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Tokyo
Dear Ones,
My branche friends in Hong Kong have been dashing to Tokyo for long weekends and raving about what a trendy new destination
it has become. Shanghai, they say, is old news. Tokyo is the new Shanghai.
With a half dozen luxury hotels set to open in the near future and a plate full of multi-Michelin star chefs suddenly
behind Japanese stoves, I felt a strong desire to eat sushi. I hopped onto an AF/JAL code share and was in Tokyo in time
for afternoon tea. Green tea.
NEW HOTELS: I went to Tokyo for the opening of the Conrad Tokyo, one of the many luxury brands shooting up all over town
with Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and Ritz Carlton all set to open in the next few years. It seems that space is at such a
premium and privacy so non-existent, that those who can afford to do so now spend their weekends in hotels. These new hotels
offer a total environment in terms of mood -- so comfy that you never need, or want, to step outside.
I started off at the Four Seasons Maronouchi, the newest of the two Four Seasons hotels in Tokyo, the smallest in the
chain with only 57 rooms. Service is so extreme that I was met at Narita and put on the train by the hotel's Greeting Service.
An hour later, a white gloved bellboy was waiting for me on the platform at Tokyo Station and took me directly to the hotel,
a block away.
After getting my bearings in Tokyo, I moved over to the Conrad Tokyo in time for the opening ceremonies. The new international
flagship for the entire chain, the hotel is nestled into a high rise in a business park overlooking Tokyo Bay. The rooms are
the largest in any Tokyo hotel; the hotel itself was created for locals as a total destination with several big name restaurants
and a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, representing one of Britain's few 3 star chefs. Spa treatments are western with a slight Japanese
twist; real gold leaf floats in the spa's Japanese soaking tub. The hotel amenities are custom made by Shisiedo.
EAT,EAT,EAT: The dining options in Tokyo offer everything from fancy French chefs to Muji Meals, in the flagship Muji
store. Beige, conveniently located on top of Chanel, was created by Alain Ducasse and designed by Peter Marino to co-ordinate
with the Chanel décor. There's even a quilted chocolate purse dessert. The Ducasse tasting menus have been downsized to cater
to the Japanese palate.
M. Ducasse also has a bistro in the Aoyama district, Benoit, handily located upstairs from Pierre Herme's new pastry shop.
Despite all the big deal meals I consumed, my two best meals in town actually reflect the dual personalities of Tokyo
itself -- I ate sushi for breakfast in the fish market (just down the street from the Conrad) and grilled Kobe steak for dinner
in a New York style grill at the Park Hyatt. The Grill Room sits on the hotel's 52nd floor and was featured in the movie Lost
in Translation. The chicest people in town were clustered at the tables enjoying the view while looking down on the night
stars.
CULTURAL CHALLENGES: During my first few days in town, I saw only one woman in a kimono -- and she was shopping at Chanel!
In fact, it was very hard to find any merchandise that was Japanese at all. Aside from the big Japanese designer brands, stores
also carry Italian, French, American and British designer goods.
Still, I found one of the few bargains in town when I discovered the used kimonos on sale upstairs at Matsukaya Ginza
where a jacket kimono from the 1930's cost E50 and a full length kimono was E75.
Kimono Kisses,
SuzyKG
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