Spring in Tokyo brings out the annual “sakura”, or cherry blossom, that marks the end of an especially wet winter this last year. In terms of hotels, Hyatt maintains its respectful grip on local hospitality with its cinematic Park Hyatt, impeccably located Grand Hyatt Rippongi and forthcoming Andaz Toranomon Hills that’s a 52-story tower of modern, minimalist rooms and rooftop playground set to open in early June.
There are few travel experiences as satiating as a first-time visit to Tokyo. The eyes hovers between its vertical sprawl and street parade of impeccably dressed residents that seem to wake-up and say, “What will I wear today?” Shops like Okura with its boho menswear and Kapital give a more local look if you’re able to breakout of Rick Owens, Thom Browne or Dover Street Market. For lunch, Sushi-sho by Keiji Nakazawa does our favorite midday sushi while L’Effervescence proves why many insist that Tokyo does French food even better than Paris. If a light snack is more your thing, new Café Kitsune charms with its traditional teahouse design while Bar Zingaro teams artist Takashi Murakami with Norwegian coffeeprenuers in the Nakano Broadway mall.
By night, one of the world’s greatest culinary cities is at your beckon �" providing you booked the right tables at least a month in advance. It’s around this time of year that you can have your final heaping of truffle rice at Kadowaki where he literally shaves the truffle like it's Parmesan. For a more seasonal spring menu opt for Kanda in a spare white dining room of blanched woods and handmade porcelain that defy its 3-star Michelin gravitas. Afterwards, SuperDeluxe serves-up the hippest live music venue in Tokyo while Le Baron and Trump Room duke it out for the fashion it-crowd. Just be sure you make it back to your hotel in time to enjoy a less crowded AM jaunt through Shinjuku Gyoen or Ueno Park to say good morning to the cherry blossoms.
