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published December 18, 2006
Judith Earley
First thing in the morning, my BFF is going to drop me off at LAX, where I will hop aboard a nonstop flight to Tokyo—first class, of course. I nabbed American Airlines' last available premium first-class ticket—only $9,065, so don't tell me I don't shop for a bargain. After all, the average flight takes just under 12 hours, and I can't stand to be uncomfortable.
While I am enjoying my appetizer tray of grilled salmon forestiere, chicken pâté, grilled calamari and prosciutto, and cantaloupe melon antipasto, I'll call ahead and book a king-sized room with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji at the Park Hyatt Tokyo Hotel, a steal at only 124,000 yen for the weekend. That's just $1,076, folks. It's the room I always demand—I love the décor, which is accented by rare Hakkaido water elm paneling.
Once we land at Narita International Airport, located about 60 kilometers outside of Tokyo, I'll take a limousine to the hotel, where I will need to spend my evening unwinding from such a stressful trans-Pacific journey. The limo costs about two hundred American dollars, and tipping is not part of Japanese culture, so I'll save quite a bit there.
The following morning, I, no doubt, will have to get up at the ungodly hour of 9:00 a.m. so that I can have a leisurely traditional Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles for about 500 yen—all of $4.35! After that has digested, I could grab a taxi to the Ginza, Tokyo's most exclusive shopping district. Little Keith deserves nothing less. But since it is only a 25-minute walk from the hotel, if the weather is not too cold, I'll do a little sightseeing on foot.
I'll have to let you in on a little secret. Browsing in the Ginza is really just an indulgence for me—I mean, I work hard all week and deserve nice things, too! I just can't resist dashing into the Kimono Gallery to pick up a Fukuro-obi ornamental sash. I can spare the 680,000 yen. $5,900 is a pittance to pay for something I will never wear.
However, my ultimate destination is Marunouchi Trust Tower in the heart of Tokyo—home to Japanese jewelry designer Ginza Tanaka. Marunouchi's featured creations include an 18-karat gold brooch in the shape of a violin for $60,000 and a stunning double-banded, one-karat yellow diamond ring for $450,000. Now, don't panic; that includes tax.
As a tribute to the birth of Prince Hisahito, who is in line to become Japan's emperor, Ginza Tanaka has designed a rocking horse made of 24-karat gold. Modeled after a traditional wooden rocking horse, it has a seat smooth and comfortable enough for little Keith—I mean, Prince Hisahito—to rock on for hours on end. It is carved from a 30-kilogram (80-pound) block of gold and is reasonably priced at just 150 million yen. That's $1.28 million for you and me, plus the 5% sales tax. Ginza Tanaka only made one golden horse for his country's young prince but is ready to take on more orders. I want to be the first in line!
By the end of the day, I'll be ready for a taste of some American cuisine, so I'll enjoy dinner at the New York Grill on the 52nd floor of the Hyatt Tokyo. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer an incredible view of Tokyo at night. The cost of the 17,000-yen meal of freshwater lobster and foie gras translates to $148.00. However, since I am not a drinker, I'll avoid the cost of that exotic bottle of wine.
By the time I land back at LAX, where my still-BFF will pick me up and drive me to my door, I will have tallied up weekend excursion expenses totaling $1,360,593.30. So nice of Ginza Tanaka to throw in the cost of shipping the rocking horse to Dayton, OH. At least he'll have it in time for New Year's Day.
This will be a Christmas that little Keith—and American Express—will never forget.
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