{"id":76383,"date":"2026-08-18T20:01:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/76383\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:01:10","slug":"soho-house-debuts-in-japan-with-design-forward-digs-in-tokyos-aoyama-neighbourhood-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/76383\/","title":{"rendered":"Soho House debuts in Japan with design-forward digs in Tokyo’s Aoyama neighbourhood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why book?<\/p>\n

To be close to Shibuya\u2019s action, yet somewhat sheltered from the overtourism along the idyllic Aoyama lanes that abut this new Tokyo hotel<\/a> and member’s club.<\/p>\n

Set the scene<\/p>\n

On the eastern side of Omotesando Grid Tower lies Soho House Tokyo\u2019s discreet entrance. Just a small plaque obscured by shrubbery, and heavy oak doors that do more than symbolically shut out the noise. Between the reception area\u2019s dim amber lighting and record console framed by swish second-hand stereos, limited-release subs, and crates of used vinyl (which are for sale), the scene looks like its been lifted out of a listening room; all while the tidy trail of too-cool design books (also for sale) that line the lobby\u2019s desks and tables conjure up the vibe of an upscale Jimbocho bookstore.<\/p>\n

Listening bar legend and jazz pianist Yuji Fukushima, of TriBeCa\u2019s All Blues fame, sourced the House\u2019s vintage stereo equipment, even snagging a record player from an old radio station. And under the arty eyes of Domhnall Nolan, who led on the design of Soho House Tokyo, and Sara Terzi, head of art collections, a third of the House\u2019s 40 contemporary artworks (by artists born, based, or trained in Japan) were new commissions, many of them site specific, like the custom carpentry that hold artist Toru Otani\u2019s hand-drawn works, forming them into functional folding screens. The same can be said for Soho House Tokyo\u2019s approach to building its membership community, which has been in the works for close to a decade, led by membership manager Keiichiro Maeyama, who moonlights as a karate black belt. You get the sense its members have earned their creative keep, from debonair dress designer Tomo Koizumi to artist and creative producer Sara Giusto \u2014 the talent manager of sought-after virtual influencer, imma.<\/p>\n

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Soho House<\/p>\n

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Soho House<\/p>\n

Rooms and suites<\/p>\n

Tucked in the back, two lifts service the 42 rooms on the 11th and 12th floors, as well as the 13th and 14th floor club spaces. Each room features a balcony, those to the north are afforded views of the faint red lights that twinkle across of Tokyo\u2019s skyline throughout the night, and those to the south open up to the springtime sakura blossoms of Aoyama cemetery, and Mount Fuji (only from the 12th floor up) on clear days. Book in advance to avail the limited selection of rooms beyond the Cosy category \u2013 medium, large, and extra large. Anything above cosy comes with a wellness tray of workout equipment below the bed, and large and extra large have the option of interconnecting with a cosy room. No room category, however, skimps on the elements of style or Dyson hairdryers. Wall tapestries and bed blankets are made of upcycled kimonos, chairs and certain headboards are upholstered with the custom deconstructed pattern of the Japanese symbol of \u2018home\u2019; and a few rooms even feature limited-edition artworks by Hiroya Kurata.<\/p>\n

Somewhere between the sakiori weaving, parquet Tatami, artisanal Kyoto Kara-nuri lacquer, and Nagoya tile-work, the sheer number of design motifs may seem a little over stimulating on paper. But the rooms have been pieced together tastefully, everything working in tandem to make them quite comfortable to kick back in: put on a pair of pyjamas, flick on the Sangean cabinet radio, and raid the ridiculously well-stocked mini bar, which includes 8 bottles of booze, wine, collab beer with Wagyu Mafia, local sodas and kombucha, and a snack drawer that stands no chance after a night on the town.<\/p>\n

Food and drink<\/p>\n

While the virtues of French Japanese cooking have already been immortalised by chefs like Kenichiro Sekiya (the first non-French chef ever to win the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France) and books like Butter, Soho House Tokyo\u2019s House Brasserie brings a British Japanese take to their tables, set along rows of big ol\u2019 velvet burgundy booths \u2013 if you only grab one meal at SoHo House, it should be supper here. Far less \u2018fusion\u2019 and more so Japanese produce accenting British classics, it\u2019s almost like dinner at top London pub<\/a> The Devonshire, albeit more modern, with a Japanese lilt that results in heaps of hyphens: okonomiyaki-inspired prawn scotch egg, taiyaki-style sticky toffee pudding, and yamayuri pork sausage eolls with a black garlic HP sauce.<\/p>\n

Dinner can be as simple as a sharing platter of sirloin and Syrah, though dishes like the sashimi-style \u2018sakura\u2019 shrimp dusted with dill, for which the Somm will recommended a Japanese-style Albari\u00f1o, may be the ticket for folks who want to try something new. Regardless, shimmying out of the booths is a lot more difficult than sliding into them, though if you\u2019ve supped Saturday to its fullest, that may just be the wine.<\/p>\n

During the day, the selection is far more health-minded, as are the house\u2019s occupants. For many, the day starts with one of Soho\u2019s signature smoothies, pre-ordered and waiting for guests at the doors of the wellness studio. For others, it’s a pillowy pork sausage breakfast sandwich in bed. If you find yourself still lounging about the House at lunch, head to chef Kunihiro Shinohara\u2019s fresh sushi counter, where he fashions a fine selection of Edomae-style nigiri. At the bar, guests would be remiss to miss the refreshing highball fifty.<\/p>\n

What to do nearby<\/p>\n

Soho House\u2019s airy Aoyama digs are a skip from the bustle and bling of Shibuya, especially if you opt for a one-stop hop on the Hanzomon or Ginza lines from the nearby Omote Sando station. It’s an ideal deal, guests are placed close enough to the action, yet abut the neighbourhood\u2019s idyllic alleyways. For example, rather than hook a left on the busy Aoyama-dori Avenue towards the heart of Shibuya (featuring plenty of designers you may already know of), elect for the little lane across from Omotesando Grid Tower and amble your way through gardens, farmers\u2019 markets, and boutique stores while making way your towards Harajuku. The network of little roads receives more reasonable foot and vehicle traffic, and take you to well-curated second-hand clothing stores like Brand Collect and Kindal \u2013 with Margiela rings and Issey Miyake Circle Tops that feel like \u2018finds\u2019 \u2013 delightful design-forward bookstores like Shinkenchiku-sha (Aoyama House), minimalist Japanese denim brands, and specialty coffee joints.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, another wee alley lies at the back of SoHo House, a leafy residential area dotted with popular brunch options. Wander towards the sakura blossoms of Aoyama Cemetery (the resting place of ever-loyal Hachik\u014d), the immaculate gardens of the Nezu Museum, or, as sun sets, hidden-away jazz bars tucked within the upper levels of bijou buildings. And if you fancy a gambol to Shinjuku, Ginza, or Daikanyama, Shibuya station will get you there in a flash, as will the taxis constantly hustling up and down Aoyama-dori Avenue.<\/p>\n

The service<\/p>\n

Easy-going efficiency. The service is as comfortably laid-back as the custom Onitsuka Tiger uniforms the staff wear \u2013 the only standard element the white trainers, the rest an array of denim jackets, suits, overalls, and aprons. The people taking care of you appear at home in the House, which makes the atmosphere feel more hospitable than some of the more tenured luxury stays in the city.<\/p>\n

Wellness<\/p>\n

The Wellness Studio holds group classes that include yoga, mat pilates, signature sculpt, as well as low-impact and high-intensity training. It also doubles as a reformer studio, with an advanced pilates programme with reformer and tower classes, with the option for personal training sessions. Guests can book all classes or PT sessions via the Soho House app. If you fancy a bit of fresh air, join the run club for a jog around the leafy neighbourhood, and cool down at the rooftop pool.<\/p>\n

Insider tip<\/p>\n

Take an art tour, and a load off. While it\u2019s hard not to plan each day in Tokyo to a T, if you\u2019re staying at a property known for its design, it sort of defeats the purpose of booking such a place if you don\u2019t drink it in. By scanning a QR code in the reception area, you can explore the House\u2019s art collection, spread across five floors, with your cell phone as your guide. While that\u2019s a bit like the once famously anti-phone cinema Alamo Drafthouse requesting customers to order popcorn on their devices, since the works are uncluttered by plaques, it\u2019s nice to put names to well-curated works on display. Beyond the art, browse their selection of design books and used records for sale in the lobby, take a yoga class, join the run club, lay back by the pool, and catch a gig or an event at the Cabaret Room.<\/p>\n

Families<\/p>\n

While children are welcome to stay with their parents on the lodging levels, they must be supervised by an adult at all times. On the Club levels, children can access the pool area until 12pm, and the House until 6pm, though exceptions are made for members with a dinner booking\u2013 children aged 14 and over can dine until 9pm at House Brasserie.<\/p>\n

Accessibility:<\/p>\n

The hotel is largely accessible, though there is no parking area, and the only accessible route to the entrance hugs the side of Omotesando Grid Tower, which means guests must alit on Aoyama-dori Avenue and make their way some 40 metres to the entrance. The lift goes to all levels of the House, and each floor features accessible bathrooms.<\/p>\n

Last considerations<\/p>\n

Don’t miss: the design. Guests are encouraged to flick through records and pick up pretty books as they interact with the stay\u2019s arty bonesBest for: design lovers, Shibuya-bound vintage shoppers, and travellers with a wellness regimen in mindLocation: Tokyo, JapanHotel group: Soho House<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on Cntraveller.in<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why book? To be close to Shibuya\u2019s action, yet somewhat sheltered from the overtourism along the idyllic Aoyama…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76384,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8,52,1912],"class_list":["post-76383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tokyo","tag-japan","tag-tokyo","tag-web"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}