Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

told us how he repairs the island's famous round stone walls with the heaviest stones weighing more than 60 kilograms. THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES Back in the city of Tokyo, our surprise adventures continued at Kabukitaro where we took part in a Kabuki insiders' workshop. Our instructor, Shijuro Tachibana, provided a short introduction to Kabuki theatre before we embarked on a humorous respon- sive-reading exercise where we imitated his Kabuki vocal intonations, ranging from gruff and guttural to a squeaky falsetto. Afterward, the facial features of two audi- ence volunteers were transformed with kumadori Kabuki makeup. First a white base was applied followed by the application of red and black lines to emphasize facial fea- tures and to express emotion. It was a memorable 90-minute session. We also had the opportunity to explore Noh theatre, which uses masks to relate character and emotion. At Suigian, a lunch and dinner theatre located in Nihonbashi, the actor Isumi Yamada donned a precious 16 th -century mask and performed Snow, seemingly a perfect complement to the the- atre's message that "dream and illusion resonate on the Noh stage." Noh theatre emphasizes nature, and we found our ideal accommodation at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, a former Four Seasons property with five-star luxury, comfort, design and customer service. This urban oasis includes a large Meiji-era garden show- casing a centuries-old three-storey pagoda, a tea house, forest walkways, lanterns, statues, cherry blossoms and camellias. Chinzanso actually means "camellia moun- tain manor." CULINARY DELIGHTS What could be better solace for the soul than Tokyo's culinary culture? On Hachijojima, we savoured the ultra-fresh seafood at Aigae Suisan restaurant and at the Hachijo View Hotel. In Tokyo, it was delicate nigiri sushi at Suigian, complete with gold lacquered serving dishes. At the popular eatery, Sushi Darihan in Yoyogi, the incredible raw oysters were only a prelude to the melt-in-your- mouth sushi and sashimi featuring tuna belly, ikura (salmon eggs), nodoguro (rosy seabass) and uni (sea urchin). For refreshments, we discovered the joys of kaku-uchi, a term describing a liquor store that serves drinks and snacks. After sampling some flights of sake at Kengyo, a modern kaku-uchi in Ginza, we discovered Suzuden in Yotsuya, a very popular older establish- ment (founded in 1850), full of atmosphere and character and with a notable selection of sake and mouth-watering snacks. When the Tokyo brand refers to "Old meets new," it's unveiling a celebration of just about everything your six senses (including a sense of humour) will experi- ence on the streets, in the restaurants, on the subway system, at Tokyo's museums and attractions and even on Tokyo's islands. Tokyo continues to represent a celebration of people, food, culture, awe and surprise for travellers from around the world. DREAMSCAPES WINTER/SPRING 2019 14 TRAVEL PLANNER For more information, visit: Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau: gotokyo.org/en/index.html; tokyotokyo.jp Epson teamLab Borderless: borderless.teamlab.art Hachijojima: hachijo.gr.jp Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo: hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.com Kabukitaro: kabukitaro.jp Suigian: suigian.jp/en Ueno Toshogu Shrine: uenotoshogu.com/en Yayoi Kusama Museum: yayoikusamamuseum.jp/en/about/museum/ DS RIGHT: Learning Kabuki dance moves at Kabukitaro. BELOW CENTRE: Details from the Ueno Toshogu Shrine. BELOW RIGHT: Epson teamLab Borderless exhibit.

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