HEAD-TURNERS
Tokyo
TOKYO, UNDOUBTEDLY A regional leader in what’s cool, has a handful of fresh downtown must-see lifestyle stops for those wanting to keep in time with the pulse of the latest happenings. Here’s a look at the current buzz in the worlds of independent art galleries, fashionable malls, cocktail bars and luxury hotels, as well as an introduction to a trendy and somewhat bohemian new restaurant and bar neighbourhood, that’s mushroomed under an elevated section of railway track.
GINZA SIX
A new showpiece – Ginza Six – has been unveiled in Chuo-dori, the Ginza shopping street known for its fashionable boutiques and elegant department stores. Within an understated cyber-age façade conceived by architect Yoshio Taniguchi, who also redesigned New York’s Museum of Modern
Art, the mall’s wide-open spaces host designer-brand stores, some of which, such as Fendi and Dior, are multi-storey flagships, while others offer unique or very limitededition items sold exclusively in the Ginza Six showrooms. An entire floor is devoted to Japanese and international beauty products, as well as a cafe offering a gluten-free nutrition-focused menu. A branch of Tsutaya Books is completely integrated with a coffee shop, and encourages browsing with its area of individual reading-table cubicles complete with bar stools, in addition to some more open lounging areas.
Restaurants, bars and cafes span the vibe gamut from smart-casual to high-end on three designated floors. An on-site auditorium presents the opportunity to experience traditional Japanese Noh performances, while a Mori Art Museum-curated display of striking fine-art pieces can be seen throughout the mall. The launch saw the wide atrium hung with oversized white-and-red polka-dot pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama; elsewhere was a digitally rendered waterfall, by teamLab. The culturally befuddled need not fear – an onsite tourist information counter provides solace to the bemused traveller. G Six is crowned by a partially turfed and landscaped rooftop garden that attracts residents and visitors alike. ginza6.tokyo
MIXOLOGY SALON
Moustachioed mixologist Shuzo Nagumo, a darling of Tokyo’s cocktail set, has created a warm eight-seat bar on the 13th floor of Ginza Six. Behind a minimalist concrete frontage are counter seats and two small tables that create a cosy and intimate environment in which to watch and have easy interaction with Nagumo and his two bar staff as they create their sensational drinks.
As with his three other bars, the general concept here, Nagumo says, is to present extraordinary and unexpected flavours through a course of drinks; no food is served. In this newest bar, tea flavours are the theme. “I wanted to remind people of the traditions of Japanese tea,” he explains, “but I also plan to try other types of tea flavours in the future.” In fact, along with his gyokuro (green tea), sobacha (roasted buckwheat tea) and genmaicha (green tea with popped rice) houseflavoured vodkas, he’s already experimenting with Chinese Oolong. Nagamo has also tried gin as a base – the wasabi-laced one has quite a kick – and is considering experimenting with flavoured tequila. r.goope.jp/spirits-sharing
AMAN TOKYO
Aman’s first city hotel occupies the top six floors of a tower in Otemachi, a downtown financial and commercial district close to the glitz of Ginza. Urban vistas are tempered by calm interior spaces, including a sizeable spa and swimming pool, and a landscaped inner garden of ikebana floral arrangements. Room and suite designs (there are just 84 in total) by Kerry Hill Architects combine Japanese decor with contemporary Western elements in a warm palette of pale camphor wood, grey and white.
The formal Restaurant by Aman serves a Japanese and international menu, while a snack and afternoontea spot doubles as a cocktail bar at night. At the ground floor of the tower, Café by Aman, which opened after the hotel launch, casual French cuisine is served against the backdrop of a small woodland. aman.com/resorts/aman-tokyo
Nagumo presents extraordinary and unexpected flavours through drinks