The Day We Met Tokyo Joe
at the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo

By Sandra Scott

Walking into a Peninsula Hotel is to enter a very special world. While the Peninsulas are always on the cutting edge of technology, they never lose the classic ambiance that has been their signature since the first hotel opened in Hong Kong in 1928. The hotels are a destination unto themselves.

We started our day in Tokyo with a gourmet breakfast followed by two unique iPod tours designed by the Peninsula. Using the iPod we began the Art Walk in the lobby where the focal point is a large bamboo artwork. With its rich Chinese heritage, The Peninsula Hotels wanted to bring the symbol of strength, harmony, and good luck to The Peninsula Tokyo. Designed by Keisen Hama, the artwork represents a bamboo dragon lying over the universe. Both the dragon and the bamboo promote the three desired qualities. The lobby chandelier with 1313 crystal LED light bulbs resembles a cloud of fireflies. Everything in the Peninsula is well thought out.

The most impressive artwork is one I almost missed. Across from the elevators on each floor are three windows that appear to be solid black. The windows look into a 15-floor black void where 24 stainless steel cones weighing about 175 pound each appear suspended in space. Each cone is wrapped with special Schott side-glow fiberglass crisscrossing diagonally and emitting diffused light all along their length. The cones are magical. The hotel has nearly 1,000 artworks by 90 artists most of whom are Japanese. We followed the Art Tour until we reached the 24th floor and Peter, the hotel’s restaurant with a breathtaking 360-degree view of Tokyo and the Imperial Palace Gardens. The perfect place for our lunch.

After a leisurely lunch, we crossed the street with the iPods for the Eye Walk tour through Hibiya Park. The cherry blossoms were at their fullest. We strolled past a stone monetary piece from Yap (the world’s largest currency) and a Viking stone epitaph while listening to the lilting strains of a far off flute. Farther on we saw the flautist sitting alone on a rock under a cherry tree by the pond. Not too far away, a lady was creating a watercolor of the pond. Farther on a group of young ladies were picnicking. I think parks are a wonderful insight into the heart of the people. Hibiya was full of surprises.

And that evening, back at the Peninsula, we became acquainted with Tokyo Joe – one of their signature cocktails, named in honor of the 1949 Humphrey Bogart movie of the same name. It was the first Hollywood production filmed in postwar Japan. Created by Ms. Mari Kamata, the Peninsula’s Senior Bartender, the cocktail was a smooth blend of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Umeshu, Drambuie (a Bogey favorite), and cranberry juice. In keeping with all-things-unique at the Peninsula, the cocktail was presented on a staff-designed silver pedestal holding the stemless martini glass. While we sipped our cocktails the Peninsula string trio was entertaining from a Juliet-style balcony. I wanted to shout, “Play it again, Sam!” play “As Time Goes By.” But, of course, I didn’t. We just relaxed and savored the day because, sadly time does go by, but what a wonderful time we had at the Peninsula.

Visit www.peninsula.com 

Sandra Scott is a frequent contributor to travel publications and to Creators Syndicate
and has co-authored two books on local history. She lives in Mexico, NY.

Photos by J. J. Scott.

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