The ethereal, powder-blue fiber-optic lights that illuminate the entrance to Yui-an give a remarkable sense of stepping into another dimension -- a sensation heightened by the high-speed elevator ride to the top of the Sumitomo Building. With your brain suitably befuddled before you even get through the door, the effect of looking down on the night city from 52 floors up is nothing short of spectacular.
The place to sit (if you are lucky enough to snare a reservation) is at one of the four window-side tables where the picture windows come right down to floor level. There with a flagon of beer, a glass of wine or one of Yui-an's patent cocktails in hand, you gaze out unobstructed at the lights winking on and off in a syncopation worthy of a Terry Riley tape-loop composition. It is a heady experience, one which gives the gritty streets of the metropolis the glow of romance.
Although it's a very large place, seating close to 200 people, Yui-an can be a hard place to book a table at. It is now one of the spots most in demand by dating couples and parties of young people out to enjoy themselves.