The Tokyo To Do List: Where To Sushi, Spa & Stay
You’ll never get bored: that much could be said for most mega-cities. But a week, a weekend, or even a day in Tokyo, and you can shop for chic, indie denim one moment or win fluffy toys from a vending machine the next. Cutesy, vibrant, modern, cool and downright bizarre, this city is a heady mix of all the things you didn’t know you needed. Fancy afternoon tea with pigs? Gaming galore? Or a deeply invigorating onsen open to the night sky? It’s all waiting for you.
Where to stay
Once you wiggle your way out of the central train station maze and through the financial district, you’ll find yourself at the towering doors of Hoshinoya’s Tokyo residence. Hoshinoya is a master at incorporating the local culture at each of its properties, and in the Tokyo hotel, it begins the moment you take off your shoes. Tip-toeing softly through the grand entrance, I feel like I’ve entered a secret vortex of calm and quiet – the bustle of the city lost to serenity.
With 84 rooms to choose from, the most impressive is Kiku. The three-bedroom space has a bathroom bigger than most flats in the city, and floor-to-ceiling windows give a good look over the flanking high-rise buildings. Most people come to Japan for the famed cherry blossom, and this delicate, neat floral theme is applied to the name of each room, and through the intricate petal pattern that wraps around the entire building.
The hotel is said to be built on an ancient Edo site of feuding families. You can glimpse subtle hints of this period if you know where to look. Each floor is designed like a traditional ryokan, centred around a communal relaxation area for socialising or downtime. And the staff’s muted uniform has hints of colour, mimicking ancient Edo dress. You can also try your hand at the time-honoured art of incense burning, tea ceremony or Kenjutsu, where you’ll mix your best attempts at swordsmanship with deep breathing on the rooftop.
Most importantly, the hotel is one of few places that has an actual hot spring. The onsen starts 1,500 metres underground and pops up in a moody spa-like sanctuary. Keeping with tradition, I enjoy a thorough scrub on the wooden stools in the communal wash area, and dunk myself in the water like a stewing tea bag. The roof towers up like a wide chimney so you can peer as if through a keyhole up to the night sky.
This hotel is one of few places that has an actual hot spring… a quiet haven hidden amongst the buzz
An overnight stay at Hoshinoya Tokyo starts from 112,000 JPY / approx. £578 per room per night (two sharing, breakfast only)
Website: www.hoshinoresorts.com
Things to do
teamLab Planets
teamLab Planets is a much-celebrated sensory experience for all the family. We arrive at a big warehouse only to disappear through its doors into a world of immersive artworks. One minute we’re wading through fluorescent knee-deep waters filled with colourful projections of fish. The next, we’re bouncing off black sponges in a pitch-black room or dancing past walls of levitating orchids. It’s an experience that will be etched into your imagination forever.
Website: www.teamlabplants.com
Tuna Auction
Not for the faint-hearted, the tuna auction at Toyosu Market involves a 5.30am start. But if you’re suffering from jetlag anyway, it’s worth booking yourself onto the tour. It’s free, you just need to enter the online ballot a month before you go. Then you get special access via a glass observation deck overlooking the bidders, and their bartering hands.
See who will get the best price for these gargantuan fish that can sell for up to 1 million yen
Website: www.toyosu.JP
Harajuku
This area, or more specifically, one street in this area, Takeshita Dori is known for its teen sub-culture and cosplay outfits. Filled with bright, quirky and childlike colours and shops, it’s a place to get lost in for a few hours.
Treat yourself to sweet treats, from cream-filled pancakes to rainbow cheese sandwiches, buy a fluffy key ring, or find yourself prodding plastic baguettes in a squishy shop – yes, a shop that’s dedicated to selling, well, squishy things.
The Temples Of Asakusa
Find the secret treasures of old Tokyo in the district of Asakusa. Yes, it’s quite the tourist trap, but if you’re only visiting once, it’s worth getting up close to the Senso-ji temple and the Otori shrine. Try and time it with a traditional Buddhist festival, such as Tori-no-ichi, and you’ll see the streets come to life with chanting, food stalls and elaborate decorations for good fortune.
The Imperial Palace and Gardens
Wandering around the immaculate park surrounding the Imperial Palace, you will begin to understand the caring, meticulous nature of the Japanese people.
Trees and bushes have been accurately snipped and styled down to the nearest millimetre, and it’s a great spot for a picnic.
Where to eat & drink
Tsujuiki Fish Market
After you’ve watched the tuna auction at Toyosu Market, head over to Tsukiji, the old fish market, where the street stalls are lined up selling fresh, fried, boiled and baked ingredients straight from the sea. By 9am we had already had a steaming bowl of seaweed-topped offal and grilled scallops in their shells. It will certainly test your tastebuds!
Sushi Conveyor Belt Restaurant
Need more fish? No problem. The Uobei fast food joint in Shibuya is an entertaining and cheap way to fill up on slices of salmon nigiri, tuna sushi rolls and pickled sea urchin. Order on screens and listen to a triumphant jingle as your plate arrives along the conveyor belt. Plus, they have refillable green tea.
Where: 2-29-11 Dogenzaka, Shibuya
Pignic Spots
Ever been to a pig cafe? The reality is just as confusing as the concept. It obviously has very little to do with the food, although I would steer clear of the Thai pink milk – I instantly felt my teeth disintegrating from the syrup and condensed milk concoction. And much more to do with the little snacks you feed these micropigs while sitting on the floor of their piggy playpen.
Let them either bite your hand or nuzzle your crotch as you try to unsuccessfully capture a gram-worthy photo.
Website: www.cafe.pignic.jp
French-Inspired Fare
Back at Hoshinoya Tokyo, there’s an underground lair where guests can enjoy a demure, private dining experience. Mouthfuls of scallop mousse and matsutake mushrooms are artfully paired together to bring out the best of Japan’s produce from land and sea, with some dishes cooked on an open flame right next to your table.
Top tips
If nature calls and you’re caught short, head to the nearest 7-Eleven or Family Mart convenience store. Not only can you waste hours eyeing up squid snacks or spam sushi, they’re also equipped with squeaky clean all-singing, all-dancing toilets.
As for shopping – while Daikanyama is now known as a cultural institution for its artsy books and artisan denim, we were pleasantly surprised by the indie Tomigaya area. We spent the day jumping from independent Skandi-inspired coffee-cum-cocktail bar Fuglen to the trendy Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers for a more local approach to tomes and nic-nacks.
How to get there
Fly direct from London Heathrow straight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The 14-hour flight is no mean feat, but it’s totally worth it. Trust us.
