Day 82 – FourSeasonsTastic

Along with the word “betterer”, I would like to introduce “FourSeasonsTastic” to the Oxford English Dictionary. Its meaning would be “smothered in love, kindness, genuine hospitality” and in a thesaurus “marshmallow”.

I have to say, country to country, city to city, I just find it hard to fault Four Seasons properties. It’s not always been that way for me though, last time I was filming in Tokyo, I visited the larger FS Chinzan-so and I hated everything about it. EVERYTHING! But after my visit today, well, FS Chinzan-so has ascended to the heavens.

0800 – Breakfast … lovely!

0930 – interview Nick Cheesman – concierge. He’s a long way from home (UK) but Japan is his bag of fish and he’s an adult tuna here. He talked me through the 3 must see/must do places in the City – which I will be sampling over the next couple of days!

1100 – review my suite – 308 – 1 bedroom with dining room, HUGE lounge, views of Marunouchi and a Bose system that plays Billy Joel all day; heaven!

1300 – Head to Chinzan-so, 20 minutes in a cab from Marunouchi. It’s much biggerer and betterer than ever! The typhoon from yesterday had knocked down just one tree in the ground. FSC has 259 rooms inc. 44 suites and is set in 17 acres of the most stunning gardens – filled with amazing shrubs & trees.

Lunch and then a trip to the spa. Interview gorgeous Spa Director Hayley Dack, who looks after Tokyo’s largest spa. It’s HUGE but sadly I don’t have the time for a treatment or anything. Hayley has THE softest hands in the world!

Wander round the gardens – complete with teahouse and pagoda. Just amazing. In April, fireflies buzz about. It must be amazing.

At weekends, FSC hosts 14 weddings a day! 14!

Interview hotel manager David Macklin in top suite – the Imperial. FSC is old school compared with FSM, more classic than contemporary. I am not sure which I prefer. Hmm … am confused why FSC is getting Bulgari products for the suite!?! AQUA di PARMA!

1800 – rush back to FSM for sad farewell to fabulous Nelson Hilton, Marketing chap at FSC, poor guy had to put with us all afternoon.

1930 – The FSM offers “Ginza in a Bento Box”: basically a bento box has wee compartments with different dishes in each, the premise of the evening is to eat three courses in different restaurants:

- Kondo (home of tempura)
- Seamon (home of sushi)
- Misono (home of teppanyaki) – the “home” of Kobe beef

Along with Mayumi and Jonathan (FS restaurant chappie) we travelled through Ginza eating and drinking!

My only problem was lots of live animals and deep fried prawn heads.

1200 – Home: early start tomorrow – a fish market!

Song of the Day: Give Me Hope (Joanna) – Eddy Grant

Weather: Back to the sunshine!

Weight: “I feel like a cow in Japan”