12 minute read
4. CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDY
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This is a traditional kaiseki restaurant which gives the feel of colonial period. The food here is prepared with strictly seasonal ingredients.
GORA KADAN
Every room has a private bath or onsen. Some of them are located indoors whereas some of them are located outside of the verandain nature. Gora Kadan is located on the grounds of Kan’in-no-miya Villa, the former summer villa of a member of the Imperial Family in the town of Gora in Hakone. The villa blends Japanese tradition along with modern design elements. Guests can leisurely soak in the hot spring bath, relax with a massage treatment or enjoy the karaoke sessions. All the rooms are offered with mountainous views and have balconies to relax at.
The long passage is covered with a wooden pergola like structure at the back of the ryokan. On the side is a terrace overlooking the scenic beauty of Gora. The family spa created within nature has a steam sauna adjacent to it. While taking a bath here, guests will feel connected to nature and find serenity in the silence. Natural rocks used in the bedrock bath emit far infrared rays, which are said to have a strong detox effect.
Every room follows traditional Japanese design and has a bedroom, balcony, a dining area and an alcove. The rooms also have screens within the ceiling for light to filter in the like a natural pendant light.
The large public spa has abundant and mildly alkaline hot spring water which wells up from private sources on the premises. The spa is separated for men and women.
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The restaurant has tried to recreate a bar like counter where food is made and served as found in most Japanese traditional restaurants.
THE ORIENTAL GRILL
The serving dishes are quite simple and does not give the feel of Japanese. The chopsticks were also big than the actual Japanese ones.
The Oriental Grill is a Japanese restaurant located at Hyatt in Ahmedabad. It is a fine dining restaurant which serves mostly all types of Japanese food. It is a westernized version of a Japanese restaurant.
The Japanese food does feel authentic which is served at the restaurant. The presentation is not like how Japanese people put an emphasis on but is still quite admirable. There is also outdoor seating at the restaurant which looks elegant at night due to the lighting.
The orange coloured fabric wall provides a more Indian vibe than Japanese.
The private dining is separated from the rest of the restaurant through the diagonally placed wooden strips partition. The restaurant is unable to recreate the Japanese essence and vibe despite of its elements being present.
Entrance to the restaurant is accompanied with sophisticated cove lighting and geometrical partitions forming the main design of the restaurant. Banana Banoffee Pie is not a Japanese dish but the restaurant makes continental desserts. The presentation was really nice.
Underneath the bar counter there is cove lighting to create a sophisticated atmosphere.
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The furniture at the restaurant are very simple and minimal in detail to cater to the idea of creating Japanese style.
One of the semi-private rooms has a view of the garden to provide guests with a scenic pleasure while dining.
TOUZON
Touzon is a well-known Michelin star restaurant located at Hyatt Regency in Tokyo. It has minimal interiors with a earthy colour palette which offers authentic Japanese dishes. The lighting creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. The walls of the sleek, soft-lit bar are literally made out of books.
The bar of the restaurant is located at the basement but due to it’s warm ambience it hardly feels like a bar.
Each private room differs in styling which makes them different and provide a completely different experience. It is designed to resemble an old Japanese styled house.
It has five semi private rooms which can cater up to 16 people. The private rooms are divided by intricately designed wooden partitions.
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HONKE KANOYA
There are indoor and outdoor kotatsu (Japanese traditional tables equipped with electrical heaters) which will make the guests feel cosy.
The inside traditional seating is surrounded by small calligraphy poster walls and is separated the Japanese hanging cloth screens. Located in the quiet backstreets of Tokyo’s Yoyogi area, Honke Kanoya, a Kagoshima-styled izakaya, brings a fresh spin on Kagoshima food. As this place serves Japan's southern comfort food the ambience matches the feel of the seaside region of Kyushu with wide open spaces for one to get cosy at. The restaurant has an expansive open-air terrace, a view from the third floor and a spacious interior and bar lined with shochu(Japanese liquor) bottles. The restaurant also provides the customers with kimonojackets to make them feel cosy and comfortable while eating, especially during winters.
The bar is decorated with many shochu bottles and contemporary calligraphy posters hanging for the ceiling over the counter.
The concept of the restaurant is to make guests feel like they are dining at their homes through the warm and fuzzy ambience and décor. The styling is quite contemporary, showcasing the modern Japan but still retains the traditional Japanese elements to make people of all ages feel welcomed.
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SALON DE THE LUVOND
The interior is based on sophisticated modern Japanese design. Even though the space is small, it has clean lines and is very organized. The colour palette will make one feel grounded and provide a sense of familiarity with tea. Salon De The Luvond is a tea café owned by Takashi Ito who is one of Japan's best tea masters. Through tea and his café he wanted to bring a sense of balance that builds a new genre while alternating between tradition and innovation. the café takes inspiration from a tea house but presents it with a modern perspective.
The tea counter is intentionally designed to look like a bar as Takashi Ito wanted to converse with his customers while making and serving them tea to break the cultural barrier of tea as people regard tea and tea ceremony to be difficult and instead show them the fun side it holds.
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HIGASHIYA
Many different materials occupy the space such as wood, steel, bronze and glass. The store was designed by Shinichiro Ogata who has a ‘sense of simplicity’ and remained meticulous about every detail from the glass pendant lights to the bronze menu clasps that mimicked vintage newspaper holders. The layout is very clean and organized and divided into different sections. Higashiya is based on the concept of “daily confectionaries” and aspires to bring traditional Japanese confectionaries into daily lives. The concept of the shop is based on the Japanese seasonal turning points. The shop sells seasonal wagashi, original tea blends and tableware products.
The sabo, Japanese Tea Salon, can seat up to 40 people. Customers can experience the scenic beauty of cherry blossoms blooming during spring through the French windows.
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The tea is brewed on spot at the table if front of the customers.
At the backside of the café is a bar like counter made of wood and metal where the tea is prepared.
THE KETTLERY
The Kettlery is a tea café and store in Ahmedabad. It offers all types of teas from the Indian chais to exotic teas from South Africa. The café has a lively vibe and has it’s own customized kettleryware which can be bought from the café. The back wall of the store with the caption “Be Thirs(tea)” provides quirkiness to the store. The storage table at the centre of the café acts as a partition and also has tea products displayed on it.
The façade is the store is quite elegant, made of clear glass and wood..
This is at the entrance of the store where all different types of tea products are stacked for customers to view and choose from. The customized tea serving products of The Kettlery. The seating at the back has tables made of cork and wood. The background is a chalk wall where illustration related to tea is made.
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Bath sets such as towels, soap and shampoo can be bought at the bathhouse which is located right after entering the bathhouse.
The common lounge where guests can relax and watch tv. On either sides are lockers where guests can keep their belongings.
The bathhouse has a sauna consisting of wooden bleachers and surrounded by tiled walls. There is also a laundromat adjacent to the sauna.
BUNKA GAKUEN
Opened in 1928, the bathhouse is a local favourite and has been used as a filming location for television dramas. It is one of the famous art bathhouses’ which was restored by architect Kentaro Imai. The lighting at the entrance creates a warm and cosy atmosphere.
The communal bath is divided based on gender. At the centre are washing areas where guests can take shower. Right at the back, is the sentohighlighted by the mural wall. The wooden ceiling looks simple yet grand, providing a glimpse of traditional Japan.
The corner of the lounge has an alcove which is decorated with ikebana and calligraphy. It is changed from time to time.
There are three types of baths- massage, nanobubble and cold water. The walls are adorned with calligraphy writings.
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The façade is designed with various bright patterned tiles which enhances the artistic concept of the bathhouse.
NAOSHIMA BATH HOUSE
The bathhouse has a ticket machine at the entrance which act as passes to the bathhouse.
The shower area has a giant elephant on top of it. And the roof above it is made of brightly coloursplattered glass which adds artistic beauty to the interior. Located in the artistic island of Naoshima, the bathhouse, Naoshima Bath ‘I Love Yu’, is an art facility designed by Japanese artist, Shinro Ohtake. Shinro Ohtake is a contemporary artist and the bathhouse can be considered as one of his artworks. The bathhouse stands out from its surroundings due to the brightly coloured tiles and columns, palm trees and neon lights. All of the columns are different in colour. There is also a globe sticking out at the top like an antenna. The roof is also designed creatively as it looks like a woman sitting in an elegant pose. The exterior and fittings of the bathhouse, all reflect the universe of the artist. Ohtake ha applied his scrapbook methodologies across three- dimensions from the exterior to interior spaces. The bottom of the bath has a retro collage and the shutter above the window is made of a as underwater mosaic.
Original Naoshima Bath ‘I Love Yu’ products are available for purchase at the bandai(front counter). The varied products include T-shirts, colourful towels, and other bath-related items.
There are wooden lockers at either side of the bandaifor guests to keep their belongings.
A wooden roof above the counter has the design of ‘I Love Yu’ made onto it.
