Day 12: 05/24/18 Relocating to Tokyo

Day 12 - Thursday Hello Tokyo

 Leaving our home away from home in Kyoto, saying good-bye to Levi, we are on to our next adventure.  Our superfast Shinkansin train did the 460 km (250 mile) trip in just over 2 hours including two stops.  What a way to travel!  We also opted to ship our large suitcases via a baggage service at Kyoto Station for about $20/bag - a bargain as we would be negotiating new subways in Tokyo close to rush hour.

Panoramic view from our 4 hotel windows!

View Southwest

View Southwest w Tokyo Sky Tower

Our room at the Park Hotel Tokyo, a recommendation from our friend Sam, is everything we could have hoped from and more.  Our room is a corner room owe curved windows on the 34th floor with panoramic views south of the Tokyo Sky Tower and Mt. Fuji on a clear day (not this one).  The room has our first king bed of the trip and the hotel itself has first class service.  

We started the evening off with drinks from the hotel bar with a view to the park and river.   The bartender, Koji, is a genius with infusing drinks - he made me a drink of blue cheese infused gin with Sauterne wine, a dried apple, honey sweetener and milk. Sounds so awful, I had to try it. It was outrageously delicious. He makes all the infusions himself and is a genius with molecular gastronomy foodpairing. We bonded (exchanged business cards.)

View from the Bar NorthEast

The incredible bar menu

 

 Out to dinner at a chicken bar food place that grilled up food right in front of you.  After 1 skewer each of chicken meatballs with pepper, with salt, chicken skin, green peppers, sudamame (like edamame but larger), shitake mushrooms, ginko nuts, and of course soup and we called it a night and retired to our room to enjoy the night views from the street and from our rooms.

Street View

Room View 1

Room View 2