The TOKYO CRAFT ROOM project was born from a single concept, resulting in two pieces of work. The baton was passed from Kan Izumi, an artist who creates scents, to Ayatake Ezaki, a musician, who finally completed the music. Ezaki initially envisioned a sound that was not artificial, but what kind of music did he finally arrive at? Now that the project is finally complete, the two artists come together to reflect on the project.
Ambient music that hides the former culture of the town
When Ezaki first smelled Izumi’s scents, the earthiness of it made him think of analog methods. He then combined his own sensibilities with the experience of staying at the TOKYO CRAFTO ROOM and researching the Nihonbashi Hamacho area to arrive at ambient music that interweaves a variety of sound sources.
“At first, I had a piano piece in mind, but when I actually stayed at the TOKYO CRAFTO ROOM, I realized how quiet it is at night. I myself really like the day-night population ratio of the Nihonbashi Hamacho area, and when I thought I didn’t want to disturb this quiet lodging experience, I decided to go for ambient music.”

Ambient music, or “environmental music,” refers to a genre of music in which the listener is not confronted with lyrics or melodies, but rather becomes one with the space. Ezaki’s music, which is based on a beautiful, slow piano melody and continues to dance, is mixed with the sounds of water and shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese musical instrument), giving it a unique depth. Looking back on the early days of the project, Ezaki continues his explanation.
“ I wanted to incorporate traditional instruments, so I researched the history of Nihonbashi Hamacho and learned that Sadayakko Kawakami, wife of Otojiro Kawakami*, was a geisha in the area. I imagined that there must have been many people carrying shamisen and various other musical instruments, so I added the sound of shamisen. But I didn’t want to make it obvious, so I blurred it out a lot in the process. The sound of water was the Sumida River, recorded at Kiyosubashi Bridge near the hotel, and used slightly modulated to blend with the ambient.I played the piano in the key I had imagined in my mind to match these two sounds. In fact, I also kept a tight rein on the scale, quietly using a “Miyakobushi scale ”* so as not to be recognized. I had the impression that the scent of Kan’s scent made me feel calm and introspective rather than cheerful. There are many ways to describe ambient music, but this time I created music that is more like a meditation, a music that turns inward.”

*Miyakobushi scale: A five-note scale consisting of mi, fa, la, si, and do. This scale is often used for koto tuning and shamisen melody.
The Nihonbashi Hamacho area was a busy geisha district from the Meiji period to the mid-Showa period. Just as Izumi recalls the history of the soil in this area, Ezaki gently puts fragments of the town’s culture into his music.
At TOKYO CRAFT ROOM, visitors can enjoy Ezaki’s music through a monaural boom box from the 1970s. They became one-of-a-kind “Memory – unlocking Device” that fuse the received inspirations while also highlighting their respective interpretations.

What is the white space in sensitivity that can be conveyed because of scent and music?
Just before the product was installed in the TOKYO CRAFT ROOM, Izumi rushed to Esaki to listen to the completed music as soon as possible, and the two met for the first time in a while.Then they talked about the project.

Izumi (I): “It’s very clear. It’s the kind of music you can feel on your skin. I can’t wait to listen to it in TOKYO CRAFT ROOM. I am really looking forward to what kind of experience I will have when this music and scent are combined. It will be like being enveloped. Just imagining it makes me happy.”
Esaki (E): “TOKYO CRAFT ROOM is isolated from the other rooms in the hotel, so it’s very quiet and you don’t feel the presence of other people around you. I’m sure the guests will sleep well.”

The two artists then looked back on the project and shared their thoughts about the two works, which are not visible to the naked eye.
E “This was my first project to put a song to a scent, so it was a lot of fun. Actually, changing the atmosphere with scents is something I often do when I am composing music. I like to be in a good smell.”
I “On the contrary, I often listen to music when I create scents. Depending on the scent I am creating, I may play stoic music or just pop music. Music changes the atmosphere, doesn’t it?”
E “That’s right. It’s like the air changes, or a drawer in the brain opens up that wasn’t there before. I think this is something that visual expression cannot do.”

I “Because the visual sense has a high ability to capture things, there are many things that are ‘captured’ by it. In reality, we should be able to interpret things in various ways by comparing our own experiences and sensibilities, but I think the amount of information is too much and the white space in the mind becomes too narrow. That is why this project to create something that is neither visible nor visible was interesting: how would it function within the space of TOKYO CRAFT ROOM? I would be happy if it becomes a new experience for the guests, as if the wallpaper changes.”
In this way, two “Memory-unlocking Devices,” of scent and music, were added to the TOKYO CRAFT ROOM. While standing quietly in the space, they are a powerful presence that unites the crafts created by the designers and makers of the past, such as furniture, vessels, and art. This is also a new craft. We invite you to visit the room and experience the beauty and tranquility of the space. Only then will their story, which has been spun through visuals and words, be truly complete.

Kan Izumi
He is an artist working on the theme of reviving the physical senses through scent. He studies plant production and distillation, as well as raw materials, and works on his creative endeavors based on inspiration he absorbs through his five senses. In parallel with his work as an artist, he has launched a scent design studio, “Olfactive Studio Ne”. Working with his team, he is expanding the possibilities of the world expressed through scent, with direction that goes beyond the realm of perfumery.
https://izumikan.jp/
Ayatake Ezaki
He is a musician, born in 1992 in Fukuoka City, Japan. Studied piano from the age of 4 and composition from the age of 7. In addition to playing keyboards in WONK, he has participated in recording and producing for many artists, including King Gnu, Vaundy, and Kenshi Yonezu. He has also worked on soundtracks for the film “Homunculus” (2021), the dramas “Ohgon no toki : The Story of Hattori Kintaro” (2024) and “Kanzen Muzai” (2024) “#Shinsou wo ohanashi shimasu”(2025), and continues to work freely across various fields, including serialization in Bungeishunju’s “Bungakukai” and the culture section of the Nishinippon Shimbun, and serving as a personality on NHK FM’s “Ezaki Ayatake’s Borderless Music Dig!”. He is in charge of music lectures in the arts education program “GAKU.”
https://www.ayatake.co/