POSTCARD FROM TOKYO

For Sandra Choi, creative director at Jimmy Choo, Japan's capital is a vivid source of inspiration. Here, she shares her favourite locations across the city

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WHEN DID YOU FIRST VISIT TOKYO?

My role at Jimmy Choo took me to Tokyo and it was love at first sight. As a creative, the inspiration offered by the city is endless: a sensory overload in the most beautiful and welcoming way. I have memories of feeling as if I had entered a different universe where a very traditional culture is fused with extreme modernity. Every facet of living is considered: I recall the ladies' bathroom having a seat for a baby. As a parent of young children at the time, this detail felt very personal to me. It's a city of contrasts, a bit like Jimmy Choo: multifaceted, the old with the new, the zen with the futurism; a city that's at once an extrovert and an introvert.

WHERE DO YOU STAY?

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is iconic. I think anyone who visits Tokyo identifies with the mood of Lost in Translation, which eloquently captures the emotions of being abroad on a business trip. A memory that remains clear for me, like a scene from a film, is a peaceful breakfast I had in my room, looking out at Mount Fujiso serene and beautiful. On another trip. I stayed at the breathtaking Aman Tokyo. The sheer scale of the space, the height of the ceilings, and the trees growing within it all conveyed a very calming sort of luxury. You could hear yourself think for a moment and process the Tokyo experience outside. Next time, I am keen to stay at Hoshinoya Tokyo. Its concept is borrowed from Japanese ryokans-small family-run inns spread across multiple floors with rooftop hot-spring baths.