Pink petals dance in the breeze, float in the canal and decorate The Philosopher’s Path as geiko (Kyoto’s geisha) pause on Gion bridge to ponder the fragility of the moment beneath a snow-like flurry.
There is no place like Kyoto during Japan’s revered sakura season. And for 2019, the whimsical wonder is magnified with sakura specials at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto: a fleeting ode to spring in deliciously edible form, devised by the Hotel’s masterful culinary team to commemorate this unique time of year.
“Sakura season is such a draw for visitors,” comments the Hotel’s General Manager Alex Porteous. “We wanted to make the experience all the more immersive, so enlisted our creative team to work their magic and develop a menu to match. We will have savoury, sweet and spirit specials in our main speakeasy, The Lounge & Bar; a unique celebratory lunch menu in The Brasserie; and the Tea House is full of secrets too. ”
In addition, the Hotel’s 800-year-old pond garden Shakusui-tei is home to more than 20 sakura trees so guests can enjoy private and peaceful hanami experiences on site, away from the city’s tourist crowds. And for those keen to immerse themselves in the city’s sensory spoils, the Hotel’s renowned Higashiyama Temple District location places visitors at the heart of key hanami (viewing cherry blossom) experiences.
Under the expert guidance of the Hotel’s irreproachable Chef Concierge Tomo Shinya, guests can appreciate the beauty of sakura day and night, from picnics along the Kamogawa River to walking routes along The Philosopher’s Path; night-time parks such as Maruyama Park where blooms are illuminated by lanterns; and serene cultural experiences such as a sunset shigure-tei tea ceremony at Kodai-ji Temple against a backdrop of sakura silhouettes reflected on the Engetsu-pond.
Most out-of-Hotel experiences are available from mid March until mid April; some continue later and all are, as ever, dependent on the whim and whimsy of Mother Nature herself. Meanwhile, here are just a few of the Sakura Specials that await withinthe peaceful, Resort-like grounds of Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto:
The Lounge and Bar
Sakura Afternoon Tea
- March 16 to April 14, 2019, 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm and 3:00 to 5:00 pm, JPY 5,300
Savoury and sweet combine to create the sublime: from sakura scones to shrimp and bamboo shoot quiche to sakura pain de gênes, topped with Executive Pastry Chef Yoshihide Hamamoto’s raspberry tart, cherry macaroon and more, complemented by Ronnefeldt tea and Four Seasons original blend coffee.
Spirit Blossoms
- March 16 to April 14, 2019, 6:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, JPY 2,900 per cocktail
Head Bartender and master mixologist Raul Navarro has created a trip of blushed pink cocktails. Frothy, floral and almost too pretty to drink, the Sakura Sour infuses plum wine with coffee grain whisky. Mixing sakura flowers and Japanese mandarin bitters, the Hanami Martini is fresh and fruity with a subtle floral aftertaste. A cocktail latte, Pink Harmony is all about sweet and sour cherries, with a devilishly decadent drop of white chocolate liqueur.
Spring-Scented Sakura Sweets
- March 16 to April 14, 2019, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, from JPY 800
A take-home taste of spring and the perfect gift or souvenir, the Hotel’s selection of fresh and baked cakes are all infused with the delicate scent of sakura, including éclairs with Uji matcha gallet, madeleines and pound cake.
The Brasserie
Sakura Lunch
- March 16 to April 14, 2019, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, JPY 6,800
A spring-inspired set lunch that celebrates the season’s budding glory through local, seasonal ingredients: sakura snapper, grapefruit and spring peas; scallops, langoustines, nanohana rapeseed, fiddleheads and saffron foam; onion-marinated Japanese sirloin, peppercorn sauce and baby carrots; and sakura mousse, jelly and cherry sauce.
Shakusui-Tei Tea House
- Open daily for tea from 2:00 to 5:00 pm and as a lounge from 5:00 to 9:00 pm
Secure a ringside seat to the springtime show at our contemporary Tea House, perched above the water in the Hotel’s 800-year-old pond garden Shakusui-tei. One of the city’s top secret spots to savour sakura season, ancient records describe nobles drifting on the adjacent pond and admiring cherry blossoms in Spring.
Recreate the experience today with a relaxed daytime matcha and wagashi experience; toast the moonlight with a glass of premium Champagne, sake after nightfall; or discover the history and etiquette of the traditional cha-no-ui(tea ceremony) during an exclusive private session (only available to Hotel guests; JPY 10,000 per person for 2-5 people).
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