Land of the Rising Star
Day Break's Taye Diggs was just a struggling actor the first
time he went to
Tokyo. But what happened on that trip has kept him
returning to where it all began.
.
So sang Taye Diggs when he starred in one of his first professional
productions, a theme-park cabaret show called
Sebastian's
Caribbean Carnival at Tokyo Disney Resort. Diggs came to Tokyo
from New York, where, one year out of
Syracuse University, he was
landing irregular work on Broadway and in episodic television. Then
he auditioned and landed the gig with Disney … and he was off to
Japan. Born in
New Jersey and raised in upstate New York, he had a
studio apartment in
New York City, and the farthest he'd traveled
from the States was to
Canada. "I had no idea what to expect," he
says. "I decided to take a chance and see the world." So there he
was, in a straw hat, white top, and white slacks, acting as emcee
in a faux
Caribbean cabaret, singing
Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat
Song" to theme-park audiences of mostly Japanese tourists.
Cut to October 2006: Diggs is starring in the new
ABC series
Day
Break, a high-concept thriller whose premise mixes the best
elements of
24 and
Groundhog Day. Diggs's character,
Detective
Brett Hopper, finds himself in the middle of the worst
day of his life - again and again and again. Every morning, he
wakes up to the same bad day, and only when he discovers what's
wrong with his life - and fixes it - can he move on to a new
morning. It's the kind of role that demands much from its star and
the kind of role that most stars demand. So, if you haven't
noticed, from Disney to
Day Break, Diggs has made a quantum
leap.
It all started after
Sebastian's Caribbean Carnival. After
returning from Tokyo, Diggs did time on Broadway and in television.
Then came the role of Winston, the young Jamaican who falls for
Angela Bassett's scorned older woman character in
How Stella Got
Her Groove Back. From then on, Diggs went big time, starring in
movies like the Oscar-winning
Chicago and the feature-film
version of the Broadway smash
Rent. Today, he lives in
Manhattan with his actress wife, Idina Menzel (who stars as the
Wicked Witch of the West in the hit musical
Wicked), but he
hasn't forgotten what he learned - and where he went - in Tokyo, a
city he regularly returns to. Here's a weekend offstage in Taye
Diggs's Tokyo.
So you went to Tokyo on Disney's dime? I went over there and
had amazing experiences, made really great friends, saved a bunch
of money, and had a really great time.
Sebastian's Caribbean
Carnival was pretty hilarious. There were costumes and a number
of Japanese dancers, puppets, characters, and the whole bit. It was
what everybody did there, so nobody really felt that stupid. But
Tokyo was overwhelming. I don't know how politically correct this
is, but I had only been where there are either a lot of white
people or a lot of black people or a lot of Latinos. It was just
really, really interesting to see everybody Asian. Not only was I a
minority, but the Caucasian folks around me were minorities as
well. It was great just to have the roles kind of reversed, even
more so than I was used to.
Where did you stay then, and where do you stay now? Back
then, I stayed at the Urayasu Brighton Hotel. This was where
Disney put us up when we first got there, and that's continued to
be one of my favorite spots. It's in the area of Shin-Urayasu,
which is a neighborhood that's kind of like a suburb in the States.
You know, this major hotel was just smack-dab in the middle. You
have to understand where I was coming from at that point in my
life. Everything was just unique, but I specifically remember the
bathroom; their toilets were electronic and did amazing things. The
seat would heat up. I think there was, like, a
massage function on
the seat, and [there was] a bidet. I spent the first few minutes in
the hotel room just figuring out that bathroom. Now, I love the
Park Hyatt Tokyo, where they filmed
Lost in Translation.
It's a beautiful hotel with the most amazing restaurants I have
ever eaten in, when it comes to hotel dining. They have everything
from fresh sushi and traditional Japanese to a French brasserie and
American cuisine. You name it, and it is all wonderful. Especially
great is their beautiful contemporary restaurant, Kozue.
What are you favorite locations or sites in the city? The
Great Buddha - that was pretty incredible to visit. It was cast in
1252 AD and weighs around 200 tons. You hear about Asian culture
and that everyone is a Buddhist, but it's amazing to actually go to
an Asian country where they take it so seriously and to actually
see this culture in person. The Buddha is in Kamakura. It's a huge
bronze Buddha just sitting at the top of these stairs. To know that
it is respected so much that people go and see it, not only as a
landmark, but also to have it attached to their spiritual beliefs -
it's kind of humbling. You can also get a pretty amazing view of
the city from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Office. Not a bad place to get oriented, and it's free.
Since you're a Disney alumnus, I suppose you would recommend
visiting Tokyo Disneyland? If you have kids, yeah. I haven't
gone back there, but it's doing quite well. The Japanese love it.
The thing is, everything is in Japanese, but the kids love the
American characters. They have Prince Charming, Cinderella, and
Snow White, and Disney brings people over from
America to play
these roles. They are like minicelebrities over there. They have to
sign autographs, and the kids just love them. It's called Tokyo
Disney Resort. There's a sea park, too, and of course they have a
magic castle. But the whole thing is just Japanese-style. Nobody is
pushing. Everyone is much more considerate over there and kind of
disciplined.
What other attractions do you love? Something else that
tripped me out at the time was this indoor, man-made beach in
Miyazaki, which is about a 90-minute flight from Tokyo. It's
called the Miyazaki Ocean Dome. It's the world's biggest indoor
water park. There are palm trees and sand and this huge retractable
roof. It was basically an indoor beach with sand and then this kind
of created wave. You can surf and hang out. There are rides and
this water track where you can get an inner tube and just play in
the surf. You can also go to the Tsukiji fish market, where they
have the tuna auctions and where you can eat the world's freshest
sushi for breakfast. It's just the craziest thing to go and hear
the language, everybody selling and buying and peddling his or her
wares. I was just getting introduced to sushi and all of that when
I went there the first time. I played it pretty safe, but upon
visiting, I started to enjoy it.
Where would you go to experience the great outdoors in the
city? Ueno Park is where you would go to see the cherry
blossoms in cherry-blossom season. It's one of the biggest public
parks in Tokyo and has the Tokyo National Museum, the largest
museum of Japanese art in the world, as well as a zoo and a shrine.
The museum is amazing. I was so used to museums in the States. It
was quite interesting to be there and to have everything in the
context of
Japan. Most of the artwork there was about the history
of Japan and
Asia. But Ueno Park is famous for its more than 1,000
cherry trees. It's beautiful during cherry-blossom season. There is
a parade and festival and the whole nine yards.
What about lunch? Kitazawa Club is a sushi restaurant close
to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. It has two levels: One is more formal,
sit-down, traditional Japanese; the other, where we ate, is a sushi
bar with a very cool, casual dining level. The sushi was the best
I've ever eaten - so fresh. No one in the restaurant spoke English,
so we had to point to the menu and hope for the best. We definitely
ordered things that were mysterious, but it was all fantastic. The
sushi chef was sort of like the Soup Nazi, as he was not welcoming
of our attempt to speak the language, but he warmed up to us by the
end of the meal. The club also has the best sake in Tokyo.
What can you buy in Tokyo that you can't buy anywhere else?
Ariba is the area where you go specifically for
electronics. There
are stores there where you can buy Japanese-made electronics that
have not reached America yet - video cameras, computers, and things
of that nature. That was kind of cool to know that. It's a huge
community with a bunch of different
electronics stores all
together, one after the other. Ginza is another incredible shopping
area in the city; it's the most expensive part, as is Shibuya. The
biggest department store is called Tobu, in the area called
Ikebukuro. It's a city in itself. Harajuku is where you go for the
trendy shopping. They have some really good restaurants as well.
Roppongi is the shopping, restaurant, and nightclub district for
the young people. That's where you can see whatever the latest
trends are. Everybody is into the crazy outfits and cutting-edge
style.
Where would you go for a quintessential Japanese experience?
Oedo Onsen Monogatari is a Japanese spa that you should try for the
experience. It's a spa and theme park all in one, which is unlike
anything you could ever experience here with a robe on.
Now that we're mellow, what do you suggest for dinner? To
this day, one of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo is a spot called
Capricciosa. It's an Italian spot. I don't know what they do, but
it's some of the best-tasting Italian food. I don't know if they
mix it with an Asian flair or what. They have huge portions, and
the taste of this food was unlike any Italian food I had ever
tasted. I can only attribute it to the fact that it was
Japanese-made. They have tons of different kinds of pastas and
pizzas; you would assume it was just a normal Italian joint. I
remember they had these rice balls with cheese and tomato sauce
that were unbelievably delicious. Any spare time I had, I was
always at Capricciosa - if I had time and an empty stomach.
Italian in Tokyo? What about sushi? Well, of course they
have these local sushi bars that are on the street, and you don't
know what their names are - you just go in and order. I love a spot
called Naru in Shibuya; it's a Japanese-style restaurant. All of
the sushi chefs would yell out the welcome, and it seems that the
entire restaurant would scream "Welcome!" in Japanese, and then
when you leave, they would say the same thing, like, "Thank you for
coming." There are various dishes, but I love the sushi and
shabu-shabu, which comes with a bowl of boiling-hot water; they
give you raw meat and vegetables, and you dip the meat and
vegetables in the water and cook them. Go there with a group of
people, and it's a party feel. At the same time, you feel like
you're in traditional Japan. You have to kneel at the low tables
and get served. Morimoto is the original Iron Chef. You sit in
front of the grill with 20 people you don't know, and it's great
Japanese cooking. The chefs put on an impressive show in front of
you, and they do something magical with the lobsters to create the
best lobster dish you've ever had. It's worth the money, and it's
extremely entertaining. They just opened a Morimoto in New York,
which is also delicious, but this Tokyo dining experience is the
real deal.
What's there to do at night? I love Roppongi, which is one
of the major areas you go to when you just want to hang out and
party. There is a spot that we checked out called Harlem, because I
enjoy hip-hop and R&B. Harlem is in Shibuya, and it's a trip.
You go in and it's like you are in a hip-hop club in the middle of
Manhattan, but everybody is Asian. The dress is on, the music is
on, and so is the dancing.
Where else would you go to check out music? Jazz is really
big there. The main [place] is the Blue Note Tokyo. It's like the
main spot if you want to go for jazz. It's the Tokyo cousin to the
famous Blue Note in New York but with a bigger location. All
top-quality, big-name guys go there. Another jazz spot I went to
was the New York Bar, which was in the movie
Lost in
Translation. It's in the Park Hyatt somewhere on floor
50-something. You feel like you are in some kind of a spy movie
from the way it looks. Everything is really dark, dark wood, with
huge windows. Just a really beautiful place.
That's where Bill Murray met Scarlett Johansson in the movie.
They were both drinking alone at the bar, right? Right, both
separate from each other, looking at each other, and then, finally,
one approaches the other, and I think she maybe whispered
something. That was great. The Park Hyatt has the most amazing view
of the city. It blew my mind how large Tokyo is; the city spans as
far as the eye can see. You can see
Mount Fuji from there. When I
was there the first time, I climbed it. That was amazing. My two
cousins and I climbed Mount Fuji, all the way to the top. I have no
idea how long it took, but we brought the proper clothing and the
proper snacks, sweaters, and whatnot. We started climbing in the
evening and climbed all throughout the morning.
You climbed Mount Fuji at night? All night long. There are
six ascending trails to the summit of Mount Fuji. The Kawaguchiko
Trail is the most popular. Along the way, we stopped and took a
nap. We did not get done until the next afternoon.
Why did you do it at night? That is what we were told to do.
I don't know. Maybe the temperature; maybe it was too hot. People
do it for spiritual reasons, but we did it just to say that we had
done it. That's something no one can take away from us - the fact
that we climbed it. Not many people in the world have climbed to
the top of Mount Fuji.
He Said …
What Taye digs about Tokyo
Lodging
Park Hyatt Tokyo, 011-81-35-32-21-234
Urayasu Brighton Hotel, 011-81-47-35-57-777
Dining
Capricciosa, Italian, moderate to expensive,
011-81-42-22-17-881
Kitazawa Club, Japanese, expensive, 011-81-35-33-37-732
Maduro, Japanese, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, expensive to very
expensive, 011-81-34-33-31-234
Morimoto, Japanese, expensive, 011-81-33-47-90-065
Naru, Japanese, moderate, 011-81-33-40-67-337
ATTRACTIONS
The Great Buddha, Kamakura, about an hour from Tokyo
Miyazaki Ocean Dome, 011-81-98-52-11-177
Oedo Onsen Monogatari, 011-81-35-50-01-126
Tobu/Metropolitan Plaza, 011-81-33-98-12-211
Tokyo Disney Resort, 011-81-47-35-40-001
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office,
011-81-35-32-07-890
Tokyo National Museum, 011-81-33-82-21-111
Tsukiji fish market, 011-81-33-54-21-111
Ueno Park, 011-81-35-68-51-181
Nightlife
Blue Note Tokyo, 011-81-35-48-50-088
Harlem, www.harlem.co.jp
New York Bar, Park Hyatt Hotel, 011-81-35-32-21-234
We Said … What we dig about Tokyo
Lodging
Andon Ryokan, inexpensive, 011-81-33-87-38-611. Crashing for
the night on a futon may remind you of your college days - this
place was designed by a university architecture professor - but the
experience here is purely Japanese, from the bare walls to the
tatami floors. And while the sleeping arrangements may be simple,
this traditional
ryokan (small inn) does have some
nontraditional conveniences: free Internet access and a TV and a
DVD player in every room.
Hotel Claska moderate, 011-81-33-71-98-121. The hipsters
converging in the Claska's lobby restaurant and rentable gallery
space are indicative of the fact that this is Tokyo's first
boutique hotel. Also proof is its locale in the up-and-coming
Meguro district and the chic, no-two-are-alike guest rooms.
Dining
Nakamura Gen, inexpensive to moderate, 011-81-33-71-15-897.
Whenever we can, we like to clue you in to some of the hidden gems
the destinations we feature have to offer. And given that this
small dinner spot specializing in soba-based dishes is in Room 205
of an ordinary apartment building with no sign to announce it, it
certainly fits the bill. No need to thank us; it's our job.
The Oak Door, expensive to very expensive,
011-81-34-33-38-888. Like the Hotel Claska, the Oak Door signals
another "first" for Tokyo - a truly world-class steak house. (Which
is odd in view of Japan's renown for its Kobe beef.) It, too,
boasts a trendy address (inside the $4 billion Roppongi Hills
development) and a stylish clientele, who stop in for savory steaks
and seafood, not to mention the top-notch wine list.
Attractions
Sunshine Namjatown, 011-81-35-95-00-765. Most major cities have theme parks, so we’re not in the habit of recommending them, but Namjatown has a little something different that we just had to share with you. At the Cup Ice Museum, in the section of the park called Ice Cream City, you can sample the world’s most insane ice cream flavors. A scoop of straw or chargrilled seaweed, anyone?