Tokyo

"Opened in 2020, K5 is an independent hotel in Kabutocho. Run by young creative minds, the 20-room establishment is housed in a 1923 bank building, an unsurprising setup in Europe but a rare treat in Japan where old properties are readily demolished."

"Loyal customers at the Palace Hotel feared that the essential atmosphere of the 1961 original would be lost when it was torn down and rebuilt from scratch. They needn’t have worried. Yes, the new 290-room hotel that was unveiled in 2012 is sparkling and modern, the sunny rooms with their generous bathrooms and Japanese bed linen are a major upgrade, the Evian spa is a state-of-the-art retreat, and the moat-side terrace and lobby lounge are smart additions."

"When Keiji Mori opened his restaurant Maru in Aoyama more than a decade ago he surprised Tokyo diners with his brand of casual Kyoto cooking. His fans’ only complaint was that it didn’t open for lunch; Mori solved that problem by opening another Maru in Ginza that serves lunch and dinner."

"Twelve years after they started the fashion brand Yaeca, Tetsuhiro Hattori and Kyoko Ide decided to showcase their clothes in a home setting. They rented a 40-year-old house in the residential Shirokane area and stripped back the interior to create the stunning Yaeca Home Store."

"A must for anyone interested in Japanese crafts, the Mingeikan was founded by Soetsu Yanagi (father of designer Sori Yanagi) in 1936. Yanagi was the leading light of the mingei (folk craft) movement that celebrated the art of everyday crafts such as ceramics, glass, basket-weaving and textiles."

"This outdoor annexe to the Edo-Tokyo Museum is an architectural park on the outskirts of the city. Home to buildings from a Tokyo that has long since disappeared, it is a revelation."