A garden that looks like a forgotten ancient ruin

Written by Takanori Nakamura

As I stood in this ruin-like garden, I realized once again that the expression "forgotten" is no exaggeration.

Aman Kyoto is located at the foot of Washimine Sanzan, which extends from Mt. Hidadaimonji in the north of Kyoto. Within walking distance of Kinkaku-ji Temple, this Washmine district is home to Hon'ami Koetsu, the founder of the Rinpa school in the early Edo period, and is a historically important area in Kyoto, but what is especially noteworthy is its vast size. The garden looks like a ruin. Aman Kyoto's total site area is approximately 4000 square meters, but including the surrounding natural forest, it extends to approximately 32 square meters. However, as soon as you step into this garden, you will realize that nature is not just as it is. This is a magnificent garden made up of cobblestones and stone masonry that took about 40 years to create by the former owner of a textile wholesaler who made a huge fortune in Nishijin textiles.It was once known as the Kamiyagawa Garden. It was called.

The previous owner apparently had a dream of creating a textile museum here, but it was almost forgotten by history. Aman Kyoto inherits its ruin-like garden environment and has 24 suites and two pavilions that blend in with the natural surroundings. I think that even among the many gems of Aman resorts in the world, it has outstanding charm in terms of historical value.

It is sure to captivate not only core fans such as so-called Aman junkies, but also researchers and enthusiasts of ruins and stones, as well as garden lovers. What I admired was the previous owner's extraordinary passion for stone and his unique aesthetic sense. Moreover, how did they build such a huge group of stones? It is sure to give visitors a sense of scale and mystery that rivals Stonehenge and Angkor Wat in England, or the Moai statues on Easter Island.

It is surprising that this garden, which would normally have the value of becoming a tourist spot on its own, is now a private garden. I think it's worth visiting before you die to get a glimpse of the unknown richness of Kyoto's natural environment and the aesthetic sense of the people who live there.

A new attempt at gastronomy

Personally, if I were to add to the appeal of Aman Kyoto, it would be the high potential of its food. The light dishes prepared by Kentaro Torii, the executive chef of ``The Living Pavilion by Aman'' located within the facility, are sure to please your heart and soul with Kyoto ingredients and seasonal flavors, while bringing in innovative expressions. Torii has been able to serve as a base for its activities overseas, including Italy, France, and Singapore, and seems to be able to satisfy guests from all over the world with its wide variety of attractions. Even if you stay for a long time, you won't get bored.

Speaking of gastronomic experiences, there is the attached Japanese restaurant ``Takaan''. In April 2020, Shinichiro Takagi, the owner of Zeniya, a long-established restaurant in Kanazawa, was appointed executive chef and has begun a new challenge in Japanese cuisine. Takagi had experience training at Kyoto Kitcho, and later studied abroad in the United States before becoming the second-generation owner of his family's Zeniya, where he continues to propose original cuisine and service to traditional restaurants. However, at Takaan, you can experience the original way of enjoying kaiseki cuisine, with a hospitality that emphasizes the ``live feeling behind the counter'' and ``communication.'' In a good way, it removes the hurdles that domestic and international guests have when entering a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto.

What's more, ``Takaan'' is open to not only hotel guests but also foreign guests. Since the number of guests is not limited, we can expect the restaurant to be featured in guidebooks such as Michelin and the ``50 Best Restaurants in Asia'' in the future.

However, personally, I would like you to stay at Aman Kyoto and experience not only the garden environment but also the delicious food.

Amane Kyoto

1 Washimine-cho, Okitayama, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture