TSUGU Kyoto Sanjo sprung onto the hotel scene in 2019, a part of THE SHARE HOTELS group, whose concept for each of their properties is to provide a cultural hub where domestic and international guests can come together to connect and share stories amongst considered design and curated details. The aim is to introduce guests not only to Kyoto, but places and people in Japan that perhaps visitors have never before seen or heard of. Through the inclusion of an onsite store that introduces guests to traditional crafts from across the country, the sourcing of the goods on display changes regularly. During my visit, it was the turn of Okayama. The shelves held Bizenware cups and bowls, a style of pottery produced from the city of Bizen, one of Japan's six ancient kiln towns, known for its unique manufacturing method that does not use glaze, giving a rough and rustic finish to pieces.

The same pottery is used in the onsite café, ushiro, operated by Kinoshita Shouten, a coffee roaster and café company from Okayama that is renowned for its sustainable and ethical procurement and procedures. A place that, upon checking in, I learn from Nozomi, TSUGU’s insightful PR exec, attracts ‘insta-crowds’ who are drawn to contrasting aesthetics of fluffy lattes in rich, earthen ceramics against a stark concrete backdrop. Though don’t be fooled by the queues of smartphone wielding youngsters, the coffee is exceptional and the breakfast, made from local and organically grown produce, is simple, healthy, and very tasty. It’s also devoid of the lunchtime crowd and so rather a pleasant place in which to start the day. In normal times, pre-pandemic and once it passes again, ushiro opens as a natural wine bar.

TSUGU is situated on Sanjo Dori, a starting point of the old Tokaido route that connected Kyoto and Tokyo in Edo period Japan, yet the building is reminiscent of another historical era, one that saw the introduction of western architecture to the country’s cities. The attractive white stone exterior and copper spires that have weathered into a brilliant hue, somewhere between mint and cornflower, were completed in 1914 and designed by architects Kataoka Yasushi and Tatsuno Kingo, the latter also being responsible for the famed Tokyo Station building. Inside, TSUGU has had a complete overhaul by coto Inc and Yusuke Seki, who have created a sleek industrial style – blade-sharp angles, high ceilings with exposed pipework, and monochromatic concrete surfaces peppered with artwork from Daisuke Yamashiro. The rooms too are simple yet chic, spacious, and light. True to their concept of ‘bringing people together’, TSUGU has a relaxed feeling offering private style rooms, two of which are bunks and the remainder aimed at between two to four guests.

Intended to foster a dialogue between travellers, TSUGU has a fourth floor lounge open to guests to inspire cultural exchange in a community setting. The large open windows overlook the pastel spire protrusions on the roof, introducing a visual connection to the city outside. As I wander the lounge I’m drawn to the views of downtown Kyoto. Something, I realise, I have never seen from such an angle and location. An ode to creative collaboration, this to me seems to be the essence of TSUGU, and the cool and contemporary aesthetic is as considered as the dialogue that it desires to stimulate.