The Japan Times PUBDATE: 2/13/2008 PAGE: 4 C M Y K OUTPUT TIME: 12:34:48

4 THE JAPAN TIMES A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 (3)

RELAXATION AT HOTELS

A natural hideaway in TokyoFour Seasons Hotel offers a spiritual path to wellness

Walking from bustling Edo-gawa-bashi Subway Station tothe Four Seasons Hotel Tokyoat Chinzan-so, you might beginto wonder if you have taken awrong turning as you strollthrough a tranquil neighbor-hood, where the crowded cityfeels miles away.

The 66,000-sq.-meter Japa-nese garden in which the hotelstands is hidden in a residen-tial area. It is a historical partof Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo,where Matsuo Basho, a EdoPeriod haiku poet famous forhis outlook on nature, lived.

The Chinzan-so garden is al-ways filled with seasonal flow-ers and in February, earlyflowering cherry blossomsmark the beginning of spring.Birds sing, fireflies float overthe stream in summer and nat-ural spring water fills the OldSpring Well all year. Drinkablenatural mineral water runsthrough the hotel’s guestrooms and provides water forshowers and washbowls.

At Yu, the Four Seasons’spa, you can enjoy a tradition-al Japanese cedar hot-springbath with natural ‘‘onsen (hotspring)’’ water brought fromIto on the Izu Peninsula.

The spacious 2,068-sq.-meterspa is equipped with a heatedall-weather swimming poolwith a retractable roof, fitnessfacilities and a lounge, wherecontinental breakfasts, freshjuice and herb tea are served.

The Japan-Asian-inspiredtreatment area features sixtreatment rooms, two doublerooms and a luxurious 115-sq.-meter VIP spa suite for wom-en, with outdoor bath, bed-room, treatment beds and aVichy rain shower for two.

The women’s Fire & WaterPurification treatment(¥62,000), exclusive to theVIP suite, incorporates thewisdom and philosophy of12th century ‘‘Shugendo (the

path of training and testing),’’which believes that enlighten-ment is obtained through thestudy of the relationship be-tween man and nature.

The Water Ritual treatmentuses a sage and cypress bodywash, and sake and salt polish,which are said to have purify-ing properties. After washingoff in the Vichy rain showerand detoxifying in a steambath, the Fire Ritual includes apressure-point body massageand a five-grain body wrap inflickering candlelight. At theend of the three-hour treat-ment, soaking in the outdoorhot tub, sipping a ‘‘sencha’’ tea,you will discover a serenitythat you only could have imag-ined before.

Programs exclusively formen include The Time Out forMen (¥52,000), which com-bines facial and dynamicbody treatments, a Head andHair Awakening Massage(¥12,000), which revitalizesthe scalp and hair, and releas-

es tension in the neck andshoulders, and a SamuraiHealing Hot Stone treatment(¥30,000), which uses hot ba-salt stones found near Japan’sgeothermal baths.

The hotel offers special spaand stay packages for thosewho really want to unwind.The Urban Oasis Stay plan(starting from ¥46,000) in-cludes a one-night stay in asuperior or executive garden-view room, breakfast at a res-taurant or served in yourroom, and access to the spa’spool, fitness and hot-springbath. For the ultimate es-cape, you might like to try theEscape to Four Seasons plan(starting from ¥65,000), atwo-night stay in a city-viewroom with breakfast and ac-cess to spa facilities. (M.I.)Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so2-10-8, Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, TokyoTel: (03) 3943-2222URL: www.fourseasons-tokyo.comAccess: A 10-minute walk from Edoga-wa-bashi Station on the Yurakucho Sub-way Line

Relearning the three ‘R’s’ at a hotel spaRest, relaxation and rejuvenation can be found in and around TokyoBy MINAMI IIJIMAContributing writer

Life is tough and everyoneneeds a break. A moment torelax, kick back and basicallydo nothing. But even if you

can find time in your busyschedule to get away for someR&R, the congested highwaysand crowded stations you’llface just getting out of Tokyowill leave you even more

stressed-out and wishingyou’d never left your desk.

So if you’re looking for aplace to recharge your batter-ies after work or on week-ends, a hotel spa may be just

what you need.Following the recent spa

boom overseas, more andmore spa facilities are open-ing at hotels and resorts inJapan. What used to be beau-ty-oriented aesthetic salons,targeted for women, are nowoffering a variety of servicesand programs to bringhealth and wellness to menand women of all ages. Pow-er-lunch meetings, spa busi-ness meetings, even nailtreatment meetings are be-coming popular among busi-ness people.

The recent spa movementis deeply related to our ever-stressful lifestyles, and therise of holistic treatments andalternative therapies thatconsider health as a questionof body, mind and spirit bal-ance. By using the power ofnature such as water andherbs, a spa provides the timeand space to relax, reflect, re-vitalize and rejoice.

A hotel spa offers a compre-hensive relaxation environ-ment from fitness and well-ness programs like yoga and

tai chi, massage and treat-ments, Jacuzzi and naturalhot-spring baths to health-conscious cuisine, and a sim-ple good night’s sleep.

Each hotel spa is unique, of-fering something for every-one. The Four Seasons HotelTokyo at Chinzan-so is a se-cret forest hideaway in themiddle of Tokyo, where youcan focus on finding the peaceof mind you misplaced in theurban sprawl outside. If youare looking for rejuvenation,the bay-view InterContinentalYokohama Grand Hotel willtake you on a virtual oceancruise. And families andfriends can enjoy spas and ac-tivities together, and spendtime bonding at the HiltonOdawara Resort & Spa. Forsomeone in need of a quickswitch of mood, the sky-viewConrad Tokyo and its urban-contemporary architecturewill inspire you.

A hotel spa will help you re-store the harmony of body,mind and spirit that you needto survive the hustle and bus-tle of 21st century life.

THE CONRAD TOKYO’S Mizuki Spa’s double ‘‘hinoki-room’’ suite with Japanese cypress bath overlooks Shiodome city (above left); the Bade Zone at the HiltonOdawara Resort & Spa has 11 hydrotherapy indoor and outdoor pools that use natural hot-spring water (right).

THE BAY-VIEW Jacuzzi at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hotel’s Spa Bay Window(above); the luxurious VIP spa suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so (below)

THE RICH GREENERY and beautiful blossoms of the historical Chinzan-so garden provide ahaven of calm and relaxation in the heart of Tokyo.

AN OUTDOOR BATH attached to the VIP spa suite

(Publicity)

The Japan Times PUBDATE: 2/13/2008 PAGE: 5 C M Y K OUTPUT TIME: 12:35:33

(3) THE JAPAN TIMES A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 5

RELAXATION AT HOTELS

Sweating or chilling your way back to health, fitnessHilton Odawara can help you work out your stress, or just give you the time to let it happen

Whatever you do, don’t for-get to pack a swimsuit andtracksuit when you visit theHilton Odawara Resort & Spain Odawara, Kanagawa Pre-fecture.

The 230,000-sq.-meter su-permega resort is packedwith recreational facilities:pool, spa, driving range, put-

ting green, tennis court, fit-ness room, gymnasium, bowl-ing alley, playground, ceram-ics studio, library, karaoke, aforest walkway and Kids Clubactivity programs. There’seven an on-site heliport forthose who want to drop in.

Situated between the Hako-ne foothills and Sagami Bay,

there are spectacular unob-structed views of the PacificOcean. It is hard to believethat a place so rich in natureis just a one-hour train ridefrom Tokyo.

The resort has been named‘‘Japan’s Leading Spa Resort’’by the World Travel Awardsthree years in a row. To com-memorate the prize, the hotelis offering a special Celebra-tion Stay plan, Spa Cuisinelunch and Premium Full Re-lax Spa treatment coursethrough March 31 (exceptFeb. 25 to 29).

The Celebration Stay plan(starting from ¥19,810) in-cludes an overnight stay in anocean-view room, full-coursedinner with foie gras appetiz-er, Hilton Breakfast Buffet,use of relaxation room withmassage chairs, natural hot-spring bath and access to theBade Zone spa facility.

Inspired by the CaracallaSpa in Germany, the BadeZone has 11 hydrotherapy in-door and outdoor pools thatuse natural hot-spring water,a 25-meter swimming pool,dry and mist sauna, and wa-ter workout sessions. Timejust flies as you float in thepool, watching clouds pass bythrough the 360-degree floor-to-ceiling glass window.

If you get hungry, grab atowel and head to the Aquafepoolside restaurant, whichhas a dry and wet zone, wherevisitors in swimsuits can en-joy health-conscious food andmineral waters from aroundthe world.

Taking advantage of Oda-

wara’s bountiful local pro-duce, the menu is filled withthe culinary inspirations ofExecutive Chef Masashi Mi-zuguchi, who frequently visitslocal producers to select thebest ingredients.

The restaurant’s popularOdawara Mackerel Burger,included in February’s Cele-bration Spa Cuisine lunchcourse (¥2,890), uses thecatch of the day, selected ev-ery morning at the fish mar-ket by Mizuguchi himself.The juicy mackerel and tofupatty topped with a plum and‘‘shiso’’ leaf sauce, togetherwith local miso, scallions, to-mato and lettuce goes sur-prisingly well with the burgerbuns baked in the hotel.

If you are really in need ofrejuvenation, the CelebrationPremium Full Relax spa treat-ment (¥28,350) offered at thelady’s exclusive Aqua BeauteSpa won’t disappoint. The 21/2

-hour course includes gom-mage skin exfoliation, bodyand facial treatment using

Sothys herbal essences com-bined with a hot-stone mas-sage. After the head-to-toetreatment, your skin feels assoft and smooth as a newbornbaby’s, and tingles with life.

A quick massage for menand women is also offered atthe Japanese-style Natural HotSpring Bath.

With its natural surround-ings and full menu of activi-ties, the resort can satisfymost, if not all of your needs,whether it’s lounging on a bal-cony watching the moon riseabove the ocean, or activelyenjoying the facilities andsweating out your stress.(M.I.)

Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa583-1, Nebukawa, Odawara-shi, Kana-gawaTel: (0465) 29-1000URL: www.hilton.co.jp/odawarawww.hilton.com/worldwideresorts

Access: 15 minutes by car from Odawa-ra Station on the JR, JR Shinkansen orOdakyu lines; five minutes by car fromJR Nebukawa Station. There are shuttlebus services from Odawara (only week-days) and Nebukawa stations.

Recharge those batteries on a ‘cruise’Ocean-inspired spa treatments on dry land at the Intercontinental Hotel Yokohama

A panoramic view of Yoko-hama Bay, with the waves soclose you could almost reachout and touch them, is the lastthing you’ll see as you closeyour eye and peacefully dozeunder the soothing hands of amasseur in one of the Spa BayWindow’s treatment rooms.

A short 30-minute trip bycar or train from central To-kyo will bring you to the Inter-Continental Yokohama GrandHotel in the relaxing urbanresort atmosphere of Yokoha-ma’s Minato Mirai 21 com-mercial zone. The view of thebay through the hotel’s wall-to-wall windows makes youfeel as if you are on board acruise ship.

Spa Bay Window, on thefourth floor of the crescent-shaped tower, has a Jacuzzi,relaxation area, and five sim-

ple and modern treatmentrooms, four for single use andone for double use, with abath. Taking advantage of thelocation, all the treatmentrooms have floor-to-ceilingwindows overlooking the bay.

The spa offers ocean-in-spired treatments and the ho-tel’s exclusive Rose Be ne dic-tion, developed in cooperationwith Hisako Ito, a translator,essayist and the developer ofN ee la Rose oil essence,which is extracted from ap-proximately 2,000 roses.

Rose, the official flower ofYokohama, has a history ofbeing used as a sedative, andto improve the immune sys-tem and hormone balance.

A 60-minute facial(¥20,000) includes cleansing,rose neck treatment, facial,and a ‘‘love and beauty’’ rose

quartz stonetreatment, an-tiaging pack,skin condi-tioning andscalp treat-ment. A 90-minute bodyt r e a t m e n t(¥25,000) in-cludes a rosebath and a fullbody roset r e a t m e n t .The aroma ofthe roses andtheir compo-nents will helpm e n a n dwomen relax,and restoreinner peace.

After beingpampered atthe spa, it’stime to trysome innercleansing.

A stop at theOcean Ter-

race buffet restaurant, whereyou can enjoy Spa Cuisine forlunch and dinner, is a must.

The InterContinental Yoko-hama Grand Hotel was thefirst hotel in Japan to intro-duce Spa Cuisine, which ishealth-conscious low-caloriecooking that uses miso, ta-mari sauce, honey and fruitjuice for seasonings, and nat-ural oil from the ingredientsinstead of oil, salt or sugar.Fresh local produce such asKamakura vegetables andfish from Sagami Bay are al-ways on the menu.

The lunch course (¥2,730),with bread, appetizer, fish ormeat and dessert, containsonly 500 to 800 kcal, which ishard to believe from its satis-fying taste and volume.

The hotel offers packagesthat allow you to enjoy thetreatments and Spa Cuisine.The Refresh and Stay plan

(starting from ¥28,000) in-cludes a one-night stay, a SpaCuisine breakfast served inyour room, spa treatment andlate checkout.

A choice of a Japanese-style suite on the sixth flooris available, with a selectionof six different layouts,some with Japanese livingroom and Western-style bed-room or vice versa, and fiverooms with ‘‘hinoki’’ cypressbaths.

A Refresh and Dine pack-age with a Spa Cuisine lunchor dinner and spa treatment(starting from ¥21,500) is al-so available. (M.I.)

InterContinental Yokohama Grand1-1-1 Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi, KanagawaTel: (045) 223-2222URL: www.interconti.co.jp/yokohama

Access: A two-minute walk from Minato-Mirai Station on the Minato-Mirai Line, or a10-minute walk from Sakuragi-cho Stationon the JR and Yokohama subway lines

Soothing the mind, bodyConrad Tokyo turns relaxation into an art form

A visit to the Conrad Tokyois like going to a contempo-rary art museum high abovethe clouds. From the strikingred sculpture that welcomesyou at the first-floor entranceto the lobby’s soaring 7-meter,floor-to-ceiling windows onthe 28th floor, with an exten-sive view of the Tokyo Bayskyline and Hamarikyu Gar-dens, a former royal resi-dence, you know that this isno ordinary hotel.

The hotel occupies the top10 floors of the 37-floor TokyoShiodome Building in Shio-dome, a new commercial ar-ea that is a 15-minute walkfrom Ginza and a five-minutewalk from the world-famousTsukiji fish market.

Surrounded by the darkwood textures and linear pat-terns of the hotel’s modernJapanese architecture, whichwon the 2006 Good DesignAward, and the extensive col-lection of cutting-edge Japan-motif arts and crafts createdby 23 of the country’s leadingartists, you soon start to feel a

surge of creativity and inspi-ration.

It is difficult to resist thelively and futuristic Japanesede ´cor, with white walls, ovalpatterns and blue carpeting,of the 1,400-sq.-meter MizukiSpa & Fitness center on the29th floor, which reflects themeaning of the name Mizuki:‘‘water and moon,’’ two of na-ture’s most powerful yetcalming symbols.

The spa is equipped with 10private treatment rooms, in-cluding two double rooms, anail room and a Vichy rainshower room, as well as co-coon-shaped relaxation areawith negative ion generator,skyscraper-view 25-meter‘‘sumi-e (Japanese brushpainting)’’-inspired lap pool,fitness center with the latestCybex exercise machines,aerobics studio, and saunaand steam rooms.

The members’ and guest’sexclusive Mizuki Spirit spasuite ritual (¥47,250) at theShiodome city-view ‘‘hinoki(Japanese cypress)’’ double

t r eatmentsuite takesyou on a 21 / 2 - h o u rJ a p a n e s es p i r i t u a ljourney.

The ritu-al startswith a footbath fol-lowed by a30-minut esoak in thehinoki bathfor two,b a m b o ostick mas-sage, fullbody oilm a s s a g eand facial,with a re-cess for atraditionalJ a p a n e s etea cere-mony with ‘‘matcha’’ tea and‘ ‘ w a g a s h i ( J a p a n e s esweets).’’ The subtle scent ofhinoki cypress fills the roomand the sound of dripping wa-ter soothes away your stress.

For nourishment of yourbody and soul, there’s a mac-robiotic ‘‘kaiseki (traditionalmulticourse Japanese cui-sine)’’ lunch (¥6,000) or din-ner (¥12,000) at the Kaza-hana Japanese restaurant.Reservations are requiredfive days in advance. The low-fat, high-fiber and predomi-nantly vegetarian dishes arefilled with mouthwatering lo-cally grown seasonal organicproduce like yam potato su-shi, vegetable tempura andbrown rice cooked in a tradi-tional Japanese pot.

For an overnight getaway,the Mizuki Spa Inspirationspa and stay package (start-ing from ¥67,000) is avail-able, which includes a two-

hour facial and body massagespa treatment, use of fitnessfacilities (pool for an extra¥2,500) and breakfast at Cer-ies by Gordon Ramsay, a ca-sual brasserie opened by Lon-don’s legendary chef GordonRamsay. Room types rangefrom a 48-sq.-meter standardcity-view room with 4-meter-long window-side lounger so-fa, to a luxurious 72-sq.-metergarden- and bay-view suite,all with Conrad’s rubberducky bath toy.

After pampering yourself atthe spa and a good night’ssleep in a comfortable bedwith pillows of your choice,you are sure to wake up re-freshed and renewed, readyto start a new day. (M.I.)Conrad Tokyo1-9-1, Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, TokyoTel: (03) 6388-8000URL: www.ConradTokyo.co.jpAccess: Direct connection from Shio-dome Station; a seven-minute walk fromJR Shinbashi Station

YOU CAN enjoy views of Yokohama Bay from the double treat-ment room at the InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hotel.

THE BADE Zone’s outside pools are illuminated at night (above left); the Odawara MackerelBurger is a favorite at the poolside restaurant (right).

THE SUMI-E motif 25-meter indoor lap pool withskyscraper view and lounger chairs

THIS HEALTHY Spa Cuisine meal containsless than 1,000 kcal but is filling and tasty.

THE HILTON ODAWARA Resort & Spa in Hakone’s foothills offers fantastic views of thePacific.

THE STRIKING red sculpture ‘‘Purification 1’’ by NobuyukiTanaka welcomes you to the Conrad Tokyo at the first-floorentrance.

(Publicity)