Tokyo Midtown with cherry blossom trees ©Tokyo Midtown Management Co Ltd/©JNTO
Oriental modernity TOKYO:
Pictures ©Yasufumi Nishi/JNTO
Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens
J
© Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Tokyo
apan has been a wealthy, developed nation for a long time – long before the so-called emerging economies – and it shows. Already a structured and advanced society when it embraced modern western technology and the inevitable assault on its culture, this nation has given the world much in the way of architecture, landscaping, art and the application of mind over matter, yet look at Tokyo and at first instance it appears like any modern metropolis of tall buildings, bright lights and gamely distractions. Forget about a typically Asian city with narrow streets squeezed between Spa Harmony suite, with views over the city
tight-packed houses with paper lanterns hanging overhead. This is a businesslike centre of concrete, steel and glass, a technological capital where neon rules and the cacophony comes not so much from the people as from their never-ending output of gadgets. The Japanese are famously formal and correct, inhibited even, but in this sprawling city the pace is quick and everybody seems in a hurry. Much like New York, but with an oriental twist, as the Chinese character neon signs and the exotic smells of Japanese-style fast food remind you. Step in time with the crowds in shopping
Views from the hotel’s Signature Restaurant
districts ablaze with bright lights like Shinbuya, hunt for electronic bargains in the Akihabara district or enjoy views of the cityscape from the Rainbow Bridge, where Mount Fuji rises up spectacularly behind the wall of high-rise. You may even want to visit a trade fair of the gaming industry, though quite frankly that would be rather sad, so man up and savour old Japan within the serene environs of the Imperial Palace and its magnificent gardens. Then
delve into the local cuisine, followed by a session at an original karaoke bar, or make the most of the fact that this city has the largest number of Michelin-star restaurants in the world. If that has stimulated your interest in all things culinary you might want to pluck up the courage to visit the Tsukiji fish market, the largest and busiest in the world, and symbol of a nation that somehow manages to delve into its ordered past to deal with its hectic modern way of life.
Seishoji Temple
Shinjyuku
Cherry blossom at Chidorigafuchi
Wh e r e t o s t a y :
Mandarin Oriental
The suitability of this fine hotel won’t be ‘lost in translation’ as you step through the grand entrance and take the lift up to your room or suite. As ever with the best hotels, views are a constant companion, and in this case they are of the skyline of one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world – from your room, your bath, the bar or restaurant, or even while having a massage. www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/
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