English Town

Body Arts and Science International , Roppongi Pilates Studio

2009-06-01T02:34:37Z

Pilates has quickly become the exercise of choice over the last few years. Founded by world-renowned Pilates educator Rael Isacowitz, who has over 25 years of experience teaching Pilates training, Body Arts and Science International (BASI) is the world's largest Pilates organization and provides training and exercise courses at schools and studios in twenty countries, including many locations in the U.S.

Most often characterized as flow work with streamlined movements, BASI Pilates offers lessons with functional and aesthetic benefits by incorporating the latest scientific developments. Its Roppongi Studio in Tokyo, in particular, mainly offers private lessons using mats and equipment designed for Pilates moves, efficiently customizing each lesson to suit each individual client's pace and fitness level.

The studio has a total of 20 instructors. It has a wide-range of clients in their 30s to 50s taking lessons in a spacious studio on the seventh floor.

"People often find it hard to freely control their bodies and minds at the beginning. As you continue to train at least once a week - preferably two or three times - you will gradually notice changes in how you look and feel," assures one member of staff, emphasizing that even beginners can be comfortable with Pilates.

Pilates conditions the body from the inside by mentally focusing on inner muscles and consciously improving core strength. It is an ideal exercise form for individuals who suffer from bad posture, lower back pain and stiff shoulders, as well as disturbed inner balance and metabolism. It is also recommended for those under mental stress, as well as pregnant or post-partum women.

You can stop by the BASI Roppongi Studio after work to release your fatigue and refresh your body and mind by taking a 60-minute private lesson on weekdays until as late as 9:00 PM. A lesson ticket system offers convenience for clients who have last-minute job obligations or changes of plans. In addition to four-ticket passes, fee-based trial lessons (reservations required) are also offered to first-timers who want to experience the BASI Pilates method.

With summer just around the corner, many people start thinking about workout programs. Taking a private Pilates lesson at the spacious BASI Roppongi Studio, with its view of the sky, is a great way to build a healthy and beautiful body.

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri　(AM10:00-PM9:30)                               　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Weekend&Holidays (AM9:00-PM5:00)
Tel: 03-6425-7054
Address: 7-19-9-7F, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 2mins from Metro Hibiya line Roppongi Station Exit 2
             4mins from Metro Oedo line Roppongi Sation Exit
             8mins from Metro Chiyoda line Nogizaka Station Exit 5
URL: http://www.basipilates.jp/pilates-tokyo.html

FRENCH-DINING ~BRASSERIE FRANÇAISE~

2009-04-21T00:08:55Z

FRENCH-DINING ~BRASSERIE FRANÇAISE~

"Although French cuisine has a high-class image, I would like people to understand that it is something you can enjoy at a reasonable price as you casually stop by at a restaurant," suggests Peter, the owner of the restaurant. After working successfully in the restaurant industry in France & England for more than 12 years,　he came to Japan ten years ago . First working in management at Brasserie Bernard, and then at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, he open this restaurant five years ago.

Modern French with Northern European elements is the style of FRENCH-DINING. Although a new style, it is not considered fusion and the restaurant is particular about being "simple but tasty and very French." Japanese ingredients and vegetables also appear on the menu on occasion. The colorful dishes with delicate tastes using plenty of fresh vegetables delivered from farmers in Nagano have many female fans. The baguettes, breads and sweets are of course all home-made, but the prices are surprisingly reasonable, with lunches starting from 1,050 yen and dinners from 3,800 yen for the prix fixe courses.

For lunch, menu options include soup, baguette sandwiches, pasta and risotto, etc., while a course menu is also available. For the prix fixe dinner courses, for which you choose from the a la carte menu, dishes using ingredients such as beef cheek, escargot and foie gras, as well as the standard fare of bouillabaisse, are popular. Needless to say, items can be ordered a la carte and you can select either a smaller, reasonably priced course size or the regular size.

Since the lunch and dinner menus are completely different, you can enjoy totally different dishes depending on the time and occasion. There are 42 kinds of wines available, mainly featuring wines from Burgundy and fruity and easy-to-drink offerings from Southern France.

In March 2009, French delicatessen and dessert take-out shop "Les Gourmands dissent..." opened right next to Iidabashi Station. In addition to sandwiches made with home-baked bread, the shop sells quiches, terrines and colorful salads, as well as popular sweets such as macaroons, tarts and claufoutis. As a shop produced by FRENCH-DINING, the prices are attractive and reasonable and of course the taste does not need to be mentioned. Lunch boxes are available from 650 yen.

FRENCH-DINING holds exhibitions in the restaurant every two months, featuring works of art by new, emerging artists that create a different atmosphere in the restaurant each time. These exhibitions are are also popular among regular customers.

"Come down, sit down, relax and enjoy!" said Peter, the owner, inviting people to stop by casually just for an a la carte dish enjoyed with wine or champagne. Why not familiarize yourself with French cuisine in the open and cheerful space of this restaurant?

-DINING>

Average Cost: Lunch/1,200yen Dinner/5,000yen
Opening Hours: Tue-Sun (Lunch/11:30~14:30   Dinner/ 18:00~22:00)
                         Sat (Lunch/ 12:00~15:00   Dinner/ 18:00~22:00)
                         Sun(Lunch/12:00~15:00   Dinner/18:00~21:00)
                         *Monday closed
Tel: 03-3260-7022
Address: SHIROGANE BLDG., 1F 12 Shirogane-cho Shinjuku-ku
Access: 5mins from JR Iidabashi Station
             4mins from Metro Yurakucho line Iidabashi Station
            3mins from Metro Oedo line Ushigome Kagurazaka Station
            4mins from Metro Tozai line Kagurazaka Station
URL: http://www.french-dining.com

Opening Hour: Mon-Sat 11:00-21:30  *Sunday closed
Tel: 03-5228-6728
Address: OHLALA BLDG., 1F 1-12 Ageba-cho Shinjuku-ku
Access: 1mins from JR Iidabashi Station

Three Hundred Bar 8 Cho-me Branch: Ginza Standing Bar

2008-12-24T15:00:00Z

Three Hundred Bar 8 Cho-me Branch: Ginza Standing Bar

The Three Hundred Bar offers over 150 types of food and drink, each priced at 300 yen (+ tax), excluding bottled beer. Standard cocktails are offered, and drinks can also be made to order. The menu features a full line-up of snacks and bar food, with customer favourites like spicy juicy chicken, nachos, and three varieties of olives.

Payment is done via a ticket system, where customers purchase a minimum of two 300 yen tickets upon entry. You'll be hard-pressed to find another place in Shimbashi where you can stop in for a quick drink and an appetizer for only 600 yen. For an even better deal, customers who buy a pack of 10 tickets receive an additional ticket free for a drink.

The friendly, cheerful staffs at Three Hundred Bar goes out of their way to make customers feel at home, and most can speak English as well.

With a maximum capacity of 80-90 people, the Three Hundred Bar is making headlines with the nearly 4000 customers who visit it each month. Many of the bar's patrons are young adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s who stop by on the way home from work and the place is packed on Friday nights and nights before a holiday.

The bar also has DJs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights spinning a wide variety of genres. The bar's owner is currently looking for foreign DJs to offer customers an even greater mix of music. Add the movies and sports playing on a central screen, and the Three Hundred Bar makes it tough to leave once you're there.

For large group reservations, the Three Hundred Bar offers a two-hour all-you-can-drink package plus snacks for just 2000 yen per person, making it a popular spot for birthdays and after-parties as well. The DJ booth is also available prior to regular operating hours (from 12-5pm) for guests to create their own events.
You won't want to miss the bar's top-notch professional interior either, designed and produced by Three Hundred Bar's own staff members.

Most people think of Ginza bars as being stuffy, high-end places that are not open to newcomers. The owner of Three Hundred Bar recognized this and purposely chose the location with the goal of providing a space that was not only welcoming, but also a perfect spot to meet up with friends. He opened his first "standing bar" sixteen years ago, and to this day has no plans to expand beyond the Ginza - though he has opened two bars within the area has a third planned for 2009.

Next time you're near the Ginza or Shimbashi, why not stop by and give Three Hundred Bar a try?

The manager says... "Let's party!!"

Average Cost: 1,200yen

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat (17:00~02:00) Sun&Holidays (17:00~23:00)

Tel: 03-3571-8300

Address: B1 Daini Ginza Column Bldg., 8-3-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Access: 5mins from MetroGinza line Shimbashi Station, JR Shimbashi Station

URL: http://www.300bar-8chome.com/english/index.html