Is this the world's most tranquil hotel? Inside the sumptuous Kyoto property built on an 800-year-old samurai's garden that offers a window into a bygone era Ailbhe MacMahon checks into Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto She enjoys a ‘magical’ afternoon tea at the Fuju lounge in the hotel’s teahouse READ MORE: Best UK cities and towns for a 2024 staycation named by Which? By Ailbhe Macmahon For Mailonline Published: 10:22, 21 May 2024 | Updated: 10:23, 21 May 2024 e-mail View comments In the 12th century, a tranquil garden was built for a samurai in Kyoto, Japan ’s ancient former capital. Today, the same garden is home to Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, a sumptuous retreat that offers a window into a bygone era of Japan. I check in for a stay a few weeks shy of the garden's annual bloom of cherry blossoms and find glamorous travellers strolling where warriors likely once walked.
Japan lays claim to some of the world’s best gardens, but this oasis is of particular note in that it's one of the few remaining from the end of the Heian Period, considered a golden age for arts and culture. Archives suggest that the samurai for whom this Eden was created was Taira no Shigemori, the eldest son of the leader of the powerful Taira clan. Ailbhe MacMahon checks into Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto.
Its 800-year-old garden (above) was created for a samurai The entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto is shaded by a striking wooden canopy Taira no Shigemori, the samurai for whom it is believed the gard.
