Six Senses Kyoto: A wellness haven in a historic city

In a page of the Six Senses Spa Kyoto’s menu, there is an animated drawing of two people being tended to by therapists. Around them is a conveyor belt counter like in a sushi restaurant, bordered by rock gardens. But there is not only food on the moving platform; an eye mask, facemask, cups of tea and some ointments are also on offer.
This image well represents the spread of wellness experiences that Japan’s first Six Senses hotel provides, grounded on building blocks of sleep health, food nutrition and personalised wellness. Within two days, I was to encounter this lifestyle, condensed. Henry Cheung, Six Senses Kyoto’s director of marketing communications told me that overseas guests typically stay for several days at the very least, knowing that they will spend a good proportion of time in the hotel savouring its ‘wellness buffet’.
In the culture-rich city where the streets beckon, this is high praise indeed. Taking care of one’s body, mind and soul is already ingrained in Japanese culture so Six Senses Kyoto, which opened in April 2024, finds itself right at home. The hotel is crafted by BLINK Design Group, whose founder Clint Nagata – Hawaiian born and of Japanese descent – is no stranger to the city, having designed Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts that opened in 2021.
As the designer of Six Senses Uluwatu and the upcoming Six Senses Residences Loire Valley in France, he is adept at embodying the brand’s philosophy in context, which in this case, is the Higashimaya district, next to the National Museum and Toyokuni Shrine.
RICH HERITAGE
“The site was originally the location of the long-established Hotel Tozankaku. Due to ageing and other issues, Wealth Management, Inc was blessed to acquire the land,” said a representative of the holding company that owns the hotel. Going back even further in time, here was where Rokuhara – the base of the most influential Taira clan in Kyoto during the 12th century – was located. The culture of Japan’s feudal era is also found in many shrines and temples nearby.
The site fronts a busy road but one forgets this once inside. The lobby looks to a sun-washed courtyard of moss and Adogawa stones. “When we start a project, it’s always about taking what the site gives us and making the best of it. When you arrive at Six Senses Kyoto, you enter into another world,” expressed Nagata, who was here to give me a tour.
The origami-like timber ceiling adds quiet drama. It was inspired by the traditional Japanese Orihon concertina style of bookbinding – a technique developed during the Heian era (794 – 1185 C.E.) when Japan’s arts and culture flourished. This became Nagata’s key influence. In particular, he was drawn to the aesthetic concept of Miyabi that emphasised courtly grace and refinement.
“Miyabi was part of the fabric of life, and guided the arts and crafts of the period. There was an appreciation for the gestures and rituals that marked the passage of an ordinary day, the interplay of light and shadow, and the changing colours and moods of the seasons,” Nagata elaborated.
ART AND CULTURE
Two artworks in the main lobby embodies Kyoto’s cultural heritage. Behind the reception, a screen in dreamy coral-moss tones abstract Kyoto’s Kurama-Yama Mountains – the birthplace of Reiki healing and also believed to be one of the settings of the famous book Tale of the Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu during the Heian era.
“A motherly figure that has overlooked Kyoto and its historical path over centuries, we bring that feeling of warm embrace to the main lobby as a sign of home, depicting the scenery with traditional Raku ceramics by Rakunyu Yoshimura,” explained Nagata.
On the opposite wall is a bronze take on the Choju Giga (or Scrolls of Frolicking Animals) by metal artists Takeshi Takamatsu and Mae Kunimoto. “As a stark contrast to the Raku sceneries, we created a fun moment when the animals ‘pop out’ of the scroll and ‘entertain’ guests,” mused Nagata.
These characters reappear in other parts of the hotel, such as artworks outside the restaurants and elevator mirrors. They lend a sense of playfulness – or asobigokoro – to the journey through the property. Another example is the recycled washi paper kitsune (fox) masks guarding guestroom entrances. In Kyoto culture, the witty and playful animal is believed to be a messenger of the gods.
MODERN JAPANESE
The 81 rooms and suites, ranging from 42 sq m to 238 sq m, are the perfect starting point for a wellness reset. Wall scones inspired by traditional hand-carved wooden plates, bedside lamps wrapped in metal netting like fishermen’s baskets, Sakan plasterwork and a screen that can be flipped between the bed and bathroom marry craft and storytelling.
Guests are also treated to a curated mini bar of local craft beers, sake and snacks that include sweet potato chips freshly made in the hotel. Come nightfall, I nestled into soft Tential pyjamas that helped improve circulation and regulate my body’s temperature.
Most rooms come with a balcony that look out to the foliage and canopy of the courtyard, private gardens, the grounds of the Toyokuni Shrine or the panorama of treetops, temples and city rooftops. While the hotel is not sprawling, there is a consistent union with nature. Nagata believes that biophilia design is key to reducing stress and increasing overall health and wellbeing.
“The courtyard provides the first layer in connecting guests with nature. However, by bringing biophilic elements into the interiors through pocket gardens, ikebana, hanging plants, skylights, natural materials and textures – all locally sourced – the interiors will not only honour the history of Kyoto’s famous gardens, but also provide guests with moments of pause and contemplation throughout the hotel.”
REJUVENATE AND RESET
The ultimate relaxation portal is of course the wellness centre. There are gender-separated bathhouses with saunas, steam rooms and hot pools, as well as a common indoor pool. One of the highlights here is Kyoto’s first dedicated Watsu pool offering aquatic bodywork with a therapist. Jet lagged or time-strapped guests can head to the bio-hack recovery lounge where they are rejuvenated on zero-gravity chairs, used in combination with vibration-therapy gears, light therapy masks and recovery compression boots.
For a more in-depth reboot, guests can opt for a non-invasive screening with the hotel’s integrated wellness practitioners. After measuring key physiological markers, the experts dish out tailored lifestyle, nutrition advice, and can customise a personalised programme of spa treatments, yoga, fitness and wellness activities combining preventive principles of Eastern medicine like breathwork and acupuncture with results-oriented Western practices.
“Tying in the culture and heritage of Japan and Kyoto, we also curated Kyoto-exclusive treatments like Ah-un and Omakase that involves Zen meditation and the concept of Sekki micro-seasons respectively,” highlighted Ayako Fukuda, director of wellness at Six Senses Kyoto.
I had a go at the latter. It is guided by Japan’s solar term calendar that divides the year into 24 periods, or micro seasons. I was given a form to choose my preferred combination, treatment oils and area of focus. Choices include incorporating hot stones – cold stones in winter – or tuning forks, et cetera into a massage; one can also incorporate a facial or wrap into the session.
“Steeped in ancient tradition with countless revered shrines and temples, Kyoto holds a unique charm with its rich heritage. The locals embrace the rhythm of the seasons, weaving the micro seasons into the very fabric of daily life. One can experience the joy of seasonal baths, savour traditional sweets and meals crafted for special occasions and witness the beauty of time-honoured rituals,” explained Fukuda.
THE MENU AND MICRO SEASONS
On food, chefs at all-day dining restaurant Sekki are kept busy, tweaking the menu every two weeks according to the micro seasons. Executive chef Hiroki Shishikura commented: “The concept of micro seasons is used as a guiding principle for farmers to understand the seasonality and climate for farming. Therefore, by nature, Sekki is ultra-seasonal. We work with mostly local producers within Kyoto and nearby prefectures, sourcing the most seasonal produce to reflect this concept.” A hotel farm supplies some of the herbs and produce used in the dishes.
While not tied to one specific cuisine, chef Shishikura’s cuisine is influenced by Japanese cooking traditions and fermentation techniques. “For example, we do a lot of pickling and fermentation (miso, amazake, vegetables, kombucha, et cetera), which also resonates with the Eat with Six Senses concept offering tasty yet wholesome and sustainable menus to our guests,” he elaborated.
In all my experiences of hotel food, Six Senses Kyoto offers one of the best. Coffee does not come from Nespresso pods but from well-known Kyoto-based coffee house Wife & Husband that has crafted a Six Senses Kyoto original blend. Coffee connoisseurs can also have their nitro coffee. Wild-caught amberjack and muscat grape ceviche, sweet potato and orange soup, as well as grilled wagyu rump and seasonal vegetables are some delightful memories of the five-course dinner.
Come breakfast, I felt cleansed and rejuvenated with free-range chicken broth, ginger and kujo leek. I had extra helping of sourdough bread with Shiso hummus, and ate every piece of steamed vegetable, served in a bamboo basket with citrus ponzu. Shots – Glow Fire, with carrot, ginger, turmeric and lemon, is my favourite – upped my health quotient. I also had fun trying one of Sekki’s signature cocktails, Hair of the Fox, which is an addictive concoction of Kyoto sparkling wine, almond milk, floral honey and matcha.
Other highlights include teatime at cafe Sekki, where it serves pastries like ginger croissants; dining in a Kyoto outpost of Osaka’s Sushi Oga within the hotel as well as having a night cap at Nine Tails – a small, handsome cocktail bar accented by kitsune figurines.
Children who come to Six Senses Kyoto will leave as happy as their parents. There is a playroom where they can do crafts like folding origami and making uchiwa fan sets. Next door at Earth Lab, parents can sign up for workshops, making incense pouches and beeswax wrap with recycled materials, or see the hotel’s filtration and water bottling plant (Six Senses’ properties first transitioned to refillable glass bottles 20 years ago).
After just two days, I understood why guests find it hard to leave the hotel. For most busy city dwellers, there is not only much to repair, but also plentiful lessons to absorb and apply. Six Senses Kyoto’s holistic approach to wellness also has long-term benefits.
Fukuda summed it up best: “We believe in well-being as a continuous journey, not a one-off experience. We hope to inspire guests to revisit the connection with themselves and their lifestyle choices. The time spent reconnecting with yourself leaves a lasting impression that transcends your return home.”