Greenery, community, artistry: Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park makes you see Tokyo in a different light

The seven-storey Yoyogi Park hotel’s concrete facade, with plants drooping over the balconies, blended so well with its surroundings that I almost missed the entrance, not least because it was a nondescript side door that slid silently open when you press the doorbell or tap with a key card. Obviously, guest privacy was zealously guarded here: Outsiders have no access to the rooftop pool club where there is a lounge, heated pool and Jacuzzi. The only company you’ll have is your “tribe”; the kind that values recharge and relaxation as much as the buzz of the city.

Yet the Inner Shibuya charm still wafts through. Surrounding the hotel is a plethora of quaint cafes, cool bars, unique restaurants, bookshops, art galleries and even public baths — all summarised into a nifty pocket-sized map for guests to bring around. The hotel’s only restaurant, the ground floor Pizzeria e Trattoria L’Ombelico is family-friendly, pet-friendly, and mostly filled with locals. The menu is an Italian roll call of classics done right, namely wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizzas whose cheeses bubble and tomatoes tease your tongue with their sweet tang, and perfectly al dente pastas with clingy sauces. The lunch sets were the best deals, winning even at the appetisers, which were tiny but mighty on flavours. Breezy Italian wines and beers, including a Yoyogi Amber Ale from a microbrewery down the road, add to the convivial air.