The festive season is over for another year, and now it's time to face the aftereffects of too much turkey, plum pudding and alcohol. While the only true way to whip a flabby body into shape is regular exercise, a little buffing and pampering will help boost your spirits and get your New Year's self-improvement regime moving in the right direction.

Take the first step toward the new you at Shiseido's flagship beauty salon, on the second floor of Hanae Mori Building in Tokyo's Omotesando. The salon offers luxurious facial and body treatments, along with hair styling services and a makeup counter. The decor and shape are designed to promote relaxation: pale terra cotta walls and carpeting, wooden accents, soft back lighting and "healing" background music.

Manager Hiroshi Takagai explains that customers can choose from a variety of beauty "courses" lasting from one to three and a half hours. A typical course, costing 35,000 yen, begins with a soak in a special computerized bath, followed by an hourlong massage.