E-Newsletter

About the Current Situation in Tokyo

Dear planners, organizers and business partners,
Due to the COVID-19 situation, current events have had to be cancelled or postponed. However, we are working and doing our best to stay calm. Our city has overcome many difficulties and this time it will prevail, too!

Tokyo is carefully monitoring the situation regarding the COVID-19. For the latest updates on the situation, please visit: https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/

Please also visit WHO’s website to check the recent updates.

We, in our Bureau are operating normal business hours and are able to answer your questions via email or phone.

To make your spirit a bit brighter we are sending you our recent news to take you on a virtual trip to some of Tokyo’s venues and introduce the multi-sensory experiences that our beautiful city has to offer.

Take care and stay healthy,
Your Business Events TOKYO team

Unique Venue Showcase Event Held at Important Cultural Property, the Former Maeda Residence

On December 3rd, 2019, the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau (TCVB), hosted the third Tokyo Unique Venue Showcase Event. This time, the soiree was held at the Former Residence of the Maeda family, a unique venue and Important Cultural Property.

The stunning and expansive mansion was built around 1930 by the 16th head of the Maeda family, the household of the former lords of the Kaga Domain (in the modern-day Hokuriku area) during the Edo period. Two structures were built to accommodate foreign dignitaries at the residence; a contemporary, Western-style state guesthouse and a more traditional Japanese-style building.

This showcase event was held at the Western-style building, with about 50 guests from embassies, foreign companies, and the MICE sphere in Tokyo participating. The guests were invited into the sumptuous ground-floor parlor where they enjoyed a live classical music performance while sipping local sake and wine. They were then escorted on a tour of the Western-style building, where they could see the full interior in all its historic elegance. The retro decor of the manse is replete with a number of modern conveniences, such as heating and electrical systems, which would have been cutting edge technology at the time of their installation.

For the main event, a period-appropriate banquet was held to recreate an atmosphere of elegance like that of the Former Maeda Residence when it was in use. This opportunity allowed guests to experience the feeling of sophistication that comes with being served a delicious course dinner in such a unique and opulent setting. All in all, the showcase event was a resounding success, and participants became aware of the many inviting possibilities for ways to spend a very special time in Tokyo.

For more information on unique venues, please visit: https://tokyouniquevenues.jp/ or contact Tokyo Unique Venues

Tokyo Offers Multi-Sensory Experiences for All

Tokyo is a fascinating city that awakens all of the senses, thereby offering an immersive and memorable experience for anyone who visits it. Here are a few examples of the sensory treats that await.

Sight

Sound

Touch

Smell

Taste

The TCVB and its partners can provide valuable assistance to planners as they seek to stimulate the senses of business events groups in exciting new ways.

A Warm Tokyo Welcome to the World Congress of Science & Factual Producers

Tokyo is pleased to report that it has successfully concluded its hosting of the recent World Congress of Science & Factual Producers (WCSFP).

More than 700 participants, including over 500 from overseas, gathered at one of Tokyo’s most unique venues - the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, also known as the “Miraikan”. There, participants enjoyed four days of presentations covering cutting-edge scientific research as well as rewarding networking gatherings.

Out of the many unique venues available in Tokyo, Happo-en was selected without hesitation by the organizers as the site of the Gala Dinner. A historic garden dating back nearly 400 years, Happo-en proved to be the perfect choice. Dinner participants were fascinated by the tea ceremony performed at a portable tea house set up in the beautiful Japanese garden. This traditional performance is the same as it has been for centuries. The tea ceremony was accompanied by an Amezaiku demonstration ? traditional Japanese candy sculpting ? and an Awaodori Dance performance. Each piece of entertainment was organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the TCVB. Both organizations also contributed to the success of the event by setting up a Tokyo City Information Desk at the event site and complimentary Tokyo city tours.

New Building Complex Opening This Spring, Right Next to Haneda Airport

HANEDA AIRPORT GARDEN, a large building complex directly connected to the Tokyo International Haneda Airport, is set to open this spring.
The complex will contain two brand new hotels for a total of 1,717 rooms and bus terminal connected to tourist attractions in Japan. On a clear day, guests at these hotels can enjoy a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji from the hotel onsen (hot spring bath).

The venue will include MICE-ready facilities: a 1,109 sq. meter hall, five conference rooms and five banquet rooms at 106 sq. meter each, all located on the same floor. Guests will be able to experience the best of Japanese culture at these facilities.
The complex will also contain a shopping center, home to a total of 60 shops with everything from Japan’s specialties to essentials.

The new building complex is only a one-minute walk from both Haneda Airport International Terminal Station on the Keikyu Line and Haneda Airport International Terminal station on the Tokyo Monorail. Both lines can transport visitors to the city center in less than 20 minutes.

For more information, please visit: http://www.sumitomo-rd.co.jp/lp/hanedaairport/

Tokyo Michelin Guide 2020: More Female Chefs Join the Ranking!

The Michelin Guide has announced its Tokyo star rankings for 2020. With 226 starred restaurants this year, Tokyo is once again the city with the most starred restaurants in the world.

“Taking full advantage of its position as a center for high-quality food, and the highly skilled domestic and international chefs who prepare it, Tokyo is likely to continue to lead the world as a city of gastronomy," said the CEO of Nihon Michelin Tire Co., Ltd., Paul Perriniaux.
Also noteworthy is how the number of restaurants led by female chefs is increasing each year. Paul Perriniaux remarked that the 2020 guide includes 25 restaurants with female chefs, three of which hold star status.

Accolades:

Third place in the Annual Global Power City Index yet Again

Tokyo ranks behind only London and New York for the third year in a row among the top 40 major global cities, according to the Annual Global Power City Index ranking compiled by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies.

For more information: http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/pdf/GPCI2019_summary.pdf