Located in Toranomon on what had been a feudal estate,
the iconic Hotel Okura*
is an extraordinary testimony to a key moment in Japanese design.
It was built two years ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 – with an
annexe added in 1973 – by an exceptionally gifted and diverse group
that included the architects Yoshiro Taniguchi and Hideo Kosaka,
the folk artist Shiko Munakata and the potter Kenkichi Tomimoto.
Together they created a unique modern design that
referenced the traditional colours, shapes and crafts of Japan.

In September 2015 the best part of the most loved hotel in Tokyo was
torn down by its owners to make way for a 38-storey glass tower.

* these photos were taken two days before the
Hotel Okura‘s final destruction end of August 2015