Spring comes early to the 130-year-old Chinzan-so garden of the Four Seasons Hotel in Tokyo this year, with the expected blossoming around the end of the month of a special variety of cherry trees (kanhizakura and kawazuzakura) that the hotel planted in the venerable garden early in the new year.
To coincide with the blossoms' arrival, from Friday, Jan. 25, the hotel will display cherry blossoms throughout the building, and each restaurant and bar will welcome guests with special menus with spring and cherry blossom motifs through April 13.
For example, Italian restaurant Il Teatro will serve an Il Ciliegio (cherry blossom) lunch course (¥7,000), which transforms Japanese spring specialties into unconventional Italian dishes, while the Seasons Bistro offers a Sakura Lunch (¥4,800) in a more casual setting. At the main bar, Le Marquis, there will be special cocktails reflecting the image of different types of cherry blossom, cherry blossom-flavored ice cream and sherbet, from ¥1,500.