I recently had the pleasure of a relaxing one night retreat from my daily life and thanks to the generosity of The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo you too can relax your cares away while pondering the your own private view of Tokyo’s impressive nighttime skyline, but let me tell you more about the hotel first…

The lobby of The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo sits on the 45th floor and is a peaceful oasis unto itself – modern flower arrangements grace the large lobby tables and a pianist plays classical music for patrons partaking of afternoon tea.  For those looking to imbibe in something a little stronger the lobby bar is located beyond an infinity pool and fountain that will wash away any stress that you may be harboring.

Also off the lobby is French restaurant, Forty Five, and Hinokizaka, specializing in Japanese cuisine, both with lovely views of the city. I sipped champagne and dined on Le Menu at Forty Five while overlooking Tokyo Tower on a rare haze-free summer day in the city and enjoyed both the food and the view tremendously!

If you are looking for space, the rooms at The Ritz Carleton Tokyo have plenty to spare.  All the rooms in the hotel feature “standard” marble bathrooms that are the size of many Tokyo apartments, featuring two well appointed vanities, a luxurious tub, and even a television!

A small desk, two comfortable sitting chairs and another television grace the room where the star is the bed itself covered with luxurious Frette linens and pillows that beckon you to a relaxing nights sleep or simply a short nap.    Privacy shades and room darkening curtains ensure that the level of light is to your liking at all times and can be changed and the touch of a button from conveniently placed bedside controls.

I suggest that you borrow one of the great pillows from the well appointed bed and perch on the comfortably wide window ledge to watch the sun set over Tokyo.  As the city lights begin to twinkle and the sun sets behind Mount Fuji and Roppongi Hills, Shinjuku or the Imperial Palace, take it all in before heading down for dinner in the hotel or at one of the many great restaurants in Tokyo Midtown.

Upon your return, you will be greeted by a plush terry robe, bedside slippers, a chocolate on your pillow, some complimentary water and a perfectly turned down bed where you can dream the night away high above the city.

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

• Dining over Tokyo
• Spa Services
• Guest Rooms & Packages

You Can Win A Stay at The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo!

Staying at the Ritz is a treat reserved for very special occasions for most and my stay was no exception – I was honored to be a guest for one night and along with The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo want you to experience all that the Ritz has to offer.

To win a one night midweek stay (Sunday through Thursday) in a deluxe room at The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo here is what you need to do:

1. Peruse the The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo website to learn more about the services and amenities that are offered, and,
2. Pick just one (it will be hard) that defines luxury and relaxation to you,
3. Then, tweet it to your followers with a link back to this contest page with the RitzTokyo hashtag (e.g. “I want to win a night at the #RitzTokyo & get an essential body massage – you can enter too! http://su.pr/1Wrm1V .”

OR

1. If you have your own website but aren’t yet on Twitter,  write about the contest on your site, following the guidelines above, and,
2. Ensure that there is a track back to this post.

Terms & Conditions

1. Contest will run from Friday, September 4, 2009 through midnight on Sunday, September 6, 2009 (Japan Standard Time)
2. Contest winner must be of legal age in Japan to claim the prize (20 years old).
3. Only one (1) prize will be awarded.
4. Prize must be utilized within six months of being awarded, is non-transferable once issued, and can only be utilized at The Ritz-Carton Tokyo.
5. One entry per day per person for the term of the contest.
6. Contest winner will be drawn randomly via Random.org
7. If the winner is on Twitter, they will be notified by direct message on Friday, September 11, 2009 so be sure to follow @shanesakata on Twitter so that you receive the DM, or,
8. If the winner is the result of an article written on another website the winner will be contacted via that website’s published contact information.
9. In either case, if no reply is received within 24 hours of notification a new winner will be chosen.

Image Credit:  Images provide by and used with permission from The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

Today I’m going to test you on Arcade Mania! trivia and tell you how you can win a copy of this book from Jean Snow, Kodansha International Limited and The Nihon Sun.

How well do you know the video game scene in Japan?  Can you answer these Arcade Mania! trivia questions?

1. What were game centers in Japan called in the late 1970′s?
2. What is the name of the Japanese comic art that is featured in many of today’s arcade games?
3. What are the scribbles that are made on sticker pictures from game centers in Japan called?

All you need to do is answer these three questions correctly and include the name of your favorite arcade game, retro or current, in the comments and you will be entered to win – it’s that simple!

Hint:  You may want to read The Nihon Sun’s review of Arcade Mania! to learn more about this book and why you want a copy of it for your library.

The deadline for entries is December 16, 2008 and the winner will be chosen randomly with Random.org and contacted by email.  If no response is received within 48 hours we will pick a new winner so double check your email address before you submit your entry.    The winner will be announced by The Nihon Sun during the week of December 21st.

The Nihon Sun would like to thank Jean Snow and Kodansha International Limited for providing a copy of Arcade Mania! for this contest.

More give-aways are in the works so subscribe to The Nihon Sun RSS feed or subscribe by email to find out the details as they are announced.

Good luck! or Gambate kudasai! as they say in Japan.

Cover Image Courtesy of Jean Snow and Kodansha International Limited

Game centers, or arcades, are ubiquitous in Japan – they can be found in almost every neighborhood and cater to all ages from young women and Japanese schoolgirls who can’t get enough of the sticker picture machines to the boys who aim to be the best shot in a variety of shooting games.  Younger kids can be found trying their hand at traditional Taiko drumming to modern melodies and salarymen, and even women, can be found placing their bets at Mahjong or one of many other popular betting games despite the fact that gambling is technically illegal in Japan.  Arcade Mania! covers the whole scene by providing insights from game designers, top Japanese gamers and even a few foreign experts who are hooked on the game centers in Japan.

“Arcade Mania! offers a glimpse into a world not a lot of people know still exists. Arcades have, for the most part, disappeared in North America, and yet in Japan you find them everywhere. Acrade Mania! offers readers a virtual tour of a modern Japanese arcade and shows you how and why that happened….”

Jean Snow on Arcade Mania!

If you are of a certain age, you may remember playing games like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong in your local arcade, thousands of mile away from their origin in the minds of Japanese designers like Tomohiro Nishikado who created Space Invaders in 1978, the first game that was not played against a clock but offered players three lives.  The game became so popular that game centers in Japan were originally called “invader house” in Japanese and caused a national 100 Yen coin shortage!

“I like going to game centers, and I usually go to Taito Hey! in Akihabara when I’m in that neighborhood, or to Sega Gigo in Ikebukuro near my home. I try to keep my visits down to once a week, and the one game I always make a point of playing these days is a side-scrolling shooter called Deathsmiles. My favorite retro game, the game I remember enjoying the most in arcades when I was young was Spy Hunter, but I haven’t played it in a very long time…”

The game center experience in Japan has changed a lot with the advancement of technology.  From games that were limited to black backgrounds to virtual people that resemble characters from Japanese manga (comic books), today you can even customize your sticker pictures by scribbling on an LCD screen and creating what is know as rakugaki.   It’s hard to image what will come next but Japan’s game designers are sure to come up with innovative games that will amaze and entertain us all far into in the future.

Arcade Mania! is a great book for those that love the video game scene and want to learn more about its history, appeal in Japan and why game centers remain on the scene here long after they have disappeared elsewhere in the world.

A big thank you goes out to Jean Snow who contributed to the book, provided quotes for this article, and worked with the publisher, Kodansha International Limited, to provide The Nihon Sun with a copy for one lucky reader to win!

Do you want to add this great book to your library?  Purchase Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan’s Game Centers today or answer some arcade trivia from the book to win a copy of Arcade Mania! by clicking here.

Cover Image Courtesy of Jean Snow and Kodansha International Limited