A natural segue from a visit to the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park

During your stay in Tokyo, chances are you will want to visit the majestic Imperial Palace, enjoy a walk around the Imperial Grounds and the beautiful Hibiya Park nearby. When you've finished, you'll surely welcome a change of pace. As you continue along your stroll, you'll see the elegant and modern "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center.

Gengorou | © PIXTA

Why not stop by and enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine and desserts in a fun and casual atmosphere, as well as gift shopping for unique traditional Japanese sweets, sake and more?

The "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center has numerous attractive dining and shopping options, as well as the Park View Garden which provides beautiful vistas of Hibiya Park. Here are a few of our favorites we'd like to recommend to you:


Hayashiya Shinbei Hibiya

This Japanese sweets cafe is operated by the Kyo Hayashiya green tea brand, which has a 260-year history of making authentic green tea and has been based in Kyoto since 1878. But you don't need to travel to Kyoto to enjoy their wide variety of matcha flavored sweets. Kyo Hayashiya prides itself on being trend-setters in the field of tea. For example, they were the first to offer a Matcha Parfait in 1969, proving that green tea could be casually enjoyed as a dessert, and wasn't limited to drinking as a beverage.

Hayashiya Shinbei Hibiya entrance | Photo by © grape Japan

Their cafe on the 2nd floor of the "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center has a range of enticing sweets and cakes which change according to the season, as well as permanent menu items such as their famous Matcha Parfait, the visually striking Koto no Teien Parfait, and their interpretation of classics like anmitsu, which you can enjoy in a version made with matcha warabimochi and matcha ice cream or, as pictured below, chestnuts and houjicha ice cream.

Matcha Parfait | © Hayashiya Shinbei

Houjicha Kuri Anmitsu | © Hayashiya Shinbei

Koto no teien Parfait | © Hayashiya Shinbei

If you sit at the counter, you'll be able to observe the staff making premium matcha from the famous tea-growing region of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, prepared the traditional way with a bamboo whisk, and served with bite-sized tea sweets which change with the season. On our visit, they were chewy morsels made from mochi and egg whites flavored with matcha and studded with walnuts.

Making matcha at the counter | Photo by © grape Japan

Matcha and tea sweets | Photo by © grape Japan


Sumiyoshi Shuhan

Whether you're looking for a place to unwind at a standing bar, enjoying flavorful Japanese tapas which go perfectly with a glass of sake (or two), or whether you want to buy a gift of sake, shochu or other specialties to bring home, look no further than Sumiyoshi Shuhan in the arcade area of the "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center.

Sumiyoshi Shuhan entrance | Photo by © grape Japan

Standing bar | Photo by © grape Japan

All dishes on the menu and sake in the store are selected and sourced from farmers who deeply care about the environment. There are many tasty dishes on the menu but some of our favorites were the Tosa Akaushi beef sushi, succulent roast beef-like cuts of Tosa Akaushi beef on a bed of pink rice flavored with beet juice and shiitake mushrooms, and the Gokujo Shiozuke Uni and Narazuke, fragrant salted sea urchin with smoky Narazuke daikon pickles.

Tosa Akaushi beef sushi | Photo by © grape Japan

Premium salted sea urchin and Narazuke pickles | Photo by © grape Japan

If you want to try some sake but aren't sure what to get, you can't go wrong with the Irohani-masu sake flight. It's a completely customized experience, with the staff helping you pick out the right sake that matches your preference as you go. Another fun feature is the ticket system for ordering which uses traditional hanafuda playing cards. You start out with 15, and when you leave, the staff will tally up your bill based on how many cards are left. Finally, menus and instructions are available in English so it's easy to understand.

Irohani-masu sake flight | Photo by © grape Japan

There's a wonderful selection of sake, shochu and other alcoholic beverages and regional specialties at the gift shop. You can also ask the staff to wrap your purchase with beautiful Hakata-style mizuhiki ribbons which will make for a unique gift which will surely be appreciated.

A wide selection of sake, shochu and specialties | Photo by © grape Japan


Suzukake

If you're looking for traditional sweets with a kawaii motif, stop by Suzukake on the arcade area of the "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center. You can shop there confident in the quality which comes from 90 years of experience, while appreciating their distinctive "bell" shaped sweets. Step through the elegant noren curtains and explore their selection of cakes and sweets just as adorable as they are delicious. The cute bell-shaped cakes are sure to please whoever receives them.

Suzukake entrance with traditional noren curtain | © Suzukake

Detail of Suzukake bell symbol embroidered on noren | Photo by © grape Japan

For example, the Suzuno Monaka Otezume are little cakes which you fill by yourself with a sweet paste made with fragrant red beans from Tokachi. Preparing each one heightens your enjoyment. Rin are bell-shaped sweets made with Wasanbon sugar.

Suzuno Monaka Otezume | © Suzukake

Rin | © Suzukake

Another interesting offering is their "tatamize" collection of melt-in-your-mouth sweets made with premium wasanbon sugar. Inspired by the French word for Japanesque, the sophisticated checkered box sets come in roasted soybean or black sesame flavors.

Tatamize (black sesame flavor), boxed | © Suzukake

Finally, some of their sweets and cakes come in a handsome black wicker box, not only offering an attractive gift presentation but also providing a reusable container which will surely be appreciated.

Gift set displayed with decorative black wicker box | Photo by © grape Japan


Park View Garden

Enjoy the verdant vista of the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park from the 6th floor Park View Garden, sit on a bench, relax or enjoy one of the take-out desserts from REVIVE KITCHEN THREE. No matter what you do here, you'll find peace and enjoyment at one of Tokyo's finest rooftop gardens.

View of Hibiya Park from Park View Garden / miuku © PIXTA

Rice milk soft-serve ice cream | © REVIVE KITCHEN THREE


The "Tokyo Midtown Hibiya" shopping center is the perfect place for shopping, dining and relaxation, all within an elegant and attractively designed building. With shops and restaurants where you can experience Japanese cuisine and culture in a casual, fun environment, it's a great place to stop by after a visit to the Imperial Palace or Hibiya Park.


Information

  • Address (JP): 〒100-0006 東京都千代田区有楽町1-1-2
  • Address (EN): 1-1-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006 (Google Map)
  • Access: Direct access from Hibiya Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line / Toei Subway Mita Line), 4 min. walk from Yurakucho Station (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line), 5 min. walk from Ginza Station (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line & Hibiya Line), 5 min. walk from Yurakucho Station (JR Yamanote Line)
  • Hours: 11:00 to 21:00 (shops), 11:00 to 23:00 (restaurants) * Each establishment may also have separate hours.
  • Call Center: 03-5157-1251
  • Website

Sponsored by © Tokyo Midtown Management Co., Ltd.


By - Ben K.

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