Lifestyle

In the heart of Tokyo’s bustling financial and cultural hub, a new kind of golf community is quietly growing, one tee time at a time. The Tokyo American Club Nihonbashi Casual Golf Community is redefining what it means to be an international recreation golfer in Japan, offering an environment that is diverse, inclusive, and most importantly, relaxed.

We caught up with Allan Watanabe, one of the group’s members, to learn more about the community, the spirit behind it, and what makes it such an inviting alternative to Japan’s often tradition-bound golf scene.

Italian fine jewelry brand "FOPE" has opened its first flagship store in Japan, "FOPE GINZA," marking a significant milestone for the brand. Nestled amidst the opulence of Ginza, where luxury brands reign supreme, FOPE GINZA will captivate discerning shoppers with its understated elegance, becoming the brand's third flagship store in the world, following locations in Piazza San Marco in Venice and Old Bond Street in London.

Amidst the towering buildings that define the vibrant cityscape of Ginza, FOPE GINZA stands out with its new elegant two-story white building, housing FOPE's finest creations and representing its inaugural flagship presence in Japan.

A well-located residential property that rivals a five-star hotel, is furnished to an impeccably high standard, and comes with friendly, hospitable staff? That doesn’t sound like a bad way to begin your new life in Japan, does it?

Whether you’re coming to the city on a short to medium-term assignment or wanting to get your bearings before settling longer-term, serviced apartments are a first-class option for temporary accommodation in Tokyo – especially if you are looking to make the most of your experience here.

Right now, the best-in-class serviced apartment in the capital has got to be the newly opened Toranomon Hills Residential Tower, part of the Toranamon Hills development project. I recently had a chance to visit the development and learn more about its urban...

In Japan, we are gifted with over 2,000 courses spread out all over the country, there are literally world-class courses everywhere, and some of my favorites are over 2 hours drive from Tokyo. Generally, golfers in Japan have not embraced EV or electric vehicles to date, as these longer trips make golfers nervous about the EV’s range, and a lack of infrastructure has probably kept us in our gas guzzlers.

But inevitably, electric is where everything is going, and we all know that in 10 years we will own an electric car. However is the time to change now? The latest models boast more range than ever, are reasonably priced, and with moves to build public infrastructure is it time golfers seriously started to consider going greener? (Every pun intended). With that in mind, we took...

The Club at Castiglion del Bosco is Italy’s only private, members-only golf club and features a world-class 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf.

When designing the course, Weiskopf added a short 19th ‘Brunello Hole’ to settle matches and where a hole-in-one wins a magnum of Brunello. It is also the setting for many fun member competitions and challenges.

Castiglion del Bosco is a historic 800-year-old estate in the UNESCO protected Val d’Orcia that spreads across 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) and comprises organic-certified vineyards, a state-of-the-art Winery and a luxury Rosewood hotel, centered on a medieval castle ruin and exquisitely restored hilltop village.

Photo by: Kohei Omachi Edit by: Jun Ishida Text by Akane Maekawa Translation by Yoshiko Kogi

Serviced apartments are gaining attention these days as we move through the transformation of lifestyles caused by the COVID pandemic. Serviced apartments have become spaces that meet a wide variety of needs for those who travel between city and suburbs, or for those looking to be refreshed from working from home. Three people who know Roppongi Hills well have stayed at its serviced apartment recently. This is what they have experienced.