Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park is quietly confident — the kind of place that doesn’t need to shout to make its presence known. Indeed, you’d be forgiven for missing the entrance entirely — the way in is indicated with an unobtrusive, rust-coloured sign, the concrete façade (made with a traditional Japanese technique) softened with greenery that mirrors the leafy surroundings. Inside, a bright, subtly spiced signature scent suffuses the warmly lit reception — it’s the perfect welcome.
The exposed stone, light-wood furniture and contemporary artworks (mostly in art brut-style and made using scrap materials) create a modern, design-led space that foregrounds Trunk’s core principles of community and sustainability. Throughout the 25-room boutique hotel, natural touches sit easily alongside man-made comforts, reflecting the urban retreat ethos.
Despite the Japanese-meets-Scandi chic styling and photoshoot-ready staff, Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park is certainly not reserved for the young and painfully cool. Though the hotel is primarily aimed at adults, children are welcome (cots are free; fee for extra beds), and you’re as likely to see someone wet-haired and robed after a morning dip, sleepy-eyed in pyjamas or wearing the latest fashions at breakfast in the Pool Club. The cornerstone of this low-pressure atmosphere is the service — the staff are a friendly, international bunch, attentive and helpful without the rigid formality you find in many more traditional Japanese hotels.
Overall score 9/10
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Rooms and suites
Expedia
Score 10/10
Five of the building’s seven storeys are given over to the 20 rooms and five suites. Even the smallest (Standard) rooms have balconies, adding an extra seven or eight square metres to their 22 or 23 square-metre floor space, and some have views of Yoyogi Park. Naturally, all four of the Park View Suites overlook the green expanse. Double the Standards’ size, they include a spacious living area and airy bedroom, behind which is the luxurious bathroom, plus a plant-filled 16 square-metre balcony. Standard rooms have spacious showers with handheld and rainfall heads, and suites also have deep tubs. Most indulgent of all is the penthouse Owner’s Suite, which has panoramic windows and a whopping 30 square metres of outdoor space, including a balcony onto which the bathroom opens, so you can enjoy the park view as you soak.
The design is peaceful and calming. Tones are muted, with different textures — creamy stone, wood, raw concrete, leather, rattan — keeping things interesting. While as much as possible is made from natural materials, the mod cons really are modern, down to the Baton hairdryer from cutting-edge Japanese lifestyle technology company Cado.
Bespoke products from high-quality Japanese brands dot the space, from plush rugs (Hotta Carpet, Osaka) and washi-paper pendant lights (Kyoto’s Kojima Shoten) to tenugui — traditional Japanese cloths, gifted to guests — with modern graphic designs by Kamawanu. The black flip-flops are made from recycled rubber, the coasters from egg shells, and the Trunk-branded toiletries are organic.
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Food and drink
Expedia
Score 8/10
Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico is open for all-day dining, with the pizzas the star of the extensive but cohesive menu — order the clam and lemon-topped Nojiri, named after the hotel’s owner. The copper cladding of the pizza oven — imported from Italy — is reflected across decorative touches, which continues the hotel’s design story. Both atmosphere and service are stylish and casual, and rattan screens add a sense of privacy without disrupting the sense of community. Between tables, a counter and a laidback terrace, L’Ombelico seats up to 67 and is popular with locals — a testament to its quality in an area with so many good restaurants — so it’s best to book.
Breakfast is served in L’Ombelico or the Pool Club, and the menu — with dishes like orange and almond ricotta toast, eggs benedict and acai bowls — includes gluten-free and vegan options. At other times, you’ll find oysters packed in ice around the Pool Club bar, with a portion of sales going to marine conservation organisations, and original cocktails highlighting Japanese produce, like the fragrant Daiyame Kagoshima shochu in the lemon sour.
Even the in-room food and drink is a cut above average with coffee from Rostro roasters, just down the road; guests’ used coffee grounds are turned into compost at farms that supply the restaurant. There are also light, flavourful herbal teas and snacks such as CBD dark chocolate or rice crackers flavoured with Ehime whitebait.
What else is there?
Score 7/10
The fifth-floor Pool Club — unsurprisingly — doesn’t just include the bar. There’s also a ridiculously photogenic rooftop infinity pool in which you feel like you’re floating amid the dense foliage of Yoyogi Park. Alongside the heated pool are a hot tub, loungers and a seating nook with a fire pit that’s an atmospheric spot for an evening drink. Whether you’re outside or gazing through the 28-seat lounge’s panoramic windows, the artistic, minimalist decor, laid-back, friendly service and spectacular park view combine to create a supremely relaxing ambience.
Beyond this, facilities are minimal, as the aim is to provide a peaceful escape rather than a to-do list of activities. The hotel team are always happy to provide in-the-know local recommendations and help with bookings, and chic ebikes are free to use. Both the high-quality original goods and much of the art on display are for sale both at the hotel and online.
Where is it?
Expedia
Score 9/10
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park captures the vibe of its neighbourhood, Tomigaya, perfectly: cool without trying too hard; aspirational but unpretentious. Just southwest of one of Tokyo’s largest green spaces, it’s part of the larger Shibuya district, one of the city’s cultural hubs. You’ll find plenty of good spots for a bite nearby, including coffee shops popular with local creatives, hidden-away French bistros and tiny specialist bakeries. There are interesting shops too, often selling a mix of books and lifestyle goods, plus independent clothing brands.
Venture very slightly further, past the park’s leafy paths, for the important shrine of Meiji-jingu, Harajuku’s street fashion and pop culture, and Omotesando’s high-end brands. Fifteen minutes away on foot, but a world away from low-key Tomigaya in atmosphere, is the huge Shibuya station complex — home to Japan’s second-busiest metro station, and right by the famous Shibuya Crossing. The hotel’s closest stations are Yoyogi-koen (Chiyoda line) and Yoyogi-Hachiman (Odakyu line), both about five minutes’ walk. The latter gives you easy access to Shinjuku’s skyscrapers and Shimo-Kitazawa’s live music and vintage shops.
Price room-only doubles from £431
Restaurant mains from £10
Family-Friendly Y
Accessible N
Rebecca Hallett was a guest of Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park (yoyogipark.trunk-hotel.com)
AloJapan.com