Tokyo luxury hotel offers lantern-inspired dining for COVID era

Friday, November 19, 2021

The unique dining experience comes courtesy of Hoshinoya Tokyo, a luxury “ryokan” traditional Japanese inn located in the capital’s Otemachi business district.

The open bottom hanging partitions, added to the hotel’s private banquet room on Oct. 13, are offered with a Japanese cuisine dinner prepared by the head chef.

General Manager Ryosuke Akahane said as the installation of partitions in restaurants and eating spaces has become standard, they wondered if we could propose an experience that would make the dining experience more enjoyable.

While the hotel first came up with the idea of lanterns to match the property’s atmosphere, it soon found that the design was also practical in terms of operability and comfort.

The hotel’s operator Hoshino Resorts Inc. produced the partitions styled like traditional paper lanterns, known as “chochin,” in collaboration with Kojima Shoten, a Kyoto-based paper lantern maker that has been in business since the Edo period (1603-1868).

According to Akahane, they have been modified to consider visibility, customer height, and convenience when sitting down, standing up, and having food served by waitstaff, so they are more comfortable than they appear.

While the top section is made of paper, it transitions to clear plastic part-way down so that customers can see their dinner companions while not worrying about droplet spray as they wine and dine.

The purpose of a dinner party is to deepen friendship and build a relationship of trust among the people gathered through food and conversation.

Akahane said that they want their customers to enjoy the original purpose of the dinner party by having a meal and conversation without holding back.

Each lantern pod is 102 centimeters in height and 75 cm in diameter and possesses its own light source to ensure customers can clearly see the food in front of them. Each has an open back to improve ventilation.

The dining space is usually open only to hotel guests. Its 40 square metre space offers total privacy as it can only be booked by one group per day.

According to the hotel, customers have commented that the experience was surprisingly easy to get used to, with the partitions not interfering with eating or conversations with their dining companions.

« Back to Page