Tokyo, Japan

Asia & Australasia

12 Mar

Written By Simon Campbell

Wondrous Tokyo and Japanese country club golf. Experience one of the world’s greatest gastronomic cities and then play exclusive, private member golf in eclectic Tokyo.

Every city the world over is a blend of old and new, but few have the extremes of Tokyo, where you feel as if you’re walking not just from past to present, as you go from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, but also into the future. The contrasts are perhaps never more apparent than in cherry blossom season when a cityscape known for glistening metal-and-glass buildings is suddenly overwhelmed with the delicate pink petals, lining every walkway and road to criss-cross the city.

Its cuisine was shaped more than 400 years ago when it was known as Edo, which became a centre of power in 1590 – it only became Tokyo in 1868 – and sushi is said to have been so popular, one writer claims there was a restaurant every 100 sq m. There’s the ramen stalls, izakaya [bars], teppanyaki [Japanese grill] bars and, quite remarkably, it has more than 200 Michelin-starred restaurants, putting Tokyo among the elite when it comes to world-class gastronomy. There’s even a dozen three-Michelin-starred restaurants, including three which have held their stars for 15 or more years.

Food experiences are part and parcel of everything, getting lost down back streets and discovering hawker stalls, fish markets where the freshest fish can be bought and cooked in the same place, and even just a visit to a convenience shop can be to experience something otherworldly in confectionary terms.

The cherry blossoms are far from the only cause for calm, there’s 144-acre Japanese gardens with countless ponds, ancient tea experiences, temples with five-story pagodas and plenty of opportunities to rise above it all, by ascending up the 2,080ft Tokyo Skytree (the tallest tower in the city with 360 observation decks) and taking in the expansive, impressive, contrasting world below and the imposing Mount Fuji beyond.

Everything Tokyo does, it does well, whether its business, industry, history, food, or relaxation, and the same applies to golf, with many spectacular and immaculate courses. You can cover several in one trip with a golf pass, but for the very best in Tokyo you have to be in the know, requiring an invite from a member. Once on the course however, you can see why they protect it.