Tea and Tradition at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel

Stepping into the 120-year-old splendor of Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel can be quite surreal. I had just landed from All Nippon Airway’s inaugural direct flight from Chicago to Tokyo and after the 13-hour journey, I found myself whisked from Haneda Airport to the sleek doors of the Imperial in only 30 minutes.

A line of staff and attendants bowed in greeting, before I was led to my room, securely located behind sliding glass doors that require a room key for entrance. My room attendant Sakai, decked out in a pale blue kimono, presented me with cookies and origami birds before she exited with a bow. Taking in the understated elegance of the room, from a marble topped sink and a red rose in a silver vase, there was no mistake about why this is Tokyo’s most famous hotel.

Notable History

Constructed in 1890 as one of the first Western-style guest houses in the East, the Imperial was famously re-designed in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright and survived an earthquake and bombings during WWII.  The original building was demolished in 1968 to make way for a roomier design but the remnants of Wright’s designs are all over the hotel, especially the Frank Lloyd Wright suite, which boasts art deco furniture and the clean lines and red wood paneling that the architect was famous for, At the Old  Imperial Bar, the terra cotta walls and volcanic stone from the 1923 Wright building, frame the leather booths.  A favorite of classic Hollywood stars as well as aristocrats, there’s an ambiance of genteel luxury that floats throughout the palace-sized hotel.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

As a huge tea fanatic, I was really excited to experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the imperial’s tea pavilion. The elaborate details begin with stepping on stones that lead to the tea ceremony room, called a Toko-An. At the entrance, an attendant helps you take off your shoes and lines them near the door. Sitting on the tatami mat floors, a large pot boils in a sunken pit near the center of the room. I watch one attendant skillfully blends matcha powder for tea while another serves red bean paste sweets, bowing after presenting each one. Before offering cups of tea in 50-year-old hand-painted cups, she recites poetic phrases in Japanese, explaining the greetings and pronouncements for good health and harmony that they signify. Sipping the green tea quietly, I absorb the beauty and details of the ceremony, which make it feel so much more than simply drinking tea.

A Multitude of Dining Decisions

There are 14 restaurants tucked into the Imperial, covering a wide range of cuisines and styles. I didn’t try all of them but I was impressed by the Viking Sal restaurant, which

features an endless breakfast buffet that serves four or five different cuisines as well as breakfast staples like pastries, eggs and cereal. The most memorable for me was an array of drinking vinegars in flavors like blackberry and mango, meant to be sipped to strengthen digestion and energy. Of course, the highlight meal was a flawless sushi arrangement served in one of the 19 banquet rooms.

I enjoyed the kaiseki style presentation, which is a series of courses with elaborate details focused on seasonal produce. I sampled a  selection that included daikon soup, roasted chestnuts with duck and a pudding of matsutake mushrooms before a platter of delicately battered tempura was served. This was followed by a platter of sushi and then a berry dessert. The plates, food arrangement and garnishes were all organized in an artful way so that it was a complete experience of Japanese style and culture,  I walked away feeling like I had scored the ultimate Japanese experience at the Imperial Hotel.