ARTICLES
CULTURE
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CURATED STROLL INTO THE CITY OF DIVERSITY
Delve into diversity in Daikanyama, one of Tokyo's eclectic collections of artistic enclaves. With an expert guide, a walk around Shibuya's "brooklynesque" neighbor unveils the rich history and many charms of this enchanting area.
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CUSTOMIZING TRADITIONAL CRAFTS
Home to many unique craft traditions developed in its days as a castle town during the Edo period (1603–1868), Tokyo offers refined souvenirs and gifts you won’t see anywhere else.
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COLLABORATION OF BLOWING AND CARVING
Edo Kiriko glass – a handmade artistic tradition crystallizing the spirt of Tokyo. Glass hand-blown by Tajima Glass and carved and polished by artisan workshops such as Hanashyo offer you a perfect, breathtaking memento of Tokyo that will endure for generations.
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NIHONBASHI: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Edo Kiriko glass – a handmade artistic tradition crystallizing the spirt of Tokyo. Glass hand-blown by Tajima Glass and carved and polished by artisan workshops such as Hanashyo offer you a perfect, breathtaking memento of Tokyo that will endure for generations.
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STORY FROM A SINGLE THREAD
Traditions handed down for over a thousand years and stories beginning with a single thread − kimonos embody Japan’s timeless devotion to craftsmanship, beauty and style. At Ginza Motoji, select your own hand-crafted fabrics to create your own personally fitted masterpiece.
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NEW WAVE MEETS TRADITION
Ukiyo-e – the striking woodblock prints that inspired Monet and Van Gogh and set the course of fashion in Edo-era Japan. Uncover your own authentic masterpiece at Hara Shobo in Kanda, and bring home a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of Japanese art.
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UNRIVALED CULINARY DELIGHTS
With a tantalizing choice of dining options from healthy soba noodles to elaborate multicourse kaiseki meals, Tokyo is unrivaled as a culinary destination.
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YOUR OWN PRIVATE TEA CEREMONY
Find out what the Way of Tea is all about in a ceremony created just for you.
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THE MODERN TEA CEREMONY
The stylish Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience in fashionable Aoyama is the perfect place to explore the wonderful world of Japanese tea beyond the usual thick matcha. Explore the more than 50 varieties of local Japanese tea or perhaps one of the tea-infused cocktails.
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CUSTOMIZED SUSHI-MAKING EXPERIENCE WITH MATSUNOZUSHI
At Matsunozushi, a family enterprise that’s been serving classic Edomae-style sushi since 1910, book a dining experience that’s complete with a tailor-made master class by the fourth-generation chef.
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EXPERIENCE AUTHENTIC TRADITION
From traditional craft techniques to the elaborate tea ceremony, a host of unique hands-on experiences awaits the traveller to Tokyo.
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EDO KUMIKO : AN INTRICATE AFFAIR
Visit this small Edo workshop, specializing in delicate wooden latticework, and bring back a piece of Japanese carpentry history in the form of a beautiful andon lantern, a speciality of Takahiro Tanaka who continues this proud Tokyo tradition.
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JAPAN BLUE MEETS THE FUTURE
Indigo – the color of victory, the color of tradition, and the color of the future. Using all-natural ingredients and techniques passed down from the 8th century, Tateisucanna offers fashion imbued with the wisdom and beauty of Japan’s aizome indigo dyeing tradition.
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RETAINING TRADITIONS WHILE GO BEYOND TRADITIONS
The kimono–a symbol of Japanese beauty and tradition – is continuing to evolve through the work of contemporary artisans. At a bright, airy boutique in Tokyo, HIROCOLEDGE reimagines the kimono for modern life with vivid designs based on timeless motifs.
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APPRECIATING NATURE, THE JAPANESE WAY
In the art of bonsai, little pots hold fascinating miniature worlds encapsulating many of Japan’s ancient aesthetic ideals and philosophies. Meet an acclaimed bonsai master in Tokyo, and discover a new way to appreciate nature and Japanese culture through his timeless works of living art.
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A HIDDEN VILLAGE RICH IN NATURE AND TRADITION
See the other side of Tokyo on Mount Mitake. Just two hours from the bustle of the city center, this richly forested holy mountain has welcomed pilgrims and visitors for centuries, in lodgings run by Shinto priest families. Discover a world of ancient worship, traditional cuisine, and stunning natural beauty.
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SIMPLE, YET A NOVEL IDEA
Experience a uniquely modern take on cha-kaiseki tea ceremony dining at Sokkon in upscale Aoyama. Owner Soko Udagawa, the 18th-generation master of the Sowa-ryu school of tea ceremony, turns convention on its head with a refreshingly accessible approach that he calls “a return to the essence of tea tradition.”
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A MODERN TASTE OF KINTSUGI
From a rare encounter with a legendary kintsugi artist to an exquisite tea ceremony-inspired cocktail experience - slow down and explore the rich cultural landscape that lies beneath the surface of Tokyo’s fast-paced urbanism.