Tokyo, November, 2017

While we routinely shun repeat travel destinations, Japan remains an exception. We acquire familiarity in Japan like stamps in our passports... again and again with aplomb. For years now, close friends from San Francisco - doubling as expatriates in Tokyo - have created frequent opportunities for us to explore and create an unrivaled “best of” list. This is our experience.

As ritual dictates, we left home in San Francisco on the Friday before a holiday week (Thanksgiving) to minimize work disruption. The result? A 17-day trip that straddled three weekends yet required just nine days of vacation. The easy 10-hour flight from San Francisco to city center airport Haneda is the cognoscenti path for avoiding the long schlep from Tokyo’s primary airport, Narita. My United upgrade efforts thwarted, I settled into an economy plus seat and channeled an inspirational NYT piece by David Brooks’ years ago on the unexpected joys of haimish (Yiddish for “cozy”) travel.

Our travel philosophy embraces the art of bookending. Start with an urban retreat, unwind and relax in the middle, and ease back toward reality with a complementary urban finale. It’s our formula. It avoids the jarring nature of landing jet-lagged in paradise fresh from professional frenzy and mutes the asynchronous urgency to relax.

Tokyo is the ideal bookend with its quirky, pitch-perfect wonderment. The urban conurbation is an experience unto itself. Its dizzying rush of 9+ million core inhabitants (37.8 million in the broader prefecture) and arrestingly muted, peaceful reality is a genuine, welcome conundrum. I still recall a puzzling moment during my first visit to Tokyo in 2007 when I stood baffled in a busy intersection trying to work out what was off. The sound of silence.

While we typically stay with friends in the unconsciously hip neighborhood of Daikanyama in central Tokyo (Airbnb has a number of listings for Daikanyama and its interesting neighbor, Ebisu), hotels in Japan are exceptional and the service is unrivaled, even by French and Thai standards.

While we shy away from chains and large hotels, the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills sets the pace for Hyatt’s earnest (and largely successful) reach toward the boutique realm. Nestled in between the Tokyo hubs of Ginza (luxury shopping) and Roppongi(expat business and nightlife), the building itself is a modern marvel designed by Nihon Sekkei and built by Tokyo real estate royalty Mori Building Company. If understated luxury with an iconic view calls your name, the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku beckons. The maze-like corridors spread across multiple floors of this Lost in Translation classic will ensure the same diaphanous, brown-liquor vision of Tokyo popularized by Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray.

With your hotel as anchor, orientation within the urban sprawl is essential. Forget NSEW directions - there is no grid. Our M.O.? Simply use a curated list of cultural and foodie destinations as your compass points with the precision Tokyo subway system as your engine.

Japan gets a late morning start which can be painful for coffee lovers. Ensure you have your plan for morning java mapped out the day before if you want a cup before 8/9am. There are now multiple Blue Bottle Coffee shops across Tokyo, including smart locations in Roppongi and Shinjuku. And if you spend the morning at your hotel with a press pot, do not skip a savory Japanese set breakfast of rice, soup, veggies, a protein (typically fish), and a mix of other delectable, bite-sized morsels the Japanese have mastered.

Garden House Crafts in the relatively new Log Road Daikanyama is an excellent spot for morning baked goods, lite bites, and coffee/tea. Designed along a former rail line, the Log Road outdoor complex houses an array of modern shops, including Fred Segal’s first store outside the United States. If you are up for a more lively morning, do not miss the much-loved Farmer’s Market @ UNU (United Nations University) every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm. Chock-full of coffee stands, food trucks, (try the pork sandwich), and local farmers selling fresh vegetables, pastries, yuzu jam, and more, it makes for a fun morning in the elegant Aoyama neighborhood (home of Herzog & de Meuron’s vaunted building for Prada).

Whether you love to shop or not, wander from the Farmer’s Market to the nearby shopping mecca of Omotesando Hills. This tree-canopied, more sedate version of Singapore’s Orchard Road has everything you need, and do not. For a truncated experience, step inside GYRE Shopping Center and explore. Near the top you will find Omotesando Ukai-tei, a pricey and delightful spot for the ultimate kaiseki experience.

If you are looking for a simple, serene retreat for lunch, you cannot beat Sahsya Kanetanaka in the nearby Oak Building. Light wood and tiered seating overlook a beautiful Japanese garden with a seasonal set lunch. Refined and understated, this small restaurant embodies everything we love about Japan. Book in advance.

In close proximity to Omotesando Hills, do not miss the Nezu Museum. Established by railroad tycoon Kaichiro Nezu and set in a private, urban park setting, the museum features Japanese and Chinese art and hosts regular exhibitions (the art of samurai sword-making, most recently). If you’re feeling peckish, grab a window seat in the museum cafe overlooking an idyllic Japanese garden. Across the street from the museum, several of eight Arts and Science outlets offer a window onto Tokyo’s elegant sartorial reality, extreme craftsmanship, and breathtaking prices.

While Roppongi is best known for its hard-working and -playing expats, it is not to be missed. As Aoyama bleeds into Roppongi Hills, set a course through Aoyama Cemetery. Along with the trendy neighborhood of Nakameguro positioned along a tree-lined urban stream, the cemetery is one of the more spectacular locations for the late March/early April Cherry Blossom Festival. Nearby 21_21 Design Site is a relatively new Tokyo institution. As interesting for its James Bond-style mid-century concrete bunker architecture as for its creators - architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake - it is equal parts museum and installation space that delivers a creative jolt. Nearby Mori Art Museum - and its unbeatable views of metro Tokyo from the 54th floor - is a must. Reminiscent of San Francisco’s de Young, Mori has a small permanent collection and extensive exhibition space for pan-Asian and international artists.

The depth of the food culture in Tokyo runs so deep we have only scratched the surface after 5+ trips. But we persist. As a rule, the general level of food quality is higher than almost anywhere else in the world. By no means a comprehensive list, the options below will not disappoint.

1. Sushi Ya, Ginza. Prepare and brace yourself because the courses never seem to end with the omakase set menu. Run by young chef Takao Ishyama, this hard-to-find Ginza restaurant with just 8 seats is memorable. Less ceremony, more food- and chef-centric. We love this restaurant.

2. Seamon, Ginza. While Seamon is not on many lists, it has always felt special to me. The focus in this modern sushi bar - with several set omakase menus to choose from - is more on food than ceremony. Michelin-star quality without the $$$.

3. Sushi Saito, Roppongi. Arguably the pinnacle of sushi in Tokyo, Sushi Saito and its three Michelin stars need little introduction. In our experience, a three-star ranking equates to perfection from start to finish - a memorable chef, beautiful food, flawless service, and a bit of ceremony

4. The Blind Donkey, Chiyoda. We cannot help ourselves. If there is a Bay Area connection - especially to Chez Panisse and our beloved Alice Waters - we’re there. Since 2012, chef Shin Harakawa has developed a vibrant, short menu of Franco-California favorites - first at Beard in Meguro and now most recently at The Blind Donkey.

5. Cignale Enoteca, Matsumizaka. As fans of Monocle, we pay attention to their meticulously curated content. Cignale Enoteca recently shot to #1 (out of 50) on the Monocle Restaurant Awards list with its Italian-California cuisine in an intimate 18-seat setting led by chef Toshiji Tomori. Famously difficult to reserve.

6. Butagumi, Roppongi. If you don’t keep kosher and love fried food, make your way to Butagumi. Widely considered Tokyo’s best restaurant for tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), this crispy brown goodness is served to perfection in a traditional Japanese house.

7. Ippudo, Ebisu. The first outlet of the now-famous ramen shop, head to the Ebisu branch for a late night snack after an evening concert at Tokyo Blue Note.

8. Nishiazabu Gogyo, Roppongi. For ramen lovers everywhere, check out Gogyo. Famous for its burnt miso ramen, we step out of Roppongi and into this savory shop every trip to Tokyo.