Recently, our team had the lucky opportunity to visit The Capitol Hotel Tokyu and get to know its staff. The hotel is a stylish modern place and filled with artworks all around. We had an amazing time there, which is why we bring you an interview we had with them about the hotel and its great history.
Thank you for sharing your hotel with us today. Can you please tell us a bit about how you came to work with The Capitol Hotel Tokyu and what your role is?
General Manager Mr. Koji Shimura answered
I worked for the core company of the Tokyu Group and was in charge of quite a few tasks. Through this experience, I learned about the history and tradition of The Capitol Hotel Tokyu and was given the opportunity to serve as the project manager of the hotel reconstruction planning project for the reopening in 2010. After gaining more experience, I assumed the position of general manager in May of 2022. My job is to create an environment in which hoteliers, who are full of individuality and ability, can achieve their goals by maximizing their potential and to show them how to move towards our collective goal of “becoming the best luxury hotel in Japan.”
Hie shrine and hotel – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
What do you think is The Capitol Hotel Tokyu’s most valuable quality? What sets it apart from other hotels here in Tokyo?
General Manager Mr. Koji Shimura answered
We are in a special and rare position where both the brand and the building have experienced renewal and are able to truly embody the spirit of continuity and change. Located next to a prestigious shrine and the nation’s political center, the building is in a quiet environment with an abundance of greenery where you can relax and feel at ease, even though it’s in the heart of the city.
Despite being a complex building, the building still strongly has the hotel feel. There are guest rooms with wide span window that are different from those of other hotels, and we also have suites and their exclusive floors all over the high-rise building.
We are blessed with many repeat guests such as businessmen, politicians, artists, and more, and our staff is raised and nurtured by these guests and the experience of serving them, becoming better and better every day. Many of our guests call our staff by their names. The hotel has a long history as the first foreign-affiliated hotel in Japan and has many heritage menu items that have been loved for many years and have even earned a Forbes Five Star rating.
Inside the Hotel – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
Now, the hotel has a long history, having been established over 50 years ago. Could you please tell us a bit about its past? What events do you think have been the most important in making the hotel what it is now?
The Marketing Team answered
The history of The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, which opened as Japan’s first foreign-affiliated hotel, the Tokyo Hilton Hotel, in partnership with Hilton Hotels International, continues to guide the hotel’s services and customer relationships. Prior to the opening of the hotel in 1963, Tokyu Kanko, Inc. and Hilton Hotels International signed an agreement in 1956 to partner with the world-renowned U.S.-based Hilton to develop and attract overseas tourists in an effort to contribute to Japan’s emerging tourism business.
The conversion to the Capitol Tokyu Hotel from the Tokyo Hilton Hotel to the Capitol Tokyu took place from New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1983, to New Year’s Day, January 1, 1984, without stopping operations. On November 29, 2006 The Capitol Tokyu Hotel was closed for reconstruction. After several years, on October 22, 2010 the hotel reopened as The Capitol Hotel Tokyu.
As the premier hotel brand symbolizing Japan and Tokyo, the hotel was reborn to provide the highest level of comfort and relaxation to guests visiting from around the world. Even though the name of the hotel and the building have changed, the spirit of hospitality that has been passed down through the generations continues to be felt and supported by many customers today. Some of our customers and their families have even been coming to our hotel for three generations.
Deluxe King – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
We hear your hotel follows the philosophy of Fueki Ryuko, previously used by the famous haiku poet Basho Matsuo. Could you tell us what this concept really means and how you implement it into the hotel?
The Marketing Team answered
What we call “Fueki (No change)” is that which does not change and must not be changed.” “Ryuko (Trends)” are those which do change and need to be continuously changed. The Capitol Hotel Tokyu’s brand vision is to never settle for the status quo, but to continue to evolve forever, always providing new excitement and discovery.
Wooden Strow – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
We are also working on new initiatives to meet the needs of the times while valuing our inherited menus, artwork, and spirit of hospitality. Some of our more recent offerings include:
<New food specialties>
・Capitol beef bowl (All-Day Dining “ORIGAMI”)
・Kinsho Tantan Noodles (Chinese Restaurant ”Star Hill”)
<SDGs>
・Wooden straws
・Sustainable table (banquet event)
<Guest Rooms>
・Collaboration rooms with various brands
・Lliadro/Luxury Card
We’ve seen that you have some photos of The Beatles displayed in the hotel. I’m sure you have some wonderful stories about their stay. Is there anything in particular you can share? What other celebrities have visited the hotel?
The Marketing Team answered
The Beatles were so impressed by “Untitled” by Toko Shinoda, which was displayed in a suite of the former hotel, that they purchased a brush identical to the one used to write the work.
Untitle by Toko Shinoda – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
During our visit, we saw many different art pieces displayed around the hotel. Are these artworks part of the concept you want the hotel to embrace? Who are the artists behind these paintings and sculptures and what is their relationship with the hotel? What is the process you follow to select the artworks you display?
The Marketing Team answered
The artwork in the hotel is definitely a big part of the hotel concept. Many of the artworks illustrate the spirit of traditional Japanese beauty that was so important to the former Capitol Tokyu Hotel and the culture and history that lives on in this place. The artwork is part of the hotel’s brand concept of “continuity and change.”
If you’d like to have more information about the artworks in the hotel, please visit the following URL to see and read about the artworks that are adding color to the hotel: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/capitol-h/artworks/index.html
「Untitled」「Yutaka」” and 「Kiritsubo」 by Toko Shinoda (1913-2021), one of Japan’s leading women artists and a leader in ink and abstract paintings.
Misao Yokoyama (1920-1973) 「Fuji 」
A Japanese painter who brought a new style to the art world after World War II.
Sofu Teshigahara (1900-1979) 「Iwato」 「Iwaya」and「Untitled 」
Founder of the Sogetsu school of ikebana. He left his achievements in the world of ikebana and actively worked beyond the framework of the art form.
Shiko Munakata (1903-1975), 「Ryuryokukakoushou」
A woodblock painter. One of the world’s leading masters of 20th-century art.
Chandelier made of real pearls (Produced by Tasaki Pearl)
The idea of using pearls as chandeliers was the brainchild of Emanuel Grand, an architect from the Hilton Hotel in the United States. Pearls were one of Japan’s leading exports at the time of the opening of the hotel. The use of pearls was intended to express Japan’s uniqueness to the world. We do not know the relationship between the artist and the hotel or the process by which it was chosen, as there are no records of it. However, we can say that the artist’s commitment to the concept of “something that speaks of Japan with a global perspective,” a concept that was carried through when the Tokyo Hilton Hotel was built, was evident in the selection of the work.
Sushi at Suiren Restaurant – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
Now, your hotel has various dining areas where guests can enjoy a delicious meal. One of these is Japanese Restaurant “Suiren”, a modern restaurant main dining specializing in Japanese cuisine. In what way do you think food and cooking can connect the concepts of tradition and modernity?
Ms. Shigeta, proprietress of the main dining “Suiren”, answered
She said that the Japanese Restaurant “Suiren” offers four types of cuisine: kaiseki, sushi, tempura, and teppan-yaki. Kaiseki is a traditional dish that includes dishes such as hassun, which offers delicacies from the mountains and the sea, and suimono, which expresses the seasons and allows diners to taste dashi, the soup stock that is the lifeblood of Japanese cuisine. The menu is made in accordance with tradition, while the chef’s creative dishes create a unique Japanese Restaurant “Suiren” atmosphere.
Sushi is served with seasonal seafood and other ingredients, and the way in which it is served is unique to each and every occasion. When the fish is fatty, it is seared; when the fish is sweet, it is served with salt; and sometimes ponzu (soy sauce with citrus juice) jelly is used. Taste can change even due to the texture, so we make sure to cut things like squid very delicately.
For tempura ingredients, we carefully consider everyday how to peel and cut the skin of each new vegetable that we use. Teppan-yaki is a restaurant where the Japanese black-hair beef and seafood are cooked in front of you for your enjoyment, while Western elements are used as a prologue to appetizers and other dishes.
Drinking Japanese sake at Suiren – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
In addition, taking advantage of the unique features of Japanese Restaurant “Suiren”, such as private rooms, counter seating, and table seating, we have held an event called “Suisai no Yoin,” in which customers themselves enjoy their meals by walking around each section of the restaurant. The restaurant is a fusion of chefs who seek to constantly evolve while preserving tradition, and service associates who convey this feeling to customers and create a valuable culinary experience by offering not only Japanese food and sake, but also wine and a variety of other suggestions.
ORIGAMI entrance – Credit: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
Does All-Day Dining ORIGAMI, another one of your restaurants, also aim to connect the traditional roots of Japanese cuisine with the modern ambiance of the hotel? How does it differ from Japanese Restaurant “Suiren” in this aspect?
Mr. Akimoto, Manager of All Day Dining “ORIGAMI”, answered
All-Day Dining ORIGAMI offers wide range of international and Asian cuisines, and it is based on the concept of “continuity and change.” It has taken up the mantle of the traditional cuisine from the former Capitol Tokyu Hotel, and also offers SDGs-conscious dishes.
Thank you for your time with us! We can’t wait to stay at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu and learn more firsthand. But, in the meantime, do you have anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The Marketing Team answered
We will strive to further improve our services with a hospitality-focused mindset that we’ve honed through interaction with many guests over our nearly 50-year history with a refined Japanese style. We hope you will choose The Capitol Hotel Tokyu for various situations, including domestic and international sightseeing trips, business occasions, and anniversaries.
Follow The Capitol Hotel Tokyu on:
- Website: https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/capitol-h
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecapitolhoteltokyu/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tokyuhotels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capitolhoteltokyu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-capitol-hotel-tokyu/about/
- Address: 2-10-3, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014 / Phone number: 03-3503-0109
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