't there a Disney-castle love-hotel visible from the Gajoen? Next to the river. Prices ranging from 10 to 20k? Clean sheets and spacious rooms? I've heard there is.. ]
Did you also happen to "hear" whether the hotel delivers nurse uniforms and sex toys to your room?

[Greji]

[quote="GuyJean"] Clean sheets and spacious rooms? I've heard there is.. ]

I won't need clean sheets, I'm taking Noriko....