17th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

Three Michelin-Starred Kaiseki cuisine at Kikunoi, Kyoto

I’ve been holding back from fully explaining the practices of a kaiseki dinner as I wanted to wait until we arrived in Kyoto in order to tell you about a very special place. The kaiseki dinner, a highly traditional multi-course meal has its origins in Kyoto as it was the home to the imperial court… Read more »

15th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

A Beautiful Day in Kyoto and the Top Sights to See

Visiting Kyoto is a must for anyone coming to Japan, especially first-timers like myself and Mr S. The city is Japan’s cultural heart with 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, more than 1600 Buddhist Temples and over 400 Shinto shrines, a place rich in history, culture and religion. A previous capital of Japan, Kyoto was the… Read more »

14th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

East Meets West at The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

After our wonderful night relaxing and experiencing the ancient Japanese way of life at Gora Kadan in Hakone, Mr S and I were catapulted back into the 21st Century as we once again boarded the bullet train and headed to Kyoto. On the banks of the Kamogawa river and with views of the Higashiyama mountains… Read more »

13th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

A relaxing retreat at Gora Kadan, a luxury ryokan in Hakone

We really hit the ground running as soon as we reached Tokyo. With only three full days there, I was keen to see as much as possible and our days were filled with early starts, tours and a lot of walking around the city. Needless to say that our non-stop itinerary, coupled with jet lag,… Read more »

8th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

Three Michelin Star Dining at Nihonryori Ryugin, Tokyo

For several years Tokyo has held the record for being the city with the most number of Michelin-starred restaurants. Of all those restaurants, thirteen of them have three Michelin stars and I was determined to try one of these world-class restaurants. As I looked through the list I settled on Nihonryori Ryugin, serving Japanese cuisine… Read more »

7th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

10 Ways to Experience Traditional Tokyo

Tokyo: the capital of Japan, the seat of government and one of the world’s most technologically advanced cities. Tokyo is known for having one of the world’s fastest and most efficient train systems, the latest in robotics, smartphone, artificial intelligence and super fast internet connections. But it is also a city brimming with history and… Read more »

6th June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Top Tens Japan

10 Ways to Experience Modern Tokyo

Tokyo is like a person with a split personality. On the one hand there’s the calm beauty of the strolling gardens, the majestic gravity of the shrines and the fascinating temples. On the other side there’s the highly advanced technology, frantically busy streets and chic bars and restaurants – I don’t think I’ve ever been… Read more »

3rd June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

Making New Friends and Dinner at Omotesando Ukai-Tei, Tokyo

I think all my fellow bloggers will agree, one of the best things about writing a blog is making new friends all over the world. As soon as I confirmed my trip to Japan, I emailed Nano, an ex-pat blogger from Georgia living in Tokyo. Nano and I had been reading each other’s blogs and… Read more »

2nd June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

A Harmonious Stay at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Japan

As usual extensive research went into choosing our Tokyo hotel and all the reviews pointed towards Mandarin Oriental Tokyo in Nihonbashi as being the top choice for service and style, particularly the Forbes Five Star accolade. We arrived somewhat emotionally drained after the ring incident on the plane and exhausted after our twelve hour flight… Read more »

1st June 2016 | Everyday Luxury Travel Asia Japan

Five Ways That Japan Surprised Me (And Five Ways it Didn’t)

Japan had been on my wanderlust wish list for so long, and not just for the food, I was curious to experience a whole different world. A culture that just seemed so ‘other’ to my European upbringing…while I knew certain aspects of the country would be familiar, I was sure most would seem foreign and… Read more »