January 2016 Newsletter

29 Jan 2016 NEWSLETTERS




	New experiences program for incentive groups in Tama Area, Tokyo Tama Area, a region in western Tokyo, has recently become a real hot spot among tourists. A variety of activities/events such as hiking and Soba making to be experienced in this beautiful area, full of nature and only 60-90 minutes drive from central Tokyo, will provide unforgettable memories for all participants. Mt. Takao hiking Mt. Takao was designated as a three-star mountain by France's famous Michelin Green Guide Japan. This natural recreation area offers beautiful scenery and attractive hiking opportunities. The place is also well equipped with chair-lifts and cable cars, which allows you to enjoy the foot work as well as scenery viewing. The whole tour, which can be completed within 90 minutes, is highly recommended as a wonderful team-building activity. Soba making experience Soba making is also getting very popular as an attraction for incentive tour participants, who can learn all the basic procedures step by step: how to knead, roll out and cut the buckwheat dough. Many participants are impressed to know the complicated process of Soba making which requires considerable efforts, and after doing it themselves, they have a reason for feeling that the handmade soba made by their own hands tastes so delicious. Sake brewery tours At the Ishikawa Brewery in Tama, an English-speaking guide will take guests on a popular tour to view the Japanese sake manufacturing process in approximately 50 minutes. The participants can enjoy sake tasting at the end of the tour. In accordance with the growing trend of enjoying sake and food at the Brewery, they also provide an opportunity to drink sake and locally brewed beer either in Japanese or Western cuisine restaurants located on the premises. A private party for up to 100 people can be organized on the second floor of the beer factory as well. The wooden Japanese-style buildings of the Brewery, surrounded by great nature will also fascinate the participants. There are nine sake breweries in Tokyo, including the Ishikawa Brewery; most of them will accept incentive group tours. For more details, please contact the Business Events Team at the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau.

New edition of the Tokyo Meeting Planner's Guide 2016-2017

The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) has released the new edition of the comprehensive guide -Tokyo Meeting Planner's Guide 2016-2017- to assist organizers of global business meetings, conferences and exhibitions in the site selection and event planning process.

Packed with convention venues/hotels, unique venues, attractions, ideas for group experiences and fun things to do, this 120-page planning guide contains all the essential information on the City and will certainly help planners to find the perfect fit for customized business events in Tokyo.

"In producing this Guide, we focused on the further promotion of Tokyo's brand image as 'the place to go' to induce the planners to hold business events in Tokyo, while keeping content and format to maximize the Guide convenience", commented Kazuko TODA, Director of TCVB, upon the release of the new edition.

Tokyo Meeting Planner's Guide 2016-2017 is published only in English. Flicker book is available on the TCVB website, from which a PDF version can also be obtained via download.

For more information please visit: http://businesseventstokyo.org/resources/




	Executive Lounge and new room types make a debut in Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Having been rebranded as Hilton Tokyo Odaiba from October last year, the 15-story convention hotel, which keeps on strengthening its environment, debuted the new Executive Lounge and two new types of rooms on New Year's Eve. Designed by Hirsch Bender Associates, the Executive Lounge on the third floor emanates an air of freshness in adopting vivid and graceful colors inspired by the Mediterranean Sea and the American West Coast. This ocean-facing lounge merges classic and contemporary pieces to create a sophisticated "urban oasis" that offers a stunning and expansive view of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge set against the Tokyo City skyline. All Executive Room, Premium Executive Room and Suite Room guests, as well as Hilton HHonors Diamond member guests have free access to this lounge from 6:30 am till 9:30 pm. Concurrently with the Executive Lounge opening, Hilton Tokyo Odaiba launched two new types of rooms; "Executive Room" and "Premium Executive Room". For more information please visit: tokyoodaiba.hilton.com

North Facade of the Main Building: Photo provided by Akasaka Palace

	Unique opportunity to visit a national treasure Akasaka Palace, one of the State Guest Houses belonging to the national facilities under the Cabinet Office in Japan and established to accommodate foreign dignitaries including heads of states, prime ministers and other honored guests, is to be open to the public in February. This national facility, playing an important role in Japanese diplomacy, has been open to the public since 1975, but for only 10 days a year during the summer period. Since Akasaka Palace has been registered as a national treasure in 2009, diligent efforts have been made to increase the opportunity for the public to see this invaluable national treasure. The facilities to be opened this time are the Front Garden (free entry to see the Main Building from outside only), the Main Building and Main Garden (limited number of visitors accepted on a first-come basis to see four salons used for official ceremonies) and the Japanese Style Annex (period for accepting applications has already come to an end this time.).


	The largest bus terminal for long-distance route will open in Shinjuku As a gateway city of Japan for many foreign visitors, the capital city Tokyo needs to continue strengthening the infrastructure in line with the preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As an outcome, all of these activities truly reinforce the business events environment in Tokyo. The area around Shinjuku Station is a key for boosting business events since many convention hotels are located there, and accordingly, the opening of a new bus terminal would be wonderful news for visitors who use express buses from JR Shinjuku Station, around where 19 expressway bus stations currently scattered are to be unified into one traffic terminal starting this spring. According to a project manager of the Tokyo National Highway Office's Planning Section, the new express bus terminal will enhance the easy ground access in Shinjuku, which will lead to an increase of foreign visitors using bus services. The new terminal to be located in front of Shinjuku Station's South Exit, with an estimated 1,600 bus arrivals/departures on a daily basis will be the largest bus terminal in Japan. Passengers will enjoy smooth transfers from trains and the terminal is expected to ease traffic jams around the station. The terminal building will be established above the railways and is expected to become a new Shinjuku landmark after its opening around March or April this year.



	Tokyo Hotel Okura, the best hotel in top 20 in Japan & North Asia Tokyo Hotel Okura has received the highest assessment in "Readers' Choice Awards 2015" by the US luxury travel magazine - Condé Nast Traveler-, named the best in the top 20 hotels in Japan & North Asia with the greatest score of 91.520. Furthermore, the following 10 out of best 20 hotels are also located in Tokyo: Mandarin Oriental, Imperial Hotel, Park Hyatt, the Peninsula, Shangri-La Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, Palace Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, Grand Hyatt and The Strings by InterContinental (in ranking order). Ramen restaurant gets Michelin star in 2016 Tokyo Guide for the first time ever The Michelin Guide has announced its Tokyo star rankings for 2016. A ramen restaurant "Tsuta" has received a star for the first time ever. Tokyo continues to be the Michelin-starred capital of the world for the ninth year in a row with a total of 343 restaurants listed.