Thursday, May 31, 2012

Hotel the Manhattan: The remnant of the bubble economy having a copy of a curtain from "Gone with the window".



Japan enjoyed what we call“The bubble economy” for four to five years starting 1986. Some memberships of golf courses were sold at half million US dollars. Salesmen for that kind of expensive memberships did not have any problem in selling them at that period. Westin hotels, InterContinental hotels, Rockefeller Center, Plaza hotel New York etc were bought by Japanese companies at that time. Of course, some hotels were built incredibly gorgeously in Japan during that period. The Manhattan, seen on the way to Tokyo from Narita Airport,is one of such typical hotels. When you walk in, you will be amazed with its glorious marbles used here and there. In one of meeting rooms, there is a curtain which was specially created as a copy of the one used for the famous movie“Gone with the window”. The heroin Scarlett O'Hara who did not have money to buy a dress used the curtain to make a fantastic dress to participate in a ball reception to meet wealthy people. The hotel is well worth visiting. For more information, please visit Chiba of "Hotels" on the map of Grand Collection of Japanese Traditions. and you can find the website of the Manhattan.



 


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel: The Oriental hotel was the place where Jazz was played for the first time in Japan


An advertisement of Oriental Hotel was seen on the newspaper published on August 3 in 1870. That hotel was built by people from Prussia in a residential area for foreigners in Kobe. There are many anecdotes about the hotel, some of which are as follows. Joseph Rudyard Kipling who is known for his famous title “The Jungle Book” said “The Oriental Hotel serves better meals than Ruffles in Singapore or Victoria in Hong-Kong.”. A letterhead of the Oriental hotel was found in a bag left at Titanic under the ocean. Also this is the hotel where Jazz was played for the first time in Japan. The DNA has been carried into Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. To reach their homepage, please visit Hyogo of "Hotels" on the map of Gland Collection of Japanese Traditions. 


Newspaper published on August 3, 1870

                                             The hotel looks like a gorgeous cruiser

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Nagahama Royal: Home of the hot spring that gave a baby boy to (Shogun) Kampaku Hideyoshi


Nagahama is one of a few major cities that were developed by Hideyoshi, one of the great shoguns (actually he used Kampaku instead of Shougun for his title ) who lived over 400 years ago. We can enjoy walking around the area composed of many old houses built during the Edo era. The area is called Kurokabe Square. There are many shops, restaurants and gift shops. More than 3 million people visit this city every year.





Shogun Hideyoshi, who had almost given up on a successor after his many failed, had a baby boy after he visited the hot spring there. The hot spring was then named “Tiko Kodakara No Yu” which means "this is the hot spring that brought a baby boy to the Shogun." The Nagaham Royal that stands there facing beautiful Lake Biwako owns the hot spring. Please visit Shiga on the “Hotel” map of Grand Collection of Japanese Traditions and you will find this hotel there.  Also visit Shiga on the map of “Tourism Information” and you will find more stories about Shogun Hideyoshi at the Nagahama Tourism Association.



Windsor Toya: The hotel that accommodated all dignitaries during the 34th G8 Summit held in 2008

I would like to hear opinions about Windsor Toya from hotel experts around the world. I have visited more than 500 hotels around the world and from my experience I believe that this is the most gorgeously built hotel in the world. This hotel is known as the accommodation where the 34th G8 Summit was held in 2008. Multiple hotels are always selected for the Summit for security reasons but only that time, all dignitaries stayed in Windsor. This remarkable fact raised the reputation of the Windsor. Please visit Hokkaido on the map of “Hotel” of Grand Collection of Japanese Traditions and you will find this hotel.