Morinomiya, Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

A new shrine was built on a small hill in the Hotel Chinsanzo Tokyo garden, a scenic spot on Tsubakiyama [Mt. Tsubaki]. We created a rooftop garden for this building planted with camellias, the flower from which the mountain gets its name. The verdant garden design makes use of existing trees so that it blends in fully with the Hotel Chinzanso garden.

I felt it was important to create a story that would continue for the next hundred years based on the site’s inherent logic, philosophy, environment, and conditions.

The site does not have vehicle access, so bringing in supplies was difficult. We used existing stones as much as possible, along with a 150-ton wrecker to crane in materials over the buildings, plus some small machines and a tripod for lifting to make minor adjustments. Since the timeline for construction was tight, we also took on aspects of the project that the general contractor could not handle, such as the building’s foundation, the stones for the interior floors, and the ceiling sculptures. 

I believe the essential function of a gardener is to read the land, and that it is crucial to start with the garden when constructing a building. Gardens also play a significant role in reducing stress, the central problem facing contemporary society.