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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Tokyo
Funny thing about Tokyo: Although the metropolis is home to 12 million people, or about ten percent of Japan’s population, it never feels cramped, dirty, dangerous, or chaotic. But despite Tokyo’s and Japan’s aesthetic and cultural influence on the world (Nintendo, sushi, and karaoke, for starters), Western visitors often shy away because of long-outdated fears: of astronomical prices, of the language, of the famously baroque etiquette. Such misgivings are unfounded. The Japanese recession is in its second decade, and a visit here can be more affordable than one to Europe. Every sign in the excellent subway system is in both Japanese and English. And while the customs of the country can be a tough nut to crack, locals forgive a traveler’s gaffes and go out of their way to help a confused foreigner.
Attractions & Activities The first thing you’ll notice about Tokyoites—other than their chicness—is their love of shopping. Most Tokyo newbies begin their introduction to the city in the Harajuku district, which on weekends fills with outrageously and inventively dressed teenagers, who amble down Omotesando, the lovely tree-lined boulevard that runs the length of the neighborhood, showing off their getups and checking out their peers’. While there’s plenty of luxury shopping here— Louis Vuitton (5-7-5 Jingumae; 81-3-3478-2100), Chanel (2-1 Udagawa-cho; 81-3-5459-5272), Dior (5-9-11 Jingumae; 81-3-5464-6260), and the shops at the upscale Omotesando Hills mall (81-3-3497-0310)—begin with a detour to the famous Takeshita-dori, an alley parallel to Omotesando, thick with giggling girls and cool boys dawdling among its street wear stores. Rejoin Omotesando and walk south to Kiddy Land, a multistory toy store that’s the perfect place to pick up a limited-edition Harajuku Hello Kitty key chain or a fake bullet–firing robot (6-1-9 Jingumae; 81-3-3409-3431). Continue south until you reach the Minami-Aoyama neighborhood, where another cluster of upscale fashion stores— Miu Miu (1-15-14 Shin Nogizaka Building; 81-3-5570-1011), BAPE Exclusive (5-5-8 Minami-Aoyama; 81-3-3407-2145), Issey Miyake (3-18-11 Minami-Aoyama; 81-3-3423-1407), Under Cover (5-3-18 Minami-Aoyama; 81-3-3407-1232), Comme des Garçons (5-2-1 Minami-Aoyama; 81-3-3406-3951), and Prada, in its glass-and-steel honeycomb (5-2-6 Minami-Aoyama; 81-3-6418-0400)—await. If you’re not a shopaholic, skip Omotesando and head north to Meiji jingu, one of Tokyo’s largest and most peaceful Shinto shrines, whose solemn gravel pathway and insistent hush make you feel as if you’re stepping into another world (81-3-3379-5511; meijijingu.or.jp). Sometimes referred to as Tokyo’s Times Square, Shibuya is really more SoHo than Midtown. The streets are choked with teens and young adults wandering in and out of the trendy, multi-part department stores—most notably, Marui (3-1-3 Shinjuku; 81-3-3354-0101), Parco (15-1 Udagawa-cho; 81-3-3454-5111), and Seibu (1-28-1 Minami Ikebukuro; 81-3-3981-0111). For a wide selection of art books, try Logos, a bookstore in the basement of Parco 1 (15-1 Udagawa-cho; 81-3-3496-7362). Not sure what you want? You can find virtually anything—lumber, umbrellas, cedarwood soap, stationery, tote bags, utensils—at Tokyu Hands (12-18 Udagawa-cho; 81-3-5489-5111). It’s tempting to stay out all night here, but at least once go to sleep early and wake up at 4 AM to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market, which each day handles more than 2,200 tons of seafood, a staple in the Japanese diet. For the tuna auction, which starts at five, a barker stands on a crate over frozen human-size tuna carcasses and oversees frantic bidding among buyers, who include wholesalers and representatives from major restaurants and grocery stores. Wander the outer market, marveling at the trays of purple octopuses, shiny black cockles, and all sorts of unidentifiable creatures. Then stop by one of the adjacent sushi joints. English isn’t typically spoken here, but no worries: When in doubt, point—for once, you’ll never have to worry about whether or not your fish is fresh (5-2-1 Tsukiji; tsukiji-market.or.jp). Contemporary art enthusiasts love the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, which hosts intimate yet authoritative exhibitions by up-and-coming and important new talents such as photographer Miwa Yanagi (81-3-3445-0651; haramuseum.or.jp), and the Mori Museum of Art, perched 53 stories above the city—atop of the retail extravaganza Roppongi Hills, which opened to great fanfare in 2003 and has made good on the hype with some truly memorable and groundbreaking shows (81-3-5777-8600; mori.art.museum). For a taste of the past, stop by the fascinating Edo-Tokyo-Museum. Housed in a massive, windowless parallelogram, the collection, with its many artifacts and reconstructions, offers a brisk look at Tokyo, which started as a small medieval fishing village in what was then an isolated and closed country. During the postwar years, all of Japan grew so quickly that the enormity of change can only be marveled at today (81-3-3626-9974; edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp). The oldest royal family in the world has lived in the Imperial Palace, near Tokyo Station, since 1888. (The palace was destroyed in World War II but rebuilt in the 1960s.) The royals, who ruled absolutely until Japan’s postwar surrender, are noted for their privacy, and while it’s not possible to visit the palace buildings and inner gardens, the lovely Imperial Palace East Gardens is a nice place for a stroll and relaxation, its wide lawns and small, well-kept gardens a respite from Tokyo’s never-ending hum (kunaicho.go.jp). Lodging All Japanese hotels, from the luxe to the modest businessman’s hostelry, share three things: service, safety, and cleanliness. Tokyo is home to some of the world’s finest city hotels, four of which rank on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List of the very best places in the world to stay. These include the Park Hyatt, a hushed cocoon 50 floors above the bustle of the Shinjuku neighborhood, where on a clear day you can see Mount Fuji from your room; the Four Seasons, in sedate Marunouchi, near Tokyo Station, where the rooms are decorated in beige and pale gray and have wall-to-wall windows, Italian sycamore paneling, and saddle-stitched leather bed canopies; the Grand Hyatt, in a skyscraper in buzzing Roppongi, where even-numbered rooms on higher floors yield mesmerizing city views; and the Imperial Hotel, across from the Imperial Palace, with simple rooms mixing traditional and contemporary design. Those preferring the eastern side of town, near the swank Ginza district, will like both the new Mandarin Oriental, which attracts an older, discreetly moneyed clientele and offers sweeping city views from its tastefully decorated rooms, and The Conrad, slightly edgier, with a young, sweet staff and enormous guest rooms whose glassed-in baths look directly into the sleeping areas. Those wanting to spend a little less money—while still remaining close to the action—have options too, though not as many as a city Tokyo’s size should. The Shibuya Tokyu Excel may not be fancy—the clean and quiet rooms are strictly basic—but its location couldn’t be better: It sits right above Shibuya station, overlooking the famous intersection which thousands of pedestrians cross each day. Nearby, the new Granbell attracts a largely Japanese clientele—the staff’s English, though well-intentioned, is shaky. And while there’s no lobby to speak of, the rooms are simply and wittily designed and have large bathrooms. Dining To most people, Japanese food means one thing: sushi. But visit Tokyo and you’ll realize that the cuisine is much more diverse. If raw fish isn’t your thing, reserve a space at the bar at Ippoh, the Tokyo branch of one of Japan’s most storied tempura restaurants. Watch as the chef dunks battered vegetables and fish into a seething pot of hot oil. The result is improbably light and melts in your mouth (3-4-15 Nihonbashi; 81-3-3289-5011; prix fixes, $86–$130). It’s not the case in every city, but hotel restaurants here (particularly at the upper-end hotels) are usually worthwhile. At the top—literally, gastronomically, and financially—is the Park Hyatt’s Kozue, whose beautiful, multipart set menus include elements of a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal: something raw (such as jewel-colored cuts of fresh toro), something steamed, something grilled, and something fried. The presentation is as beautiful as the food is delicious, and the whole thing can be enjoyed while watching the sun stripe the sky around Mount Fuji into bands of indigo and flame orange (entrées, $100–$168). For sushi in a pristine, accessible environment, look to Roku Roku, at the Grand Hyatt, where lovely pieces of fish are made and arranged with a sculptor’s artistry (entrées, $61–$165). The best restaurants in Tokyo are tucked away on the second or third floors of faceless office buildings. Here, Tokyoites come to have a beer (or three) and enjoy small dishes such as grilled squid or chicken meatballs. Few of these places have English menus, but two that do are the fun and smoky En (1-24-12 Shibuya Toei Plaza; 81-3-5648-6196; entrées, $5–$7) and Zarai Oita, which specializes in cuisine from the western Oita prefecture (2-2-2 Ginza; 81-3-3563-0322; prix fixes, $63–$150). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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