En

No.31 by Mariko Kobayashi

The 31st artist room was started on production by textile artist Mariko Kobayashi on June 23, 2017 and completed on July 18, 2017.

Kobayashi chose Japanese word “en”, which means connections or relations as the theme of her Artist Room. There’s a time when you feel you have a bond with thins beyond the intentions and choices, which might give you these “en”, and guide you somewhere else. By using red strings, she visualized the invisible sense of “en” that lies inside Japanese people. Drawings of nature and animals connected by the red stings express the “en” that people have encountered in past, and will encounter in future.

Park Hotel Tokyo hope that guests staying in this room will be connected with good “en” to Japan, this room, and everything that happens to you in future.

Staff recommendation comment

For those who want to feel connected to Mother Nature and the cycle of life, I highly recommend Artist Room King En.

Upon entering the room, you are greeted with illustrations of flowers and animals drawn on washi paper with red strings attached to them, all leading to a beautiful web-like fixture above the bed. The artist, Ms. Mariko Kobayashi, uses red strings to express the connection of fate and the relation of how nature and animals are connected.

Every time you enter this room, you will be amazed with the 3D like feeling of drawings intertwined with several different strings, allowing you to feel as if you are entering Mother Nature`s web.

Not only is this room filled with beautiful vibrant colored accessories, but also you are able to see the fine details of craftsmanship the artist has made using string to crochet on various items throughout the room.

The very first time I entered this room, I was intrigued to follow the red strings to see where it led to, only to discover a unique looking fixture above the bed. This fixture reminded me of a dream catcher, an item used to protect one from bad dreams, helping me feel rest assured that I would have a great sleep.

Come make your own experience, and feel the magic of this room!

Room #3101 | Completion Date: 2017.07

Artist's Message

In the days before the ‘materialistic and information-oriented society’, the Japanese had a receptive sense that “everything in nature has something to do with us”.

It is said there are hundreds of thousands of Shinto shrines in Japan, celebrating all the gods and goddesses. Japanese people find it aesthetically pleasing to be in awe of nature, trying to be together with nature rather than confront it, and their prayers and wishes to get an “en (connection)” may have arisen from this way of life.
For every turn of Fortune’s wheel, there’s a time when you feel you have a secret bond with the “supernatural” beyond your own intentions and choices, which might give you or deny you these “en”, and guide you somewhere else.

I think that in today’s changing times, we’ve forgotten that such inter-relationships do exist. We are connected with everything we encountered so far, and our world will continue to expand as it connects with everything we meet.

I hope that your “en” with Japan, this room, and everything that happens to you in future, will be good.

Mariko Kobayashi