I. At the Forefront of a Movement: Seeing Japan Through a Wabi-Sabi Lens For more than a quarter century, Design Hotels™ has been shaping a global movement in travel—curating independent, design-driven properties that function as social hubs and spaces for purposeful, culturally rooted experiences. As travelers increasingly question how  and why  they explore the world, authenticity has become the new luxury. Design Hotels™ turned to Japan through the aesthetic lens of wabi-

Why True Luxury is Always Created by People —A Tokyo-based perspective from Kagurazaka— Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) represents one of the most influential collections of independent luxury hotels on the planet. Across more than 90 countries and 650 properties, SLH is united by a single, unwavering belief—a belief that also lies at the heart of EDO KAGURA’s work in Tokyo. “ It’s people who transform any stay from ‘so-so’ to superb. ” This simple, elegant sentence e

This article is Part 3 of our “ Head Coach System ” series, which explains the structural foundation that enables us to deliver consistently exceptional and emotionally resonant Japanese Culture Tokyo experiences. Part 1 introduced our adaptive approach that fine-tunes each program based on guests’ cultural understanding and interests. Part 2 revealed how daily contact between the Head Coach and artisans maximizes trust and ensures that geisha, monks, and traditional artisa

This article is Part 2 of our “Head Coach System” series, which reveals the behind-the-scenes structure that enables us to deliver exceptionally consistent and emotionally resonant cultural experiences in Tokyo. How the “Head Coach System” Bridges the Gap Between Global Efficiency and Local Authenticity In luxury travel, what moves guests the most is never technique alone — it is the unmistakable sense of warmth, sincerity, and human connection extended by the cultural master

This article is Part 1 of our “Head Coach System” series, where we introduce the foundational framework that ensures flawless consistency and exceptional quality across all of our cultural experiences in Tokyo. —The “Head Coach System” That Bridges the Worlds of Sports, Haute Cuisine, and True Japanese Tradition Presenting Authentic Japanese Culture in Tokyo, Beyond Tourist Shows Our experiences are not stage performances or re-creations commonly found in traditional culture