Urayasu­ Brighton Hotel | Hyatt Tokyo | massage | Lost In Translation

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.