New “Art Gallery Hotel” Opens in Art District of Ginza

Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza opened last week as a conceptualized “art gallery hotel,” in collaboration with galleries around the art hotspot of Tokyo’s Ginza district. The nine-story, 103-room hotel is placing wall art in all its internal spaces featuring imagery expressing the four seasons of Japan by up-and-coming artists.

Ginza is famous for its art galleries, all neatly situated very close to each other. From galleries exhibiting classical paintings from ancient times to those showing contemporary art, the galleries in Ginza have evolved to become a destination within a destination.

At Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza, the white-themed lobby and guest rooms are accented by “silver Ginza tones” (the “Gin” in the word “Ginza” refers to “silver”) and throughout the hotel, guests are surrounded by the creative and the fantastic. Currently, the works of artists belonging to nada art gallery, based in Ginza, are on display.

The Ginza area is home to nearly 200 art galleries that cover a multitude of genres: Japanese painting, Western art, contemporary art, and antiques, etc., stretching geographically from Ginza Station to Yurakucho and Higashi Ginza. Many of these galleries are free to enter, and all these galleries are located a few minutes on foot from each other.

Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza has collaborated with galleries in Ginza to create an original local gallery walking guide map. Visitors can also learn about shops nearby with English-speaking staff, and gain local information on bars and pubs.

Among other features of the new hotel:

* The breakfast buffet features five types of soup, all original chef-designed cuisine that match the season at hand.

* Bluetooth speakers have been set up in all rooms, allowing guests to synch devices and enjoy personal music lists.

* A self-serve sake server has been introduced at the restaurant. The hotel features a selection from Kanemasu Brewery in Niigata Prefecture, which is one of Japan’s main rice growing regions with a history that spans two centuries. Free tastings of the hotel’s own sake brand are available to guests.

The Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza is located one minute by foot from Tsukiji Station via the Hibiya Line and two minutes by foot from Shintomicho Station via the Yurakucho Line.

More information: www.tokyoginza.hotelorientalexpress.com