TOKYO, Japan — Water, wine and washoku are the essential ingredients of a new Wanderlust Weekend package that’s set to debut at Palace Hotel Tokyo alongside the season’s bounty of cherry blossoms.
No accidental coupling, or tripling of amenities, each of the ingredients speaks to grand themes which course through the hotel, including UNESCO’s recognition of washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) as an intangible cultural asset, the hotel’s acquisition of its first Michelin star, and evian SPA’s relatively recent debut in Japan.
Ideal for weekend wanderings, the two-night, breakfast-inclusive package includes:
• Water – two 50-minute Vitalizing Signature treatments at evian SPA
• Washoku – one prix fixe kaiseki lunch for two at Wadakura
• Wine – one prix fixe dinner for two at Crown with wine pairings
At the heart of this package is the Japanese concept of ‘wa’ (harmony). Each element has been chosen to create the perfect balance between Japan’s long-established cultural heritage and the richness of foreign influences.
To start, jetsetters will dine on an artistic array of delicacies at Wadakura, the hotel’s signature Japanese restaurant, with its kaiseki menu featuring the season’s finest.
Guests will also enjoy expertly paired wines with their exquisite prix fixe dinner at the Michelin-starred French restaurant Crown, whose original chef and sommelier, Tokusaburo Tanaka and Katsumi Asada, can be credited with fostering Japan’s love for French cuisine and wine (after having joined the original Palace Hotel in 1961 and 1963, respectively).
As the hotel’s first sommelier and the first ever in Japan, Asada became synonymous for nurturing Japan’s fondness for wines and champagnes when he authored the country’s first comprehensive guide on the subject and subsequently founded and chaired what is today the Japan Sommelier Association. His passion and expertise still form the foundations of Crown’s wine selection.
Tanaka was also instrumental in cultivating Japan’s appreciation for French cooking with his authorship of the first full-scale compendium of French recipes to be published in Japanese (based on Auguste Escoffier’s works), leaving an indelible mark on the future of budding Japanese chefs.
The experience is rounded out with two Vitalizing Signature treatments at evian SPA TOKYO, a pristine setting metaphorical of the journey evian natural mineral water takes through the Alps. The 50-minute treatments combine traditional Japanese seitai trigger point work with Swedish-style deep tissue massage to noticeably improve energy flow.
Package rates start from JPY 102,500.
To book Wanderlust Weekend (also available on weekdays), please visit: www.en.palacehoteltokyo.com/offer/wanderlust-weekend/
