The grass is as closely mowed a croquet lawn. In the distance, conifers jut into the early evening sky. The air is sultry, the city traffic just a far-off hum. A waiter wearing a black bow tie delivers a tall glass of frothing beer to your table. You sink back in your armchair. Summer's here, and there is nowhere better in Tokyo to enjoy it.
As you may have already guessed, this is no ordinary beer garden. We are in Sekirei, one of those special little oases that make life in Tokyo -- even in summer -- not just bearable, but memorable.
The Meiji Kinenkan abuts the expansive (and strictly off-limits) estate of the Imperial Palace Detached Guesthouse. In the normal run of affairs, there is little reason to go there, except if you are attending one of the lavish weddings or upmarket functions that take place inside. Most of the time it feels genteel and rather stuffy.