Since it was given the name “Chinzanso” by Yamagata Aritomo in 1878, the garden has existed through more than 140 years of turbulent change, and we continue working to provide visitors with its lush greenery and beauty of form. Throughout the garden are historical structures and sites, such as the Three-Story Pagoda said to have been built in the Muromachi Period, nationally registered tangible cultural properties including the teahouse Zangetsu, a Hanyaji-style stone lantern, and Rakan stones based on sketches by Ito Jakuchu.
From 2009, we spent 3 years performing maintenance work on these cultural properties in the garden.

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo holds two focuses for the garden: To enhance its cultural value so as to ensure the proper transmission of Japanese garden culture, and to enhance the entertainment value of the garden so as to allow as many people as possible to experience the allure of nature and a sense of closeness to the garden.
Respecting the ideals of Yamagata Aritomo, who can be called one of the foremost garden designers of the Meiji Period, we are committed to the daily maintenance and care of the garden, recreating the vision of Japanese gardens in order to combine nature and breathtaking scenery that may allow visitors both from Japan and abroad to enjoy garden culture.

Japan is known as a home to a wide range of crafts made by craftspeople whose work reflects the local environment and culture. In order for hotel guests to learn of this artistry and the creators behind them, we collaborate with prefectures and municipalities in a project supporting opportunities for purchase of the works.

Our hotel offers the Offset STAY Certificate, a service offsetting the amount of carbon emitted during a hotel stay. By making an investment into CO₂ reduction for the amount of carbon emitted during the hotel stay, zero-emission is achieved, and guests can take part in CO₂ reduction simply by staying at the hotel.

Reduction of Plastic Use

・Elimination of plastic straws
All of the hotel’s plastic straws have been replaced by paper or biodegradable straws.

・Use of recyclable resources for guest room amenities
Use of plastic was partially eliminated in amenities beginning in April, 2022.

・Elimination of plastic in foundation amenity containers
The containers for foundation cosmetics have been changed to glass or paper (including recycled paper).

・Elimination of plastic in takeout cutlery
Plastic takeout cutlery has been changed to wooden cutlery, with some exceptions.

Use of Partners Realizing Recyclable Resources

・L’OCCITANE 100% R-PET bath amenities
The L’OCCITANE bottles used in guest room amenities are produced with no new plastic, and instead made from recyclable materials to be fully recyclable. We support L’OCCITANE’s Green Program, in which empty amenity bottles are collected and recycled, by posting notices at all of our hotels.

・Reusable Nespresso coffee capsules
The aluminum Nespresso coffee capsules placed in guest rooms are perpetually recyclable.

Environmental Efforts in the Garden

In our garden, we make use of the groundwater and water flowing in from the nearby river for environmental efforts in which our guests can view the flight of the fireflies each year, and instructional programs are held for children, teaching the importance of environmental preservation.

Support of Environmental Preservation Activities

・Red Carpet Project
In our hotel shop, we sell camellia tea made from camellias that bloom in the Kesen district of Iwate Prefecture, supporting the Red Carpet Project, which plants trees to restore areas damaged in earthquakes.

・#InsectCollection Donation
The Insect Collection was born around the concept that both children and adults could grow alongside insects. We support the efforts of the Insect Collection, in which a donation is made to an environmental preservation foundation when people post about their purchase on social media, by releasing exclusive Insect Collection products in our shop.

・Waters Revital Project
We hold collaborative events making use of upstream-swimming sweetfish, which the studies and efforts in southern Shikoku of the NPO Waters Revital Project, seeking to preserve Japan’s pure waters, made possible.

Tree Planting in the Garden

In an effort to preserve nature for generations to come, we recruit writings about experiences with nature, invite families with children to the hotel for tree-planting ceremonies, and have held a natural bonsai-making workshop since 2019.

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Eco-friendly room cleaning for guests staying consecutive nights

For guests staying consecutive nights, we change bed linens every third day to help protect the environment.
If you want the linens changed more frequently, please indicate your intentions on a provided request card and we will meet your needs.
When you desire clean bath towels, please place used ones in the bathtub and we will exchange them with clean towels that day.
Together with guests, we will help protect the environment.

3010 Implementation

As a promotion to reduce food waste from banquets, we ask that guests eat at their seats for 30 minutes after their toast, and return to their seats to finish food from 10 minute before the end of the banquet. Posters for the policy are posted in the hotel around buffet events.

Reduction of Paper Use

We have greatly reduced the number of paper flyers and surveys used in the hotel, and implemented digital formats instead.

With awareness of environmental preservation and biodiversity, we are engaged in urban beekeeping on the Banquet Building roof, under the guidance of Mellow Surf Honey, a beekeeping company located in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and with the cooperation of local NPO Chie-no-Wa. As of 2024, we have installed 5 beekeeping boxes. The honey collected is consigned and commercialized as an activity to support the employment of people with disabilities in the community. A limited quantity of the honey is available at hotel shop Selections.

Universal Design Guest Rooms

We have made rooms available with connecting rooms allowing family and caregivers to go freely, space to place wheelchairs, and ramps and sliding doors, making stays enjoyable to all guests.

Barrier-free Garden

In addition to the inside of the hotel, 2/3 of the garden area has barrier-free access for wheelchairs. From infants in strollers to senior citizens, we strive to make the rich nature of the garden accessible to all.

Increase in Multipurpose and Gender-free Restrooms

In 2022 we are increasing the number of multipurpose restrooms and gender-free restrooms in the hotel.

Promotion of Fair Trade

・Hotel-original Reusable Bag
We sell two exclusive reusable bags at our hotel shops which are made from certified fair trade cotton, and recycled polyester made from plastic bottle fibers.

Gluten-free and Muslim-friendly Meals

By offering menus such as gluten-free kaiseki cuisine using no flour and halal-certified Muslim-friendly cuisine, we seek to provide an environment where all guests can feel welcome to enjoy our cuisine. We also provide prayer rooms in our staff office for Muslim staff members to make use of.

Thorough Staff Training

We hold yearly public training sessions in normalization and sign language competitions for all of our staff. By including a sign language category in customer service competitions, we have been able to raise the level of sign language techniques held by our staff.
We also provide English language instruction courses, which staff may learn from freely during work hours or other time.

Promotion of Diversity and Women’s Participation

We have established a Diversity Promotion Committee among our staff, and hold instruction sessions for female staff in training encouraging active participation.

Bilingual Signage Standard

All of the signage and materials such as flyers placed in the hotel are displayed with a bilingual standard.

Label-free PET bottles

To promote recycling, we use label-free PET bottles that are easy to dispose of.