Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2008 - (Page 74) LOCAL CONNECTIONS Bespoke Tokyo CHARLIE SPRECKLY, co-founder of Bespoke Tokyo. T o get the most out of a trip to Japan, travelers must go beyond the typical tourist itinerary and penetrate the maze of contemporary and traditional culture. And to do that, they would be wise to book a “luxury safari” with Charlie Spreckly, a journalist-turnedJapan-maven who in 2006 started Bespoke Tokyo (http://bespoke tokyo.jp), the hippest, most sought-after guide and consulting business for Western visitors to Tokyo and, just recently, Kyoto. After a glorious shopping “safari” with Spreckly, highlighted by his ingenuity and insight, Luxury Travel Advisor sat down for tea and talk. What inspired you to start Bespoke Tokyo? I was editor-in-chief of the city’s English-language “what’s on” magazine [Metropolis] and was constantly being mined for information by people visiting about what was hot [and] what not to miss. My business partner, Nicole Fall, also a journalist by trade, had been doing customized fashion tours for years. I saw a high-end guidebook she had written about Tokyo and asked her to have lunch. By the end of the meal, we had decided to go into business together. Where does the name come from? Nicole and I are both British, and “bespoke” is a term from London’s Saville Row that means tailor-made. We don’t do big groups or set itineraries, so no two clients have the same experience. What draws travelers to Japan, and what do they leave with? Most of our clients are looking for more than just geishas and gardens. “Japan cool” hasn’t gone away, and Tokyo is a global, trend-setting city. The shopping is the best in the world, without a doubt. The city also has the best restaurants on the planet—if you don’t believe me, ask the Michelin Guide, which just awarded Tokyo 190 stars, three times as many as Paris. But in the end, Tokyo is really a city of people—all 30 million of them, living together in a peaceful, virtually crime-free megalopolis. For many visitors, Tokyo is almost an otherworldly experience. What special services do you offer? Of course, we know the city inside out, and our customers get access to that knowledge. But I think our most valuable service is the insight we provide, thanks to our journalistic background. We are also outsiders, so we can observe and explain the differences that make Japan so fascinating for foreign visitors, things that most Japanese would take for granted. Many of our clients are businesses looking for trend research and information on what makes Japanese consumers tick. How does luxury travel in Japan compare to Western luxury travel? Although Japanese service is generally of a very high standard, it’s not always flexible. It can be difficult to make last-minute or special requests. And unlike cities like London or New York, there is no velvet rope. If a restaurant says it’s full, that means it’s full, no matter who you are or how much money you have. Which experiences seem to most satisfy your clients? We find that our clients are looking for authentic experiences. Tokyo is a difficult city to navigate because of its bizarre address system and the language barrier. When we can help our clients overcome those barriers, get outside of their comfort zone and taste the real Tokyo, they are happy and so are we. What extraordinary access or luxury experiences have you provided for your clients? Some recent examples include karate lessons with one of Japan’s most revered sensei, a tour of the Hiroshima A-bomb museum with the museum’s director and ringside seats at [a] sumo [bout] with private commentary from an English-speaking expert. —Lizzie Simon 74 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | February 2008 Photo by Tsutomu Fujita http://www.bespoketokyo.jp/ http://www.bespoketokyo.jp/
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