What to Do Between Business Meetings in Tokyo

All work and no play makes a wasted trip to Tokyo! Get the most out of your between-meeting downtime with our Tokyo business-trip must-dos.

Sprawling Tokyo heaves with designer dens, high-end malls, and hidden boutiques, but if time is of the essence, swagger straight into one-stop, no-fuss, quality-assured gent’s mecca, Hankyu Men’s. This department store boasts a staggering nine floors of local and international labels, shoes, accessories, luggage, and grooming, plus natty bespoke suits on the fifth floor, all of which can be delivered to your hotel.

Look the part in meetings with an exquisite hand-engraved fountain pen peeping out the top of your breast pocket. Crème de la crème pen peddler, Shosaikan, secretes a massive selection of antique, rare and new nibs, plus a rainbow of inks, and collector’s mags. Pair your purchase with pretty notebooks and writing paper from specialty stationer G.Itoya.

Anyone worth their single malt knows that Japanese whisky is the tipple du jour. If you’re weighing up what to take home in your carry-on, why not try before you buy at Aoyama drinking den Whisky Library? Browse more than 1,200 varieties from around the world or wet your whistle with a few of the classics from their starter menu. Intimate sofas and private rooms make this a great spot for schmoozing clients too.

Done in after a day of back-to-back meet n’ greets? Lucky for you, LaQua onsen is open 22 hours a day, with five floors of rain showers, massages, scrubs, steam area, outdoor onsen and roller-coaster park views, all handily located in the city centre. Basic add-on services, including a comfy yukata for strolling around the common areas, come as standard. We love the detoxifying rhassoul Moroccan clay treatment at Arau, one of the mini salons tucked inside the complex. And breathe...

Hankyu Men’s / 2-5-1 Yurakucho / Chiyoda-ku / +81 3 6252 1381 / noon-8pm Mon-Tue, noon-9pm Wed-Fri, 11am-9pm Sat, 11am-8pm Sun / hankyu-dept.co.jp

Shosaikan / 5-13-11 Minami Aoyama / Minato-ku / +81 3 3400 3377 / noon-6pm daily / shosaikan.co.jp

G.Itoya / 2-7-25 Ginza / Chuo-ku / +81 3 3561 8311 / 10am-8pm daily / ito-ya.co.jp

Tokyo Whiskey Library / 2/F / 5-5-24 Minami Aoyama / Minato-ku / +81 3 6434 1163 / 6pm-3am Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight Sun / tokyo-whisky-library.com