Bazaar recommends: The best of fashion and entertainment in Tokyo

The best thing is to go to Tokyo without a plan

It is one of the greatest adventures you can have. I first went 12 years ago, when I was wide-eyed and knew very little about the city, and it was magical just to explore the streets. I’ve since been back many times with work, and last summer I visited with my husband and daughter.

The Aman Tokyo is set on the 33rd floor of the Otemachi Tower

It has an epic lobby, with a ceiling more than 30 metres high, and is filled with art and ikebana floral displays. When you step out of the elevator, you don’t expect that scale or the light, or that feeling of awe. The traditional ryokan-style bedrooms have washi-paper doors, and it has a pool like no other: there are windows all around, so it feels as though you’re floating in the middle of the city. It’s amazing, especially at sunset, surrounded by skyscrapers and pink clouds.

One of my favourite restaurants is Yakumo Saryo

It’s in a little wooden building that used to be a house, and the host Claude Serizawa is unforgettable—I look forward to seeing him every time I’m in Tokyo. You don’t order from a menu there, so each visit is a surprise. It’s a heavenly, multi-course meal (a style of dining called kaiseki), presented so beautifully. Different chefs make the dishes, and they come to explain each one to you—my favourites are the sashimi.

Go to Cafe Mamma in Shibuya for fabulous matcha

Inside, the café is very relaxed and charming. It also serves delicious doughnuts and gluten-free treats, as well as the best onigiri.

Shibuya is a great area for shopping

I go to Curios Tokyo for doll-like vintage clothes that have been reworked; being in the space is a lovely experience. Another favourite place to wander in is Jimbocho, the used bookstore district, which has lots of shops selling antique books in English and Japanese.

Make sure you visit the Yayoi Kusama Museum

It’s in the Shinjuku Ward, in the suburbs, and it has three floors dedicated to her creations. You can see photographs of her working, almost like a visual diary, as well as her newer pieces, such as the light installation I’m Here, But Nothing, so you get a full experience of her practice. She founded the museum, and she chooses which of her artworks to share in the displays. I love how playful and immersive it is.

For special nail art, I go to Dlaw Tokyo

They do manicures with a marbling effect, making nails look a little bit cosmic and translucent. You can also add different details to each nail, so the design isn’t consistent, which I like.

The Isetan department store in Shinjuku is elegant perfection

You can find the most beautiful and unique gloves and hosiery, which I always want for shoots. There is an area selling just umbrellas, which is also amazing. The food hall there is mochi heaven and the red-bean sweets are out of this world—so are the sushi and sashimi.

The onsen hot springs at the Hoshinoya are the most peaceful place you can go

They’re open-air baths on the top floor of the 17-storey hotel in Chiyoda and are filled with mineral saltwater from 1,500 metres below the ground. It’s open all night, so I go by myself, late when my family is asleep. You swim through a tunnel and then come out facing the stars. It is so enchanting—it feels as though you’re suspended in space.

This piece originally appeared in the March 2024 print edition of Harper's Bazaar UK

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