We had it all planned. We'd spend the afternoon in Kichijoji's Inokashira Park, strolling and sitting under the cherry trees, with maybe a dram or two of sake to inspire lofty thoughts, before adjourning for dinner nearby. But we hadn't counted on the weathermen getting their predictions so wrong.

We were a week too early; the trees were all bud and no blossom. But that didn't matter in the slightest. After all, a gentle promenade around the pond is always pleasant -- and anyway, we had our reservations for Kin-no-saru, right next to the park.

There are plenty of modern Japanese restaurants in central Tokyo with tasteful decor and creative cuisine. What makes Kin-no-saru ("The Golden Monkey") special -- and worth the 20-minute journey out along the Chuo Line -- is the incomparable setting. From the picture windows that run the entire length of the dining room, all you see is the bamboo in the garden and the thick foliage of the parkland beyond. It is a rare oasis of tranquillity.