CITYAM.COM20 MONDAY 4 JUNE 2018LIFE&STYLE

TRAVEL

WHERE TO STAYThe Culloden Estate & Spa stands in 12acres of beautiful secluded gardens andwoodland, overlooking Belfast Lochand was once the official palace for theBishops of Down. Visithastingshotels.com

WHERE TO GOExplore the rugged coastlines andhistoric castles of Northern Irelandincluding Castle Ward, a National Trustproperty, and gasp at the breathtakingscenery, which can be seen in the TVseries Game of Thrones.

WHERE TO DRINKThe Michelin-starred Deanes EIPICrestaurant serves up the best of localingredients in an innovative style with achoice of three tasting menus on offer,each with a carefully curated wineflight. Visit deaneseipic.com

WHERE TO EATThe Dirty Onion, located in one ofBelfast’s oldest buildings, promises thecharm of a traditional Irish pub with atwist, with live music from local Irishmusic school, An Droichead. Visitthedirtyonion.com

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND

nary gems and countless family busi-nesses. Considered the birthplace ofTokyo, the district is home to the ‘Kilome-ter Zero’ marker. Found on the historicBridge of Japan, this was once the spotthat designated a visitor’s arrival into thecapital, and also marks the place fromwhere the city expanded. It feels apt,then, that the Olympic celebrations havekicked off from here.

With around 920,000 visitors expectedto descend upon the city each day duringthe Olympics, there’s little wonder thatTokyo is already buzzing with industry.The two largest projects underway are theShinagawa New Station (the first new sta-tion to be built on Tokyo's key JR Yaman-ote train line since 1971) and the newNational Sports Stadium, the latter re-portedly costing $1.4bn, both designed byrenowned Japanese architect KengoKuma. The stadium – a low, steel andwood structure – will reference tradi-tional Japanese temples, while Kuma’sShinagawa New Station has been inspiredby ancient origami.

While these two projects are architec-turally the most impressive, they are just

Tokyoites love a seasonal celebra-tion. If they’re not picnickingunder a blossom-laden tree, inhonour of the spring sakura,then they are trekking to the

nearest park to see the splendour of theautumn leaves. It’s no surprise, then, thatthe Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – despitebeing two years away – has already gotthe city in a celebratory mood.

A few months ago, to mark the ‘1,000days to go’ until the Paralympics, thestreets of the Nihonbashi area of the citywere festooned with Olympic flags, whilenearby, the world’s tallest tower, theTokyo Sky Tree, was lit up in red, blue andgreen, the three colours of the Para-lympic logo. It was the city’s first oppor-tunity to start celebrating the impendingevent and they were grabbing it withboth hands.

In Ginza, meanwhile, in the heart of thecity, commuters are reminded of thecity’s upcoming extravaganza with athree-metre tall countdown clock, whichis already ticking down the minutes untilthe big day. And, for those wanting tolook the part, you can already snap upmerchandise, emblazoned with the city’sOlympic navy-and-white chequered em-blem, by stopping by the futuristic Asicsflagship store in Harajuku (the brand isone of the main sponsors and is alreadycashing in on the excitement) or in theground-floor pop-up shop, filled with keyrings and visors, at the Cesar Pelli-de-signed Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower.

Handily, the tower, found in the city’sbusiness district, is also home to the sleekMandarin Oriental hotel, considered oneof the premier places in Tokyo to rest yourhead. Take the super-speedy lift up to the30th floor and you’ll step out into aserene world far removed from the bustlebelow.

Stretching from the 30th to the 38thfloors, the Asian hotel brand is renownedfor its chic, pared-back interiors, and thisTokyo offshoot is no exception. Interiordesign has been led by textile designerReiko Sudo, who has called upon a teamof master artisans to produce original fab-

rics to reflect the cultural traditions ofJapan and has devised a concept basedaround a living tree. In reality, the hotelis more about the guest than the gim-mick, and while there are wood andwater themes referenced throughout, theeffect is very subtle. The hotel is bestknown for its 12 stand-out restaurants (in-cluding the intimate eight-seater SushiSora, regarded as one of the best sushirestaurants in the city) and futuristic spa,not to mention its far-reaching views overthe city and to Mt Fuji beyond.

Of course, no-one visits Tokyo to stay intheir hotel, so Mandarin is making muchof the hidden charms that lie in the sur-rounding Nihonbashi area. Highlightingsignificant shrines, authentic restau-rants, and artisan stores on the doorstep,the hotel’s Nihonbashi Experience, alsoinvites guests to try their hands at time-honoured crafts – such as washi paper-making and glass engraving.

As the city’s major business hub, youmight be deceived into thinking that Ni-honbashi is a bland, corporate corner. Infact, it is a haven of historical shops har-bouring skilled craftsmen, age-old culi-

NEED TOKNOW Rates forMandarinOriental, Tokyostart from JPY49,000 per roomper night(approx. GBP330). For moreinformation or tomake a booking,please call +8103 3270 8800 orvisitmandarinoriental.com/tokyo

HOURS IN...

LET THEGAMES BEGIN

Angelina Villa-Clarke checks inwith the Japanese capital as itprepares to host the Olympics

21MONDAY 4 JUNE 2018 LIFE&STYLECITYAM.COM

:@cityamlife: @city_am

THE WEEKEND: When it comes totravelling with my entourage of beautifulfriends, I’m finished with hotels. I’m donewith hanging around near a cheese plantin the lobby as the last stragglers check in.I’m tired of resorting to £6 cocktails inempty hotel bars, and of “let’s freshen upand meet downstairs in 15 minutes”. Nope,for group weekends away, self-catering isthe way to go. Pile the rental car high withcrisps and gin near a town called LittleSnoring. Gasp as you learn that there’s alsosomewhere called Great Snoring. And thencarefully guide your convoy of FriendFiestas along the rapidly narrowingcountry roads, before the hot tarmac turnsto dirt, and then to crunchy gravel undertyre. Who has the email with the doorcode? Did anyone remember to buy limes?The kettle crisps are decanted. Bedroomsare claimed. Mikey’s somehow alreadymade cocktails for everyone. Hey, look,they have a wood burner. It’s self-catering,baby, and it’s the only way to travel.

THE PLACE: Barsham Barns are a set ofholiday cottages situated a short drivefrom the rugged North Norfolk coastline, astretch of bay so powerfully emotive thatancient poetry will arrive unbidden to yourbrain as you track across its mile-widesands. We stayed in the long and spaciousGrey’s Court, a single-storey barnconversion that overlooks a meadow withsome decent sheep, but there are six barnsin total to choose from, each sleepinggroups of between four and 14 people. Thesize and seclusion of each barn makesBarsham ideal for large gatherings, such asfamily reunions, murder mystery partiesand stag and hen breaks.

Ours was dominated by a huge open-plan kitchen, with more than enough roomfor our two most competent friends to

Steve Hogarty experiences stunningNorth Norfolk from the confines of aluxury cottage retreat

throw together a lavish meal with the fewgroceries we’d managed to squeeze intothe booze-jammed boot. Longer than anyone of our London flats are wide, thedining table allowed us some pretence ofcivility before all the wine brought that toan abrupt end. The hosts are shrewdenough to include things us city folk wouldnever think to bring along with us, such asa rechargeable torch by the front door toallow us to safely venture into the pitchdarkness of the Norfolk countryside.There’s a communal hot tub and a sauna,and a games room with a ping pong table,too. For fun!

THINGS TO DO: Just drive around andyou’ll come across the most Britishsounding place names in the country, suchas the enigmatic Bagthorpe and thedelightful Wells-next-the-Sea. Head northto Holkham National Nature Reserve, ascenic access point to the seaside andEngland’s largest national nature reserve,stretching the length of the coastline fromSnettisham in the west, to Trunch in theeast. Having had our faces ablated by thesalty gusts of the North Sea, we retreatedinside to The Victoria Inn – a grand oldhome that looms over the moor grass likeit’s auditioning for a Bronte novel – towarm up by the fireplace with a drink.There’s also a pub restaurant a half hourwalk from the barns if you’d like to winddown there. It’s called The Barsham Arms.Bring the torch.

WHAT ABOUT ENORMOUS CHURCHES?Get your big church fix by popping into ElyCathedral on the way back to London,whose origins date back to the year 672.

!Grey’s Court starts at £1,165 for a threenight stay. Visit barshambarns.co.uk

ELYCATHEDRAL

FACTSThe nave of Ely

Cathedral is one ofthe longest in

England at 246ftlong.

BARSHAM BARNSNORTH NORFOLKTHE LONG

WEEKEND

part of the larger urban re-developmentunderway which is set to transform theface of Tokyo. According to Bloomberg,there are 45 new skyscrapers going up intime for the sporting event, includingthree towers – housing hotels, offices andretail spaces – in the Toranomon Hills areaof Tokyo. One of these is being designed bythe renowned architectural firm OMA,founded by Pritzker Prize–winning archi-tect Rem Koolhaas, and will play its part inmoving the city even further skyward.Meanwhile, on a lower level, infrastruc-ture improvements will see road signagebecoming bilingual, more green spacesopening up and public transport becom-ing accessible to all by the start of the Par-alympics in 2020.

“The new station is key,” Kuma has said.“It’s a great project because it will connectthe sea and the hills of Tokyo, which willgive a new face to the city.” It’s also a fit-ting tribute to the city’s ability to seam-lessly blending old and new worlds.

Talking of which, stroll around Nihon-bashi, and you’ll uncover a multitude ofhidden gems. There’s lacquerware from Ya-mada Heiando (which was founded in 1919and still supplies to the Imperial family).

Yamamoto Noriten, meanwhile, is Japan’sbestseller of Nori seaweed (there’s even acollaboration with Hello Kitty for cute ap-peal), while Eitaro Sohonpo is famed for itsKintsuba sweets, which it began selling atthe end of the Edo period, and remainsone of Japan’s leading confectioneries. Atthe tiny Ibasen shop, you can pick up ahand-made paper fan.

If you want a professional sushi knife,stack of washi paper, or a hand-sewn ki-mono, then head to Mitsukoshi MainStore. This, the oldest department store inJapan, is a treasure trove of classic finds.Useful for guests, it is also found next doorto the Mandarin Oriental. After a day of ex-ploring, head to the hotel’s 38th-floor spafor a moment of relaxation. It doesn’t getbetter than a dip in what must be the mostscenic urban pool ever – with its incredibleviews over the city below.

Come nightfall, turn down service bringsa pot of fresh Sencha green tea, with a tra-ditional seasonal chestnut mochi on theside. A delicately-patterned yukata ki-mono-style robe is laid out, and there’s apot of specially blended essential oil tohelp you go off to sleep. It really is the bestof both worlds.