ELLE Editors Recommend: The Hottest Spots In Tokyo

This megalopolis holds a few world records: busiest intersection, Shibuya, the tallest tower, Skytree and quirkiest street fashion in Harujuku. It is the ultra-modern tech mecca of Akihabara, and steeped in tradition, with its temples and shinto shrines. 

Trendy Eatery

Sezanne

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Voted best restaurant in Asia, Sezanne should top your dining-out list. The Andre Fu-designed interiors, with Baccarat Crystal and a Christofle champagne trolley, set the tone for an exquisite, neo-French/Asian menu in dishes such as Shanghai crab with white truffle.

Floor 7, Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi, sezanne.tokyo

Charming Hotel

Kinato

Walking distance from the beautiful Imperial Gardens, the light and airy Kitano is all about comfort, space and wellness, with its own acupuncture and chiropractor clinic. Book the Orangerie for "Iwamoto" free range beef from Okinawa, or try the traditional tea ceremony in the Japanese Tea room.

2-16-15 Hirakawa-cho, kitanohotel.co.jp

Local Food Hotspot

Kyorakutei

In the cool neighbourhood of Kagurazaka, this cult restaurant has been grinding buckwheat flour on their own millstone for handmade noodles since1913. Order the "juwari" (100% buckwheat) noodles with seasonal vegetables, tiger shrimp tempura or "tsuke care"– cold soba with hot curry sauce.

3-6 Kagurazaka, Kagurazaka-ka 1F

Buzzing Bar

The Bvlgari Bar 

On the 45th floor of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, whose top six floors house the stunning Bvlgari Hotel, this stylish bar is set between two rooftop terraces, which compete for wow-factor with its beautiful birds-in-trees mural. Order a sparkling sake, dig into the "cicchetti", and admire the view.

2-2-1 Yaesu, bulgarihotels.com

Pamper Places

Ikkyu No Hirameki

This specialist salon’s ‘Brain Touch’ technique aims to relieve your grey matter’s information overload through gentle head massages. You will drift into a semi-conscious state and wake up rebooted.

50-2 Yarai-cho, ikyu-no-hirameki.com

NeRoLi Herb

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Check out this new herb shop in Omotesando, created by Ayumi Sugawara, a certified phytotherapist rated highly by hair and make-up artists. Go for the high-quality, herbal tea blends, or order a bespoke mix.

AQUA, 1F 3-9-2 Kita-Aoyama, neroliherb.com

Beauty Library

This beauty store/café has beautifully backlit ‘bookshelves’ of mostly organic skincare and beauty ranges, such as F Organics and MiMC. Built in self-study sections enable relaxed product sampling.

Holon-R 1F, 3-12-12, Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, nendo.jp

It Fashion Designer

Fetico by Emi Funayama 

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Creator of the label Fetico (fetish kid), her fashion school nickname, Funayama did stints with both Hysteric Glamor and Christa Dada before founding her own brand in 2020. Redefining fashion through body-conscious design, her vintage-influenced, lingerieinspired designs are sensual but wearable.

fetico.jp

Style Hub

BIOTOP

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Head to this beautifully designed concept store for a collection of Japanese (A Presse and Hyke), and international designers (Jil Sander, Jacquemus, The Row), in the well-edited range of fashion, food, footwear and lifestyle. Added attractions? The treehouse, café and plant nursery.

4-6-44 Shirokanedai, biotop.jp

Hottest Night Out

Mitsuki Tokyo

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Hidden away in one of the main nightlife areas, this basement club attracts a predominantly Japanese, Gen Z, creative crowd. Check Mitsuki’s instagram for the line-up, mostly local with some international DJs, who keep the crowd happy with a wide range of beats, from techno to house to trance to disco.

B1 Dogenzaka, 1-22-1, Shibuya-ku, mituski-tokyo.com

Secret Escape

Tokyo Metropolitan Shiba Park

Escape the frenetic city pace to wander among the camphor, zelkova, gingko and cherry trees. Beautiful all year, the park is especially photogenic in spring, for the cherry blossom, and November, for the glorious Autumn Leaf Valley. One of Japan’s oldest parks, Shiba was created around the medieval Buddhist Zojoji temple in 1873.

Chiba- koen, Minato, tokyo-park.or.jp