Check-in formalities at the Shangri-La Tokyo were conveniently taken care of in the well-designed Horizon Club Lounge...
...where the lovely staff members made sure we were getting into Sakura mood.
Japanese welcome amenities.
Our 68sqm Horizon Club Premier Room. The hotel had offered to upgrade us to an Executive Suite, but it was exactly the same size and had inferior views, so we decided to stay put.
The hotel is right behind Tokyo Station, which is of course practical if you need to travel by train, but it also comes with a bit of noise. Not the kind of noise that wakes you up at night but you can still hear it in the distance.
Bathtub with a view.
Sakura at Chidori-Gafushi, one of the most popular spots for watching blossoming cherry trees.
Unfortunately we weren't the only ones and our cherry tree sighting turned into a bit of a pilgrimage.
This could have been a romantic thing to do but the huge queue in front of the rental station made us reconsider.
Sakura is also a blossoming business.
Random shots on the way back to the hotel. Tokyo really is the cleanest megacity of any democratic country.
The Horizon Club Lounge is one of the highlights of the hotel. It is located on the 37th floor and offers four very tasty food presentations per day.
By the time we reached
Kyubey for dinner we were so tired and jetlagged that I only took very few pics. The sushi is superb and the atmosphere congenial. The highlight of the evening though was that just like last year, we had the privilege of meeting the legendary owner, Yosuke Imada. At one point he suggested we make a picture together with him. I would have posted it but Mrs JohnRain vetoed it as she thought that she looked like she had barely slept in 24 hours (which was true). Mea culpa.
One of the conditions of traveling with me is that we never fly direct, because, well, there is the FCT. At the end of what was another fantastic dinner, Mr Imada himself accompanied us outside to hail a cab and give the driver instructions. He then bowed until we were out of sight. What a lesson in humility. Only in Japan.
The views from our room at night were pretty good. Not press-your-nose-against-the-window-good but good.
Tokyo Station going to sleep, just like us.
Up Next: I think I'm gonna order a coffee, or a cat, or both.