Tokyo

Hunt the entrance at Comme des Garçon

Just down the road is Harajuku, with its small shops that have an underground feel – it’s more like being on the guestlist at a club than popping into Topshop. This is where cool teenagers hang out in the most fashionable clothes in an eye-catching way. In the UK that would probably be threatening; here it seems entirely benign.

But one of my favourite shops was not a hip T-shirt shop, elegant designer boutique, cutting-edge gadget store, eclectic record shop or pretty stationer’s – and, believe me, there were plenty – but a hard-to-define department store called Tokyu Hands in Shibuya. It’s a place that sells everything from more varieties of pen and ink than you can imagine to a tool that stretches your mouth (if you happen to think it’s too small). Just the sort of quirky nonsense you can only buy in Japan.

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When there’s no room left on your credit card, head to the Park Hyatt Tokyo for a brief ‘Lost in Translation’ moment. The restaurant is crazily expensive – about £100 for a premium beef dish – so treat yourself instead to a drink at the bar and soak up the views. More cinematic experiences can be had at Gonpachi in Roppongi – its vast open gallery with rustic posts an inspiration for Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’, apparently – there’s a lot of atmosphere here and the food is tasty too.However long you have in Tokyo, it won’t be enough, but even a few days will give you a sense of its remarkable culture. For the dedicated consumer, it’s a city that is both alien and familiar, but never less than absorbing.

Where to stay
Conrad Tokyo (00 81 3 6388 8000/www.conradhotels.com). Doubles from £270 per night. The hotel has an in-house spa, gym and pool.

Getting there
Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily to Tokyo Narita from £710 return.

Getting around
Though many signs are bilingual, for taking a taxi it’s wise to get the hotel to write your destination down for the driver, who may not speak English.

David Phelan. Photos by David Phelan