Exploring the City

The Midtown Tower is an urban district in the center of the city that opened in 2007. On the street level, passers-by are invited to rest, eat, buy or browse in museums, galleries, trendy shops, restaurants and bars designed around sculpture parks. David Childs SOM, Master architect of the Midtown Tower developed the idea after a traditional Japanese garden. His team was "particularly fastidious about creating a complex where people can readily gather and savor the space around them."

Close to the Midtown Tower is the largest property development in Tokyo, the Roppongi Hills , an expansive maze of concrete and glass buildings and multi-level malls. Portions of the Hills are devoted to an art center, with a number of museums and galleries showing the latest in contemporary art and design. The complex is so big I needed a map to find my way around this city within the City. Fortunately brochures are located in pockets at every entrance. I found less trafficked districts farther south where visitors find oases among the tranquil gardens and waterfalls adjacent to the Sheraton Miyako and the Grande Tokyo Bay Hotels.

There’s little left of historic architecture in Tokyo (formerly Edo). Until 1868, when the Tokugawa shogun was overthrown, the capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1923 and by bombs during World War II. A replica of the 19th century Edo Castle, now the Imperial Palace, home to Emperor Akihito, was completed in 1968. Visitors are able to enter the inner palace grounds only at the New Year’s Greeting (January 2nd) and on the Emperor’s Birthday (December 23rd).

Returning to my hotel was more difficult than I thought. Weary from trekking all over Tokyo, I took several wrong turns. Still, the city is safe no matter what the hour. Respect for the law is the norm, as evidenced in the way renegades from convention and gray-flannel suiters wait at untrafficked corners for the light to change before crossing. I was told that if you leave your wallet at a counter, you’ll find it there when you return. The only problem I encountered was that menus are in Japanese, and waiters don’t speak English. But with a little mime and customers’ help, I wasn’t disappointed with my snacks.

Photos by Denise Mattia

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Help in retracing my steps came from those who spoke English, and those willing to try out their language skills. I arrived back at the hotel in time for an exemplary dinner at the Hinokizaka on the Ritz-Carlton’s 45th floor. The restaurant’s top chef, Junichi Yoshida, prepares sumptuous dishes on a built-in teppan (griddle), while diners at a counter opposite watch in eager anticipation.

I feel like an honored guest whether I’m at a sushi bar or a hotel. Hotel personnel have a talent for addressing guests by name -- a gift for memorization I wish I had. I also stayed at the Four Seasons Marunouchi and the Mandarin Oriental, and felt my hotel rooms were home. In one day I’d come to view the Ritz-Carlton the same way. The bathrooms are particularly impressive. More often than not, they were bigger than my New York apartment. And no one but the Japanese would design a warmer that runs through the commode seats, ensuring a comfortable "sit," in addition to installing control buttons nearby to spray warm water on the front or back of your derriere once business is complete.

Then, it was time to leave. My new home was at the Rosewood Hotel, Seiyo Ginza, one of the first luxury properties built in Tokyo and I arrived in time for a late luncheon at the Repertoire, a dining room reminiscent of traditional French cafés in my native New York. Although noon hour is the standard midday meal, a multinational power lunch was still going on by the time I left to see more of the city.

Clutching maps, I explored Ginza, the Fifth Avenue of Tokyo, passing Tiffany’s, Cartier’s and Chanel before venturing into the subway where a passenger helped me decipher the system.

A giant red paper lantern marks the entrance to the Sensouji Buddhist Temple at Asakusa. The main religions in Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism, and many Japanese are believers in both. Once inside the most famous temple in Tokyo, a long street flanked by shops selling colorful souvenirs and snacks leads to the Asakusa shrine. Built in 1649 the shrine is the only structure that escaped wartime bombs.

At the beautiful Hamarikyo Onshi Garden, I boarded the Sumida River Cruise boat, which follows the coastline. From the waterfront, it’s easy to see the Tokyo Tower. A taller copy of The Eiffel Tower, the orange and white lattice structure was constructed in 1958 and supports an antenna that broadcasts television and radio signals for important Japanese media outlets.

My arrival at the Hinode Pier was much farther south than I’d expected. Still, the subway system in Tokyo is excellent, if not a little daunting, and I was soon at the hotel. Not wishing to venture out again, the Seiyo Ginza’s affordable, popular Italian bistro, Attore, provided me with universal comfort food.