The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo by IHG

The Strings by InterContinental occupies a striking position in Shinagawa, a district that has evolved from Edo-period post station to one of Tokyo's most dynamic business and transport hubs. The property sits in Konan, a corporate enclave minutes from Shinagawa Station, where shinkansen platforms hum with departures to Kyoto and Osaka and local lines thread outward to every corner of the metropolis. This is modern Tokyo at working height: glass towers reflect the changing sky, konbini glow at street level, and salaryman izakaya fill with laughter after dark.

The neighbourhood lacks the tourist bustle of Shibuya or the temple gravity of Asakusa, which becomes its quiet advantage. Walk ten minutes south and you reach the old Tokaido road; walk north and you enter the neon corridor of Gotanda, where independent yakitori joints and karaoke boxes line narrow streets.

Tokyo Bay glints to the east, Odaiba's reclaimed shores a short train ride away. Haneda Airport sits ten kilometres south, connected by frequent Keikyu express trains that deliver arrivals in under twenty minutes.

Quintessence, less than a kilometre from the property, holds three Michelin stars for chef Shuzo Kishida's pursuit of French technique stripped to its essence: pristine ingredients, precise flame, flawless seasoning. Book weeks in advance. Sazenka, 2.7 kilometres north, interprets Chinese cuisine through the lens of tea and Zen philosophy under Tomoya Kawada's direction, another three-starred experience. For haute French classicism, Joël Robuchon's eponymous restaurant, 2.8 kilometres distant, remains the brand's Tokyo flagship. Closer to hand, Gotanda Tokyu Plaza offers department store dining and neighbourhood shopping.

Toyosu Wholesale Market, four kilometres east, replaced Tsukiji as the city's seafood nerve centre; early risers can watch tuna auctions and eat donburi at dawn. Odaiba Beach, three kilometres across the bay, presents an unexpected urban coastline with views back toward the city's glittering towers. For a retail plunge, Ginza's luxury flagships lie six kilometres northwest. Start with breakfast at the property, then let Shinagawa Station's Yamanote Line deliver you to any corner of this sprawling, endlessly surprising metropolis.

Tokyo's seasons perform a theatrical cycle. Winter, December through February, brings crisp mornings and brilliant sun, temperatures hovering near freezing at night but climbing to pleasant eight- or nine-degree afternoons. Plum blossoms emerge in late February. Cherry blossoms transform the city in late March and early April, when everyone spills into Ueno Park and along the Meguro River with bento and sake beneath petaled canopies. Spring warms quickly; May is ideal before the June rainy season arrives with humid grey skies and persistent drizzle.

July and August turn sweltering, the air thick and cicadas deafening, though festivals and fireworks justify the discomfort. September cools but remains wet. October and November deliver Tokyo's second golden window: clear skies, moderate temperatures, autumn foliage blazing in temple gardens.

Most travelers favour spring or autumn, when the weather cooperates and the city reveals its most photogenic self.