Tokyo 2020

After countless visits to Tokyo, I’m always looking for new and exciting activities to see/eat/explore in the city. Tokyo is one of the best cities to visit over and over as you can never really run of out things to do! And with the Olympics approaching, the city is really ramping up with excitement and truly coming to life for the major event! Below are some of my favourite activities from out latest visit.

Senchado Tokyo

We visited Senchado Tokyo, a specialty green tea shop located in Ginza. Here, I learned so many tips on how to properly brew green tea, and was also able to make my own green tea blend. The teas used here are sourced from all over Japan. We spent roughly one hour here, and I’d highly recommend a visit if you want to learn more about Japanese green tea!

Address: 5-10-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

https://www.senchado.jp// https://shop.senchado.jp/

Faro

For lunch, we visited Italian inspired restaurant Faro. We were offered the choice of two menus, a regular set menu, or the vegan set menu. I tried the vegan menu while Damian went for the regular. Both were exquisite, but I was particularly surprised at the vegan menu. One of my courses included a ‘vegan bolognese’. It tasted exactly like the real deal, I was really blown away by the flavours they created on this menu!

Address: 10F Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building, 8-8-3, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

https://faro.shiseido.co.jp/en/

Ginza Motoji & Ginza Gallery Tour

My appreciation for kimonos is on another level after this trip! Wearing a kimono the right way can take up to one hour. I spent hours here learning from Mr Motoji himself and his son about the art of wearing a kimono, as well as the time and work it takes to create a kimono from scratch. Koumei Motoji has been doing this for over forty years and has opened threekimono shops in Ginza. They were also the first brand to ever open a men’s kimono boutique in Japan. I tried to share a snippet of what was shared with me via my stories, but it’s definitely not the same as hearing their story in person. If you’d like to learn yourself be sure to visit their incredible boutique in Ginza! After I was dressed in a kimono I explored Ginza with art expert and gallery owner Ms. Yoko Noro. She arranged a private tour for me of some of the best exhibits in Ginza. All of which were easily walkable in a kimono of course!

Address (Ginza Motoji): 4-8-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

https://www.motoji.co.jp/en/

Address (Gallery Tour): Ginza Yanagi Gallery – Sukiyabashi Building 3F, 5-1-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

http://www.yanagi.com/

Trunk Hotel

We checked into the Terrace suite at The Trunk Hotel for a morning of yoga and relaxation. This boutique hotel is very modern and the styling had me feeling both at home and very zen at the same time. The hotel like a little oasis located in the Shibuya District. I took a morning  yoga class in our room and spent the morning taking it really slow. It was such a nice contrast from the rest of our days in Tokyo!

Address: 5-31 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

https://trunk-hotel.com/

Florilege 

We had lunch at Florilege, a michelin twostar restaurant located in Aoyama. The food was incredible. The way they play with flavours and textures here is true unique. We dined in a private room, but in the main section of the restaurant, guests are able to dine around the kitchen as you watch your food being prepared.

Address:2-5-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

https://www.aoyama-florilege.jp/en/

Tempura Tenko (Cooking Class & Lunch)

I spent a morning learning how to cook tempura from Chef. Hitoshi Arai. One thing I took away from the cooking class is that cooking tempura is one big balancing act. I’m really not certain that I’d be able to recreate what I was taught at home, but nonetheless it was a really amazing experience. Chef Hitoshi learned the craft from his father and is continuing his legacy at Tenko. After the class we were treated to a full tempura meal at his restaurant.

Address: 3-1 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

http://kagurazaka-tenko.jp/en.html?lang=1

Email to reserve his cooking class:info@tokyo-cook.com (English)

Tie Dyeing with Ichiran Toba

We visited Mr. Ichiran Toba’s studio where he showed us his unique method of dyeing! I was also shown how to tie dye my own shirt at his studio. The dye bath he creates uses all natural ingredients & is non toxic. One of the main ingredients isthe leaves of a plant called Persicaria tinctorial, it has been used for a source of this blue dye since 12~13^th century in Japan.The process took about twenty minutes and I was so surprised (and pleased) with the result.

Address: 76 Enokicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Instagram : @tateisucanna

Shibuya Sky

We woke up at early so we could make it up the brand new Shibuya Sky nice and early! The building opened in November last year, and is one of the new highlights in Tokyo! The rooftop gives you 360 degree views of the city. I’d recommend an early morning, or late afternoon visit so you can watch the sun rising or setting! The opening hours are 9am and closes at 11pm.

Address: 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/en/

Team lab Planets

Over ten visits to a TeamLab exhibit and it never gets old. I am always in awe every time I step inside. Team lab Planets is located in the Toyosu neighbourhood. It’s not to be confused with Teamlab Borderless which is located in Odaiba. Both are very unique experiences. I’ve been to both countless times and also have so much fun at the exhibit. Fingers crossed for a Sydney exhibition one day soon! (I won’t share too many pics here so you can experience it for yourself!)

Address: 6-1-16 Toyosu, Koto-ku,Tokyo

The Peninsula Spa

Before our last full day of exploring we spent the morning at The Peninsula Tokyo. The spa here is truly on another level. I received an amazing Chi Healing treatment (1hour 20mins). This is part of The Peninsula Tokyo’s Original menu. The amentities, spa rooms, relaxation rooms, and facilities are exquisite.

For more information:

https://www.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/wellness/luxury-hotel-spa

Address: 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

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This blog post has been sponsored by Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau. However all thoughts and words are my own. #Tokyo_TimelessTemptations#sponsored