The Peninsula Tokyo

Armchair travels continue…

The Peninsula Tokyo may not be the newest or most luxurious hotel in Tokyo (or the most cost-conscious), but it’s my favorite place to start a trip to Japan.

Perhaps most important is the location – so convenient. The Imperial Palace grounds are just across the street; Tokyo Station is an eight minute walk northwest; and Ginza lies immediately to the south and east.

Ginza is easy to explore on foot, with lots of window shopping. Department stores like Wako (especially for watches) and Mitsukoshi (for everything, though it is not as big a branch as Nihonbashi), quirky specialty and vintage shops, and of course luxury boutiques. These often have interesting exhibitions, for example Living Flora that we stumbled upon one day at Gucci.

And so many restaurants! Ginza is known for its sushi, of course, and there are many other options too. It’s a delight to stroll out for dinner and then walk back to the hotel afterwards.

It’s also easy to access the rest of Tokyo; the Peninsula rests atop the Hibiya Tokyo Metro station, with 3 lines that offer easy access all around the city, while Ginza station is a 5 minute walk away with 2 more lines and the JR Yurokucho station is equally close (along with its under-track yakitori). I can’t overstate how convenient it is to have easy subway/train access, especially when you’re just starting a trip and getting your bearings. And I always enjoy returning to Hibiya station Exit A7 and walking right into the hotel.

The rooms are spacious by Tokyo standards; even the smallest have a couch and coffee table, not to mention an enormous walk in closet/dressing room and bathroom on either side of the entry hall. There’s a heavy wooden slab that slides closed to seal off the hall and block out any noise from the corridor, and automatic blackout shades that make it delightfully easy to fall into a jetlagged sleep early on arrival night.

Our rate included breakfast, which is an elegant sit-down affair (no buffet). While my mother would miss the wonders of a real Japanese hotel buffet, I prefer the quiet ritual of perusing the menu and relaxing with a cup of tea. I usually had a lighter meal, Bircher museli or an egg white “omelette” (more of a salad-topped soufflé), while D generally chose the Japanese breakfast.

One day we had lunch at the Peninsula between outings, where I had the fanciest curry rice ever, and D had an equally fancy tonkatsu set. So far we haven’t tried any of the restaurants besides the Lobby, but there’s always next time…

Someday we’ll be able to travel again… and go to Tokyo… and you’ll find us here!