Artful Escapes: Espacio Nagoya Castle
By Adam Erace
Four sacred beasts greet guests inside Espacio Nagoya Castle, a 100-room hotel positioned across the moat from the titular palace. Inhabiting a 62-foot-long Nishijin-textile mural by Kyoto artist and kimono designer Jotaro Saito, the kirin, phoenix, tortoise, and dragon are collectively known as rin-poh-ki-ryū and, despite their fearsome expressions, signal tranquility.
Espacio follows through on the mythological menagerie’s promise with private onsen-style tubs and seasonally calibrated spa treatments, such as a 135-minute rikka, a calming ritual that restores vitality. The hotel also partnered with Tokyo’s Art Front Gallery to curate a 400-piece collection abundant in imperial and folkloric Japanese motifs. Here, abstract cherry blossom reliefs by artist Takehiko Sugawara glimmer with platinum and gold leaf. A phoenix in flight soars over a vortex-like sculpture of a golden wing on the first floor, while the plaster ceilings outside the fourth-floor restaurants are carved with a dragon that exudes powerful beauty.
Continuing the theme, the Art Collection guest rooms showcase one-of-a-kind works by artists practicing various heritage mediums, from foil craft to karakami paper.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Summer Issue in the section “Artful Escapes.” Subscribe to the magazine.
This article was originally published by Galerie Magazine.