Four Seasons Osaka review: An oasis of calm in a manic city
Osaka is one of Japan's busiest cities, but the new Four Seasons Osaka offers some respite from the beautiful chaos, Attitude's travel editor Markus Bidaux discovers
Walking into the Four Seasons Osaka is a calming experience. The lobby features stacks of metre-high stone cubes, as well as my favourite of the hotel’s many sculptures, Gwenael Nicolas’s Stone’s Dream, a large black lacquered disc suspended over a pool of water and with plants growing out of the top. The tranquillity of the art and the space given to it is echoed in the design of the whole property, often bestowing a sense of peace wherever I go.
The hotel only opened in August 2024 and is located just a short walk away from Umeda, an entertainment and shopping district which is conveniently close to the majority of Osaka’s many LGBTQ+ venues.
On my first night, I stay in one of the hotel’s modern rooms, which is elegantly furnished with blonde timber furniture, including a plush chaise lounge fitted against the large windows. The marble bathroom, with its walk-in shower and deep bath, is also a delight to use.
The spa and wellness floor is uniquely cavernous, with arched halls that include five treatment rooms, a well-equipped 24-hour gym, and a 16-metre indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows. After my workout and swim, I enjoy the men’s ofuro hot bath and sauna.
In the evening, I visit the 37th floor to dine on magnificently presented five courses of dim sum at the Cantonese restaurant Jiang Nan Chun. On the same floor is Sushi L’Abysse Osaka Yannick Alléno, which offers a fusion of haut cuisine of Alléno’s two-Michelin-starred L’Abysse Paris with the skill of sushi chef Yasuda Itaru. Beyond these two gastronomic powerhouses is Bar Bota, where I sip a cocktail inspired by the local chestnuts while looking out at the evening cityscape.
In the morning, I visit Jardin, the ground-floor all-day bistro, where the breakfast buffet offers another Franco-Japanese fusion. There’s also an open kitchen, so I can watch the bustling chef and his brigade get to work. For those who want something quick and light, the adjacent Farine has a glass cabinet of artisan bakes – and they serve coffee and tea too.
For my second night, I switch to the GENSUI floor. Upon exiting the lift, it is immediately clear that I am on a special level. It is very dimly lit, and the flooring is made up of black hexagonal wooden tiles. There are 30 rooms and suites on this floor offering Osaka’s first contemporary ryokan, or Japanese inn, experience.
In the living area, my room has a woven tatami flooring and I have to take off my shoes to walk on it. The soft futon bed is low to the ground, and beyond a sliding door is a bathroom decked out in black tiles and dark timber.
The GENSUI floor can only be accessed by guests staying in one of its rooms. This exclusivity extends to SABO, a tea and saké bar. After checking into my room, I am offered a complimentary tea service, and in the evening before going out for dinner, I sample some sakés, including a sparkling variety.
Breakfast for GENSUI floor guests is also served in SABO, and I feast on a huge bento box with nine compartments of goodies, which I wash down with miso soup and green tea. It is another moment of calm before I head out into the busy streets of Osaka.