NEIGHBOURHOODS > Jiyugaoka - shopping in style

A plush residential district in its own right, Jiyugaoka serves in addition as a one-stop shopping solution for Den'en-Chofu, Tokyo's leafiest ring-road suburb, located just one stop away on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. The lanes around Jiyugaoka Station also attract weekend crowds of outsiders seeking a change of ambience and merchandise mix.

It's not so much the big-city fixtures (Gap, Eddie Bauer, Muji, Godiva, Laura Ashley, Body Shop) or local plant and pet shops that give this area its distinctive appeal. The Jiyugaoka flavor comes more from manicured alleys of one-off/offbeat establishments selling everything from fine furniture and porcelain to unique bric-a-brac and knick-knacks, with a liberal sprinkling of open cafes and ethnic restaurants providing essential seasoning.

Motor vehicles lumber clumsily through central Jiyugaoka, where most of the roads would be just about perfect for something the size of a pedal car. Accordingly, many of the key alleys are traffic-free. Take a look at the surface you're walking on. If it's some kind of brick or stone parquet there's a fair chance you're within sight of at least one establishment you'll feel like checking out.

Prada, Tokyo

Designer superstores that deserve to be landmarked right this minute.
The Prada store. Architects: Jacquez Herzog & Pierre de Meuron.

Park Hyatt Tokyo

Long before introducing itself to the not-so-well-traveled in Lost in Translation, the discerningly low-key Park Hyatt hotel served as Tokyo’s standby for the savvy set. Perched high atop three connected towers (the glassed-in atrium lobby sits on the forty-first floor), the hotel offers some of Tokyo’s most dramatic views—from its “ground floor” lounge, its skylighted pool, and its restaurant and bar at the summit.

The restaurant at the summit of The Park Hyatt Hotel. Seen in Lost in Translation, the discerningly low-key Park Hyatt serves as Tokyo’s standby for the savvy set. Perched high atop three connected towers, the hotel offers some of Tokyo’s most dramatic views.

The only better view can be from your bed when you part the drapes by remote control. 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, +81-3-5322-1234, www.parkhyatttokyo.com (from 55,650 yen)

The Coolest City on the Planet 2005: TOKYO

GQ circled the globe in search of the answer to this question: where CAN a man find everything he needs—the best clothes, restaurants, design, nightlife, and more—in one mind-blowing city? Here are ten reasons to haul your ass to Tokyo.

Love Hotels—where a quickie gets the respect it deserves.

Tokyo’s horny urban hordes typically enjoy zero privacy at home (wife, kids, grandma), and the few public parks that exist tend to be crowded. Salvation comes in the form of the city’s multitudinous love hotels, or rabu-ho, as they are affectionately known. There are several clusters of them in and around Japan’s capital, but the most accessible destination for foreign couples (no solo stays allowed) can be found on Shibuya’s Love Hotel Hill.

Minutes from the neighborhood’s famed Hachiko pedestrian crossing, the crowded peak glows with neon signage from tacky yet cute theme hotels (Graeco-Roman and nautical motifs remain popular) with names like Hotel Pink. All of the hotels stress anonymity: Rooms are procured by pushing a button below corresponding photographs in the lobby, and they are immaculate, despite the seemingly complete absence of maids (you will seldom see a staff member during your stay). All the rooms in the hotels are different, with some offering amenities like a sex-toy minibar, karaoke, video games, and, naturally, all the porn you care to watch. More expensive suites feature such extravagances as swimming pools and actual streams that run through nature-themed fantasy chambers.

But a word of caution to the uninitiated: Some establishments hit the unsuspecting with a mysterious extra charge after your “rest.” And newer hotels will lock you in the room electronically until you put cash in a slot when the loving is over. A romp will run customers anywhere from 2,500 yen (about $25) for an hour all the way up to 15,000 yen for the night. —Charlie Amter

Tokyo - An adrenaline-pumping bullet-train ride to a place of deep calm

The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's hectic madness leavened by the most Zenic of calms.

While it's true the exciting vibe has a somewhat depressing flip side - shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic - Tokyo remains a glittering example of the 'miracle' of post-WWII Japan.