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Molecular gastronomy in Tokyo. It's no surprise that one of Tokyo's most expensive hotels should have a good restaurant or two, but it's perhaps less usual to head to such hotels for fun dining. So hats off for not taking themselves too seriously in their Molecular Tapas Bar, which offers just two sittings per evening for seven people per sitting.
Around 25 courses are served with liquid nitrogen, syringes, glass plates and steel menus to the fore. Each dish is explained, prepared in front of you and the emphasis is on having a laugh and enjoying the experience. A visit last week included dishes such as 'red', 'cappuchino candy floss', a brilliant homemade mozzarella, 'cucumber caviar' and a beer with a Yakult froth tasting. Great fun and at £60 a head, it's terrific value - maybe for a last night in the city. Somehow Tokyo seems the perfect setting for high-tech cuisine.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Chuo-ku,Tokyo
03 3270 8800 www.mandarinoriental.co.jp
Very trendy and very affordable discount store in the Shibuya-ku district of Tokyo. This is a great shop to stock up on trendy Tokyo fashions for presents back home, or just to treat yourself. Prices start from £1!
3-5 Udagawa-cho (Shibuya-ku)
They may still be more expensive than supermarkets but the lush Harrods-style food courts in the big department store Isetan are a great place to pick up Japanese delicacies for much cheaper than restaurant prices.
Take advantage too of the constant free samples…
3-14-1 Shinjuku
See some of the coolest new technology at Honda’s flagship store. Ride the motorcycle simulator or see the demonstrations of ASIMO, the humanoid robot (daily at 10.30am, 11.50am and 3pm). Best of all, it’s free!
2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
You can’t leave Tokyo without sampling some sushi but the city can be a pricey place to eat out. Head instead to Kaiten-zushi for affordable plates from a conveyor belt. This fad may have spread to cheap London chains but the quality is definitely better out in Japan. There are several branches across the city, including Shinjuku.
It’s also handy for anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese or like surprises when it comes to their dinner!
3-25-9 Shinjuku
This Tokyo hostel is really great – clean, affordable and with heaps of Japanese style including Tatami mat floors.
There’s also self-catering facilities, a comfortable lounge and no curfew for backpackers who like to party hard.
Situated in Asakusa, it’s a pleasantly peaceful base after a long day of sightseeing but close enough to all the major sights, shopping and nightlife to still be really convenient. Overall, a big thumbs up!
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/japan/tokyo/18560/
2-16-12 Nishiasakusa, Tokyo, Taito-ku, 111-0035, Japan
Unusually – only London and New York share the virtue – Japan’s capital has two major airports – Narita and Haneda. It is almost certain, if you’re flying from the US or Europe, that you’ll arrive at the former but remember to check your ticket especially when you’re leaving the city. They are very (very, very) far from one another so, arrive at the wrong one, and you’ll be in trouble.
Narita may be accessible but Tokyo’s city centre is anything but from Narita. A little known gem of trivia is that the two are almost 2 hours apart (!); and a taxi (of any kind) is ruinously expensive (over £200). Important tip then: if you’re not a CEO, take the train. It’s quicker, infinitely cheaper and unsusceptible to the horrors of Tokyo traffic.
It’s painful to get up at 5am and make the trek to Tsukiji Fish Market before work. But strange as it might seem, if there’s one thing you have to see, it’s this. It’s the largest wholesale fish market in the world, and handles more than 400 different types of seafood from tiny sardines to 300kg tuna. Watching the gigantic fish prepared for sale or the auctioneers’ enthusiasm at landing their prize is a fabulous way to start the day. A tip: make sure you eat breakfast at the market before you leave.
Near the Tsukijishijō Station on the Oedo subway line and Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya subway line:
www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Beige Tokyo, the creation of Chanel and Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, is so achingly hip it’ll make you take off your suit the moment you get in. Located in the Chanel Ginza Building, it is the perfect fusion of high fashion and impeccable cuisine: try the frog’s legs and akagegyu beef for orgasmic culinary pleasure.
Take the remarkable bullet train to Kyoto and sample the wonders of ancient Japan. Kyoto’s city centre may not seem like much, but you’ll be charmed by the extraordinarily preserved Buddhist temples and the warm, simple hospitality of the traditional ryokan (an old-school Japanese inn).
The real star of the beautiful Lost In Translation, this towering masterpiece is the best way of retreating after a bewildering working day in Tokyo. The New York Bar on the top floor is super-hip and the swimming pool/spa, on the 53rd floor, is breathtaking. If you don’t have the cash – or the expense budget – a normal room is certainly good enough, but if you do book a Park Suite (with its separate bedroom) or, best of all, its signature Diplomatic Suite: with its own library, dining room and grand piano, it is a spectacular way to wind down and wow your clients.
The only problem with the Park Hyatt is its location – Shinjuku is good for business irrefutably (it’s the Financial District) but it’s also fairly dull.
The Conrad Tokyo’s major attraction is its location. Walking distance from the Hamarikyu Garden and the legendary Tsukiji Fish Market (amongst other tourist delights), this is the place to stay if you don’t have a weekend (go for the Hyatt if you do) but do have time to explore in the evenings. The in-house Gordon Ramsay restaurants are also a bonus. Book an Executive Room or an Executive Suite; the latter is exceptional value given its 83 square metre size.
Fukuzushi, near Roppongi is great for a quieter (perhaps weekday team) dinner. It is a dinky, gorgeous, family-run restaurant, with sushi dominating the menu. The sashimi – especially tuna and salmon staples – are irresistibly delicious and the sake deserves your full attention. Two important tips. Get there early – it gets rather empty after 9pm – and make sure you get very clear directions – it’s remarkably difficult to find.
The New York Grill on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt is heaving every night, it serves some of the best seafood, poultry and red meat I’ve ever tasted in Japan (no mean feat). There’s also a super-high celebrity quotient.
The two XEX bars in Tokyo are wonderful insider secrets. The first, situated in the Atago Green Hills Mori Tower, is ten minutes from Roppongi and has spectacular views of the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower. The second, located in Daikanyama, is irrefutably the city’s best bar for spring/summer; it features the city’s trendiest folk and also serves very stylish teppanyaki.
If it’s total oblivion you’re after, Yellow and A-Life are marvellous clubs. The former is a cavernous, multi-floor maze with twenty-somethings going completely overboard to the unmistakeable sound of Japanese techno till after you’re back at work; not for the faint-hearted. Perhaps better for the average business traveller looking to let his or her hair down is A-Life. The staff speak English, there are expats to chat and party with, champagne is the predominant drink of choice, and the music is mercifully more tame.
The ultimate hotel in Tokyo for luxury and convenience - you'll want for nothing.
Pacific Century Place, 1-11-1 Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100-6277
Tel: 81 (3) 5222-7222
www.fourseasons.com/marunouchi/
The Japanese love their open spa/baths. There are many around Tokyo and all over Japan in fact. You can pop in for just an hour, get clean, relax, and get a massage if you wish. Perfect before a long flight. If you have a bit longer, why not take a train to Nikko, about two hours away, where you can relax in the Japanese alps!
Upon arrival in Tokyo Narita International airport (or just before you leave!), don't just rush headlong into the city... If you have come long-haul and are tired, there's nothing better than to get your head down at one of the airport hotels for a few hours, and then use Narita as a gentle introduction to Japan/Tokyo. It is a nice small town, which is very walkable, and has many little gems including a temple, local restaurants, shops and backstreet pubs. Prices for food, hotels et al will be much cheaper that Tokyo city, and it allows you to acclimatise in a much less hectic/congested atmosphere. I have always found it a perfect way to take a breather before business in Japan and/or exploring the country on vacation.
Depending on where you are staying, it may actually take you longer to take the 'airport express' train than the coach. The coach takes from 70-90 minutes but saves you travelling to the train station (particularly during rush hour) and can often pick you up from the hotel.
Ask at your hotel
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