IN THE KNOW
+^ FRANCESCO CRESCI,^
HEAD OF JAPAN & KOREA,
AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI
Where do you go on your days off?
If it’s been a stressful week then I look for a relaxed
atmosphere with parks or hot springs. My favourite
parks are Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and
Yoyogi Park. For hot springs, I usually go to the
Hakone area, which is only 90 minutes from Tokyo.Secret spot to visit?
Golden Gai gives you a full immersion of Japanese
nightlife. It’s a network of six alleys connected by
passageways where there are more than 200 bars,
clubs and restaurants with a variety of Japanese meals
and drinks. It provides unforgettable entertainment.Best place for a foodie?
I recommend Kushiwakamaru, one of my favourite
yakitori restaurants. Being Italian, I would also
recommend Di Giorgio Restaurant in Azabu-Juban.Must-do?
There are so many, but I’m limiting myself to three
places: Meiji Shrine, Tokyo’s most famous Shinto
shrine; Tsukiji Market, the oldest and biggest fish
market in the world; and, last but not least, the
Ebisu area. Ebisu is known for its cosy and small
restaurants, pubs and those famous tachinomiya
standing bars.TAKE A DAY TRIP
+^ MOUNT TAKAO
If you want a break from the lights and crowds but
don’t have enough time to travel to Mount Fuji and
back, put on your hiking gear and head to Mount
Takao instead, just a one-hour train ride from Tokyo.
Part way up the mountain you encounter Yakuoin
Temple, built in 744 as a Buddhist shrine for the east
of Japan. Once you reach the summit, 599 metres
above sea level, you are rewarded with views of both
Tokyo and Mount Fuji.
+^ NEW YORK BAR
This Shinjuku joint on the top
floor of the Park Hyatt is well-
known as the bar featured in the
Oscar-nominated film Lost in
Translation. As for choosing the
right drink, that’s easy. Go for the
Suntory whisky, just like Bill
Murray’s character in the movie.
+^ BLUE NOTE
If there’s an experience that is more authentically
late-night Tokyo than this, it’s yet to be discovered.
Founded in 1988, this venue has hosted jazz legends
such as Tony Bennett and Roberta Flack. Interesting
fact – American bass guitarist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn,
after he performed five double shows at the venue in
2012, died peacefully in his sleep at a nearby hotel.
+^ BAR RAGE
This bar is ironically more laid-back than its name
suggests. Fresh-fruit martinis are where this bar’s
true specialty lies. Bar Rage has a network of
establishments, but head to the one on the third
floor of the nondescript Aoyama Jin & IT Building in
the Minato District. If you get there and think you’ve
reached the wrong place, don’t fret, it’s a speakeasy,
meaning there are no signs to guide patrons.
WHERE TO DRINK
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