december-2011

INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES
Osaka Castle, one
of Japan’s most
famous castles
OSAKA JAPAN
106
Robert Tan
President,
CHK Pty Ltd
BEST PLACE TO PARTY WITH
THE GANG: Absinthe Solaar,
on the 8th fl oor of Namba Dining
Maison, Takashimaya Department
Store. The eatery offers yummy
Mediterranean cuisine at very
reasonable prices and great live jazz.
LOCAL DELICACY: Osaka is
known as a gourmet city and
okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury
pancake) is my favourite local
delicacy — it’s great with beer. I
promise you too will fall in love with
okonomiyaki once you’ve tried it!
MUST-BUY GIFT: Shiroi
Koibito chocolate cookie —
it’s such a great hit that every time I
travel out of Japan half of my
suitcase is loaded with cookies to
meet all the requests from family
and friends who miss them.
INSIDER’S TIP: Seishun 18
ticket which means “Youth
18 ticket”. It’s a discount railway
ticket offered by Japan Railway and
you can travel anywhere in Japan
for less than 5,000 yen.
OSAKA
FROM THE AIRPORT
CBD 38km from
Kansai International
Airport
Travel time 50 mins
by car
Taxi Approx ¥16,000
(AU$197)
Limousine bus Every
45 mins at ¥880
(AU$10.90), takes
50 mins
Nankai Express Train
Every 30 mins from
¥1,390 (AU$17.10),
takes 30 mins
ON THE GO
1. The subway
It’s easy to use,
effi cient and clean.
2. Bicycle Many of
the hotels offer their
guests the option of
hiring a bicycle to get
around the city.
Sumo wrestlers
at a tournament
TOKYO JAPAN
Masami Kawagoe
Chief concierge,
Shangri-La
Hotel Tokyo
MOST ROMANTIC SPOT:
The Lobby Lounge at
Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo at bar time.
Sipping cocktails while admiring
the breathtaking night scene of
Tokyo is bound to enhance your
romantic evening.
MOST UNUSUAL THING TO
DO: Visiting Tsukiji Fish
Market at 4.30am to watch the tuna
auction. You can even see live sea
cucumbers sold in water tanks.
INSIDER’S TIP: Shangri-La
Hotel Tokyo offers
complimentary transfers from/to
train platforms at Tokyo station.
First-time travellers to Tokyo can get
to the hotel without getting lost in
the country’s biggest railway station.
I LOVE TOKYO BECAUSE:
Tokyo is one of the most
modernised cities in the world, but
at the same time, the city has a lot
of history. New and old,
international and authentic,
technologies and human warmth
co-exist everywhere.
TOKYO
FROM THE AIRPORT
CBD 66km from Narita
Airport
Travel time 60–90
mins by car
Taxi Approx ¥20,000
(AU$247)
Limousine bus
¥3,000 (AU$37), takes
60–90 mins
JR Narita Express
Every 30–60 mins at
¥3,000 (AU$37); takes
60 mins
ON THE GO
1. The subway
Easy to use, effi cient
and clean.
2. Shinkansen
The bullet train is
super-fast, clean and
effi cient. It can take
anything from minutes
to hours to get to
another prefecture.