THE RYOKAN COLLECTION

Unlike museum treasures behind distant glass, art makes up the texture of life at FUFU Kyoto. Every room displays fresh flowers in one-of-a-kind treasures like anagama kiln ceramics from artist Aiko Watanabe and blown glass from Kentaro Senuma, while 330-year-old Nishijin textile house Hosoo provides subtly elegant brocade bolsters that please the fingertips as much as the eyes. In the restaurant, angular tessellations of traditional hinoki joinery woven with threads of washi paper and silk dangle from the ceiling, beautiful decorations that also naturally absorb humidity and odors. The lobby lounge is similarly adorned with partitions of koyori washi in organically spiderwebbing patterns that provide privacy while allowing light and air to pass. Everywhere, masterworks of Yuzen silk dyeing, Shigaraki ware ceramics, and maki-e lacquer are unobtrusively displayed, creating a subtly immersive experience of Kyoto’s rich craft tradition.