Keio Plaza 

TOKYO - Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo(KPH), one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, will jointly host the 36th “Summer Festival of Artita/Imari Porcelain,” to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Japan’s long tradition of porcelain art. The spectacular complimentary exhibition offered free of charge will be held in the lobby from July 1st to August 7 th , 2016, with the sponsorship of Saga Prefectural Government and Arita Town. In addition, artworks of other various Arita/Imari’s contemporary artists will also be displayed and available for sale during this exhibition. This exhibition is designed to provide overseas visitors with opportunities to gain a  

better understanding of Arita/Imari porcelain, which is one of Japan’s traditional and representative art form. Moreover, restaurants within the hotel will also accentuate delicious and specially prepared menu items by serving them in Arita porcelain dishes. Arita/Imari porcelain artwork, a representative of Japan’s long tradition of porcelain art, has started 400 years ago in the Arita town and Imari city in Saga prefecture and has been highly esteemed in Japan and abroad. In 1616, Arita porcelain started as a simple style of “Hakuji (white porcelain),” and it has been establishing various techniques and styles as it grew, such as “Iroe (colorfully painting techniques)” and “Sometsuke

(dyeing techniques).” Keio Plaza Hotel has been hosting a special event “Summer Festival of Arita/Imari Porcelains” for past 36 years, allowing hotel guests to experience the unique artwork and its history. The themes of the exhibitions held in 2014 and 2015 were Arita porcelain artwork of the Edo period (1683 – 1868) and Meiji period (1868 – 1912) respectively, and this year’s theme is “Modern Art, Reflections of the Future.” A spectacular “Porcelain Tree” monument will be displayed in the main lobby, measuring 9.5 meters long and 3 meters wide. This decorative exhibition consists of Arita porcelain artworks by three renowned porcelain artists, Inoue Manji, the 14th Imaizumi Imaemon and the 15th Sakaida Kakiemon -two of whom are National Living Treasures- whose Arita porcelain overturn conventions and challenge perceptions. In addition to the porcelain artworks, ten of Keio Plaza Hotel restaurants and bars will provide guests with specially prepared and delicious Japanese, Korean, French and Italian menu items to commemorate this exhibition. The Chef Eiki Sasaki of the Japanese Kaiseki cuisine “Soujuan” restaurant will prepare special dinner courses using artistic porcelain dishes made by Inoue Manji, Imaizumi Imaemon and Sakaida Kakiemon. Other restaurants and bars within our hotel will also prepare special menu items not only to commemorate

this exhibition but also to always provide customers with new and satisfying dining experiences. The various artistic porcelain dishes used in Aita/Imari special menus will also be available for purchase on the lobby floor of our hotel during the course of the exhibition. These porcelain products make ideal gifts for overseas visitors to take home with them as fond memories of their experiences in Japan.

About the Keio Plaza Hotel

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (KPH), located in Shinjuku at the very heart of the nation’s capital Tokyo, is one of Japan’s leading international hotels. Our hotel boasts of over 20 restaurants and bars, and we host a wide range of local and international guests who visit us for our open and welcoming facilities, top-notch services, and warm hospitality. For more information about our facilities and services, please visit our website, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram.