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Online Benefits If you do not need the print version of EIC Express, please visit http://www.keioplaza.com/eic/express.html for registration. Those who register will be notified of new issues via e-mail. This measure is part of the hotel's effort to decrease paper waste and stay as environmentally friendly as possible. The Keio Plaza will give a 500-point bonus to those who choose to register. Inspirations from the World of Art at Ambrosia The Bunkamura Museum in Tokyo's Shibuya district is currently hosting an event featuring the paintings of the impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir and excerpts from movies directed by his son, Jean Renoir, a towering figure who left a great mark on the world of French films. Titled "Renoir + Renoir," the exhibition is now underway and will be held through May 6th, 2008. Shibuya is within easy reach of Keio Plaza Hotel — only a five-minute walk to the Shinjuku Station followed by an eight-minute ride on the Yamanote Line train. In conjunction with the event, Keio Plaza Hotel's French restaurant, Ambrosia, will be offering special dishes inspired by the exhibition through May 6th. Its chef, Shinichi Satoh, has visited and strolled along the streets of Paris and Nice, both sources of influence for the elder Reoir. Based on his experiences in these cities as well as the master's paintings, Satoh is pleased to provide culinary interpretations that express the "world of Renoir." Satoh's creations, served night and day, include hors d'oeuvre inspired by scenes from the farm at Les Collettes, where Renoir spent his later years. A poisson dish featuring pale-pink Scampi prawns, fresh white and green asparagus, and a yellow lemon sauce pays homage to Renoir's peerless mastery of color. Even the desserts, which make use of grapefruits and oranges, evoke the brilliant sunshine of Nice. The offerings also include a number of a la carte dishes. All of these "Renoir specials" come with special discount tickets to the exhibition. Guests visiting Tokyo this spring are invited to savor the twin worlds of fine arts and gastronomy, both at the Bunkamura Museum and Keio Plaza Hotel's restaurant Ambrosia. Ambrosia (44th floor, Main Tower) Business Hours: Lunch: 11:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. (Orders accepted until 2:30 P.M.) Dinner: 5:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. (Orders accepted until 10:00 P.M.) 62 seats 2 rooms * Reservations are recommended. Special dishes created for the "Renoir + Renoir" exhibition * Special full-course dinner: 10,500 yen (available night and day) * Special a la carte dishes are also served. * An additional 10% service charge is applied. * To all customers ordering a "Renoir + Renoir" special, we offer discount tickets to the exhibition as a token of our gratitude. Charity Event: The 5th "Volunteer Plaza" On February 26th, Keio Plaza Hotel held its fifth "Volunteer Plaza," a popular admission-free charity event that gave participants a chance to have fun learning about ecology and experiencing barrier-free environments. As usual, the event featured a colorful variety of amusements: a live concert starring a soprano singer who uses a guide dog, a tour of the hotel's barrier-free facilities, a barrier-free art exhibition, a special bazaar, and more. The hotel also set up sections where visitors could sign up for bone marrow registration, as well as donate blood, money, and used postage stamps. Profits from the event and the donations collected went to the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Japan Guide Dog Association, and a number of other charity organizations. Keio Plaza Hotel was the first hotel in Japan to build barrier-free rooms, and it has long been recognized as a leader and a pioneer in this area. We are determined to keep up our work to offer every single customer ever-better comfort in terms of facilities, equipment, services, and care. Savor the Best from Award-Winning Bartenders at Brillant Bartender Takayuki Sasazawa is a popular face at Brillant, Keio Plaza Hotel's main bar. Now his renown has spread further, as he was honored last November with top award at the 2007 Suntory the Cocktail Award competition, one of the most well-known and prestigious such events in Japan. His signature creation, "Celebriti-ni," is crafted from X-RATED® liqueur and a base of 47% Beefeater® gin, among other ingredients. The drink enchants the tongue with its refreshing sweetness and rich gin taste. Over the years, Keio Plaza Hotel bartenders have distinguished themselves both nationally and internationally. Brillant, for instance, is also home to Shinichiro Ohtsuka, who has won the top awards at the Hennessy Osaka division of the Hennessy Cocktail Competition in Japan and at the Tanqueray No. Ten division of the 20th Joint Cocktail Competition of HBA and MHD (the Hotel Barmen's Association, Japan, and MHD Diageo Moet Hennessy). With over 100 brands of whiskey, cocktails from award-winning bartenders, and countless other choices, the main bar's elegant space is the perfect environment to savor the drinks of your choice. Main Bar Brillant (2nd floor, South Tower) Business Hours: Weekdays: 5:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. (Orders accepted until 1:30 A.M.) Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 4:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. (Orders accepted until 1:30 A.M.) 84 seats Series: Scenes from Japanese Society Volume 14: Hikkoshi — Embarking on a New Stage of Life Many businesses and most educational institutions in Japan conclude their fiscal or school years in March. This is also the month when the largest numbers of people move into new homes to begin their new lives. Many college students arrive for the first time in major cities, while newly hired or relocating employees shift to new working environments. To begin a move, or hikkoshi, as it is called in Japanese, the first step is to find a new residence. In many ways, this resembles the process one undertakes in other nations, but Japan has several unique customs. Japanese real estate practices often require payments such as shikikin (safety deposits) and reikin (tokens of gratitude to the owner) from tenants, and it is advisable to have cash on hand totaling roughly five times a property's monthly rent at the beginning. It is important to inform the proper authorities when moving, and newcomers also often deliver token gifts, such as towels, to their new neighbors. After all these chores have been completed, it is time for a new chapterof life to begin. Super Buffet Glass Court: Authenticity, Style, and the Joy of Dining (2nd floor, Main Tower) Business Hours: Breakfast: 7:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Lunch (weekdays): 11:45 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays): 11:45 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Dinner (weekdays): 5:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays): 5:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. 181 seats Charges (per adult): Breakfast: 2,625 yen Lunch (weekdays): 3,150 yen (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays): 3,465 yen Dinner (weekdays): 4,830 yen (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays): 5,775 yen *Including tax, excluding service charges. *Reservations are recommended. With its authentic dishes featuring the best of China, Japan, Europe, and elsewhere, Super Buffet Glass Court always offers travelers the quality worthy of Keio Plaza Hotel. Amidst a chic, relaxing interior, enjoy a selection of some 80 dishes, including over 20 appetizers, fresh handmade pastas, stewed dishes, fish, meats, Asian noodles with toppings and soups of your choice, desserts, and more. At the "live kitchen" located amidst customers' tables, the chef cuts freshly roasted beef and chicken to your order, right before your eyes. Seasonal fare and special desserts are available on weekends and holidays. Glass Court is home to freshness and quality, making it a consistently joyful dining experience, no matter when you visit. The buffet's Manager, Kazuhiro Satoh, says, "Our buffet is the right place for many, many occasions. Conducting business meals, dining with a special someone, having a good time with your family, or relaxing by yourself — the choice is yours. Many of our customers from abroad just dropped in by chance at first before later going on to become regular customers. We will be waiting for your visit as well." Visually enticing, rich in culture, and perfect as gifts — discover the crafts of traditional Japan. Series: Tiny Gifts from Yesterday's Japan Volume 17: Sake Cups for the Perfect Sip Lovely tableware always makes a good meal taste better. The same is true of quality drinking vessels, which add a special something to fine liquors. Japanese sake is no exception. What could be a better souvenir for a lover of this unique drink than sake cups? Such vessels come in a great variety, from o-choko (tiny cups) to guinomi (larger cups). In addition, sake drinkers use special tableware such as tokkuri to serve the beverage, since sake bottles themselves are often very large. Tokkuri are very convenient, allowing enthusiasts to easily double-boil sake. Sake ware comes in a fascinating variety of shapes, colors, and materials, from ceramic to glass and beyond. One of the many features that make sake so tempting is the fact that it can be imbibed at different temperatures in order to best suit the season and the occasion. On a freezing winter night, very little creates warmth faster than well-warmed sake in an unglazed ceramic guinomi cup. In summer, aficionados often favor the drink chilled in a cool glass cup. Excellent examples of sake ware can be found at the Keio department store right next to the Shinjuku Station, among other locations. For Members of the Executive International Club New Special Room Rates for EIC Members Beginning April 1st, 2008, new discounted room rates noted below will apply to EIC members. Customers staying with us at EIC member rates will be entitled to many special services and privileges, including use of The Club Lounge, free breakfast, and free extension of checkout time to 3:00 P.M. Type of Room Single Double/Twin Superior 23,100 yen 27,300 yen Plaza Comfort 23,625 yen 27,825 yen Plaza Premier 25,725 yen 29,925 yen *Plaza Comfort rooms are located on the 28th through 33rd floors of the South Tower. *Service charge is not included in the above rates. *Rates are subject to change without notice. * These privileges do not apply to guests staying at rates other than EIC member rates. Use of The Club Lounge The International Club Lounge has changed its name to The Club Lounge, and is open to EIC members staying with us at member rates, as well as their guests. In The lounge, guests can enjoy coffee, tea, cocktails, and other amenities in a self-service environment during business hours. Location: South Tower, 34th Floor Seating Capacity: 40 (28 in the lounge area and 2 private rooms with 4 and 8 seats) Hours: 1:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Free for EIC members staying with us at member rates; 2,000 yen for each additional guest * Meeting Rooms are also Available: 1:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Type A (up to 8 people): 8,000 yen for the first two hours; 4,000 yen for each additional hour Type B (up to 4 people): 4,000 yen for the first two hours; 2,000 yen for each additional hour *Use of meeting rooms available only to customers staying at EIC member rates. *Meeting room cost includes self-service drinks and snacks. *Advanced reservations are recommended. *To use or make a reservation for a meeting room, please contact The Club Lounge staff. Complimentary Breakfast for EIC Members To EIC members staying with us at member rates, we offer free breakfast at the Cocktail & Tea Lounge on the 3rd floor of the Main Tower. The Lounge, bathed with an abundance of morning sunlight, caters only to selected guests during breakfast hours. In this spacious, relaxing area, enjoy a buffet-style breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, and more. Breads and cereals of many different kinds, fresh fruits, coffee, tea, juices, and other selections are also provided. Breakfast (served at the Cocktail & Tea Lounge on the 3rd floor) 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. (Please arrive at the lounge by 9:30 A.M.) Free for EIC members staying with us at member rates; 2,520 yen per person for their guests *Service charge is not included in the above rate. Free Extension of Checkout Time Upon request, EIC members staying with us at member rates can have their checkout time extended up to 3:00 P.M., depending on the room reservation situation. In most of Japan's elementary and secondary schools as well as universities and colleges, the school year begins in April and concludes the following March. Thus, many educational institutions have theirsotsugyo-shiki (graduation ceremony) in March. Sotsugyo-shiki is a solemn ceremony featuring conferment of diplomas, a congratulatory speech from the principal, and greetings from representatives of the graduating students. Many graduating students attend the ceremony in formal clothes, such as their school uniforms and suits, while many female university students wear haori and hakama, traditional Japanese formal wear, for this special occasion. Sotsugyo-shiki, which marks a beginning of a new stage of life for the graduating students, is also an occasion for saying farewell to friends. At secondary school ceremonies, many students ask their favorite graduating students of the opposite sex for their school bags or buttons off their school uniforms. A notable practice among girls is to ask for the second button from the top off the school uniform worn by a male graduating student of their choice. Since this button is near the male student's heart, it is believed to enable a girl to win the boy's heart as well. Try This! Quiz on Topics Discussed in this Issue We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. We have provided a quiz on the topics discussed in this issue. Please try your hand at the questions below and send your answers to us. We would appreciate your comments about this newsletter and the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo as well. Please send your answers and comments no later than May 31st, 2008 to: Customer Relations Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo 2-2-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8330 Japan E-mail: customer-rlt@keioplaza.co.jp Fax: +81-3-5322-8118 Prize for this issue: To three winners chosen by lot from those who have replied with the correct answers, we will present a noren. Noren are curtain-like cloths hung at entrances, used as dividers or blinds, or employed for other purposes. It is particularly common to hang a noren dyed with an establishment's name or logo as a trade sign at the entrance to a shop or a store. 1. This spring, Keio Plaza Hotel's French restaurant, Ambrosia, is offering special dishes inspired by a famous impressionist painter. What is the name of this painter? Monet Degas Renoir Cezanne 2. How many times has Keio Plaza Hotel held the "Volunteer Plaza" charity event (including the event held this February)? Two Three Four Five The winners of the prize for EIC Express, Vol. 33: Diane Chan (Australia) Akira Ishimaru (U.S.A.) Steven Kaiser (Singapore) John E. Riutta (U.S.A.) The last issue's answers: 1. a, 2. b Use of Personal Information Personal Information received from Members (hereinafter called "Personal Information"), such as names, addresses, company names, and e-mail addresses, will be used for the purpose of sending newsletters about our services to such Members. The Keio Plaza Hotel chain will obtain, use, and store personal information about Members (such as names or addresses) only for the Keio Plaza Executive International Club (EIC), and will never use such information for any other purpose. The Business Center on the 3rd Floor of the Main Tower The Business Center has opened on the 3rd floor of the Main Tower, where the lobby is located. The Center offers rental cell phones, fax and photocopy services, arrangement of interpretation and translation as well as of international delivery services, business card printing, and other conveniences. Windows PCs (connected to the Internet) and printers are also available. The Center has been renewed to provide everything necessary for efficient business activities. The Business Center's business hours Monday through Friday: 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. * The coin-operated PCs at the entrance to the Center are available 24 hours per day. Please help yourself. * The Center offers the following pay services, among others: 1. Photocopies (monochrome and full-color) 2. Fax transmission 3. Rental cellular phones 4. Arrangement of interpretation and translation services 5. Typing 6. Arrangement of international delivery service 7. Internet connection 8. Business card printing EIC Advantages By enrolling in the Executive International Club, you will be eligible to receive a variety of special services and discounts reserved exclusively for EIC members. We cordially invite all members of the Executive International Club to stay with us and experience these advantages. · Free use of The Club Lounge, exclusively reserved for EIC members · Extended late check-out until 3:00 P.M. upon request (subject to availability) · Early check-in at 11:00 A.M. upon request (subject to availability) · Priority room reservations · Frequent flyer mileage points with our 11 participating airline partners *These privileges above do not apply to guests staying at rates other than EIC member rates. Joining is easy. Simply stop by the front desk, visit our web site, or write to the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo. http://www.keioplaza.com/eic/index.html Frequent Flyer Mileage Points Earn miles when using the following Frequent Flyer Programs. Points will be provided at eligible room rates or higher. To claim points, simply present your FFP membership card upon check-in. Participating Airlines and Program names AIR FRANCE 500 miles per stay ALASKA AIRLINES 500 miles per stay AMERICAN AIRLINES 500 miles per stay ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS 500 miles per stay CATHAY PACIFIC 500 miles per stay VIRGIN ATLANTIC 1,500 miles per stay JAPAN AIRLINES 500 miles per stay KLM 500 miles per stay QANTAS 1,000 points per stay UNITED AIRLINES 500 miles per stay VARIG BRAZIL 1,000 miles per stay To Make Your Next Reservation The Keio Plaza Hotel is a member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, an international luxury hotel group. To make your next reservation with us, please contact phone numbers below. * Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Tel: +81-3-5322-8000 Fax: +81-3-3345-8269 * Los Angeles Office Toll free: +1-800-222-5346 * Online Reservations http://www.keioplaza.com * Summit Hotels & Resorts United States (toll free): +1- 800- 457- 4000 China / Hong Kong: +852-2965-1902 United Kingdom (toll free): +0800-55- 65- 55 Brazil (toll free): +0800- 55- 1821 Australia (toll free) +1-800-801-855