7AM : Linger over a delicious breakfast – avocado toast, blueberry smoothie and double espresso with the morning paper, comfortably seated in a royal blue booth in the Blue Room, the restaurant inside the Tokyo Edition Toranomon, and enjoy the vertiginous tête-à-tête with Tokyo, embracing its thousand-and-one skyscrapers.
9AM : Be one of the earliest to stroll through the beautiful landscaped Hamarikyu Gardens, once owned by the Emperor. Tokyo Bay on one side, the ultra-modern buildings of Shiodome on the other.
10AM : Take a break from your walk for a delicious Gibraltar or a drip coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee Aoyama. This café filled with rich coffee aromas was styled by one of the city’s leading interior designers, Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architects.
11AM : Gaze in admiration at the calligraphy scrolls, kimonos and sculptures from the collection built up by Kaichiro Nezu, before enjoying the tranquil beauty of the museum’s garden.
NOON : Discover Japanese crafts at the D47 Design Travel Store and leave with your arms full of delicate finds, such as pottery from the region of Arita, chopsticks from Fukui or sake from Yamagata.
1PM : Have a unique gourmet experience at Sahsya Kanetanaka: a modern kaiseki (multi-course meal) with subtle flavours, in a setting designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Ideally located in the heart of Omotesando.
3PM : Check out the latest avant-garde exhibition at Scai the Bathhouse contemporary art gallery, where works are displayed inside the old Kashiwayu bathhouse that dates back 200 years.
4PM : Invigorate your senses at Dover Street Market Ginza, Tokyo’s top concept store, for dressing and accessorizing from head to toe.
6PM : Boost your brain cells at Daikanyama Tsutaya Books (page 255): three dream pavilions housing 140,000 books and more at the T-Site, a favourite with Tokyoites. Afterwards head upstairs for a drink or coffee in the chic Anjin lounge.
8PM : Have a feast at Yakumo Saryo, an exceptional and rare spot in Tokyo, for Japanese cuisine with character. It’s Kyoto in Tokyo.