ARTICLES
CULTURE
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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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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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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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JAPANESE HOME COOKING MADE EASY
It's perhaps the ultimate souvenir from a trip to Tokyo: the ability to cook Japanese food. TOKYO COOK excels at teaching the art of Japanese home cooking, from gyoza dumplings to dashi broth, with experiences that are fun, tasty - and surprisingly easy.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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YOUR VERY OWN TEA CEREMONY WITH A GREAT MASTER
The tea ceremony, which flourished in the Edo period, lives on in ultra-modern Tokyo. Let Charen Tranquilitea, helmed by a tea-ceremony specialist descended from feudal lords, introduce you to the way of tea through tailor-made experiences such as cha-kaiseki (tea ceremony and kaiseki fine dining) at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
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NIHONBASHI: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Explore the thrumming hive of modernity that’s grown around Tokyo’s original core in Nihonbashi. Historical edifices like Japan’s first department store await, and backstreets invite with pubs and eateries that timeslip to the mid-20th century.
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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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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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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.