Centurion Living City Guides Tokyo Centurion Living 2023 Performances, Experiences and Introductions: Le Mépris, Bebel Gilberto, Renée Fleming, Orna Guralnik, African Art, Fine Wine, Ceremonial Japan Where to STAY — Tokyo has gone from having a dearth of luxury hotels 20 years ago to being one of the most exciting Asian cities in terms of accommodation today, and what look like fairly anonymous office towers have been turned into havens of hospitality. Aman Tokyo, situated at the top of the Otemachi Tower, blends Japanese style cues like washi paper screens and ikebana floral arrangements with the brand’s own aesthetic. One block away, Four Seasons Otemachi gazes out over the Imperial Palace. Head to the lofty terrace at Italian Restaurant Pigneto for the best panoramas. For a taste of authentic Japanesestyle omotenashi service, opt for one of the homegrown brands. Hoshinoya takes inspiration from traditional ryokan inns, albeit in yet another business tower, and completely modernises it, including an outdoor hot spring Sazenka bath beneath an open roof chamber that frames the ever-changing Tokyo sky. Built for the 1964 Japan Olympic Games, the sprawling Hotel New Otani can feel overwhelming – it’s home to ten-acre gardens, 37 restaurants and almost 1,500 guest rooms – but the 87 rooms of “hotel within a hotel” Executive House Zen offers a surprising sense of calm. For something completely different, TRUNK(HOUSE) is a “one-room hotel” in the Kagurazaka neighbourhood. Stay here and you’re renting your own Tokyo pied à terre, complete with private chef, butlers and mini-disco room. Where to GO — It’s hard to eat a bad meal in Tokyo, but there are some hot tables not to miss. Most of these offer omakase tasting menus, although some have à la carte options as well. Book far in advance at Sazenka, which offers Chinese talent and Japanese soul. At 23-seat Ode, chef Yusuke Namai’s Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity by Yayoi Kusama omakase menus focus on Japanese produce and craftsmanship, with a nod to French cooking traditions. In Ginza, one of the sushi world’s hottest young chefs, Hiroyuki Sato, makes 30-piece exquisite nigiri menus at Hakkoku. And for a taste of modern Indian cuisine based on Japanese ingredients, head to Spice Lab Tokyo where chef Tejas Sovani’s dishes are based on the six rasas, or tastes according to Ayurveda, plus the Japanese flavour, umami. No one should leave Tokyo without diving into its museums. Fans of polka dots and pumpkins will love the Yayoi Kusama Museum, where exuberant works in bold colours sit alongside some of the avant-garde artist’s earliest pieces. Katsushika Hokusai’s Great Wave is one of Japan’s most recognised artworks, but the prolific artist produced another 30,000 pieces during his career. It’s worth the journey out to the Sumida neighbourhood to discover more of his repertoire at the Sumida Hokusai Museum, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima. PHOTOS FROM TOP: PUMPKINS SCREAMING ABOUT LOVE BEYOND INFINITY, 2017, © YAYOI KUSAMA; OPPOSITE PAGE: © AMAN 96
A view of Aman Tokyo 97
