Enjoy an evening among the fireflies

The historical garden Chinzan-so is famed for its Japanese fireflies, or hotaru, and in honor of the firefly-viewing season, the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so will offer a special Hotaru Stay Plan from May 21 through July 10.

The 7-hectare garden is one of the largest venues in Tokyo for people to watch fireflies.

Fireflies live only around clean water and light up the early summer nights from late May to the beginning of July. Spring water from the Chichibu Mountains flows through the garden, allowing two kinds of fireflies, the bigger Genji hotaru and the smaller Heike hotaru, to flourish.

A one-night stay on the plan starts from ¥16,000 per person, double occupancy, and the plan with a dinner buffet is available from ¥23,000. Prices include tax and service charge, but not the Tokyo accommodation tax. Saturday night stays cost an additional ¥5,000. The plan includes a ¥5,000 credit for use at any of the hotel's establishments during the stay and a gift of hojicha roasted green tea from Ryuoen, a long-established tea shop in Kyoto.

Take home popular Okura dishes

The Hotel Okura Tokyo marks its 50th anniversary on May 20, 2012, and over the next 12 months, special events and celebrations will take place, such as special takeout dishes available at its Terrace and Camellia restaurants' Chef's Garden takeout corner.

Reviving the hotel's all-time most popular dishes, the special takeout items allow customers to enjoy the Okura's flavors at home. The menu changes monthly; in May, it features beef tenderloin steak wrapped with bacon, fried fish stuffed with crabmeat and a salad of white asparagus with Gouda cheese.

The dishes are available daily from 11:30 a.m. until sold out. A charged delivery service is also available to locations within one hour of the hotel from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Taste the flavors of Waikiki Beach

Just in time for the approaching summer weather, the Imperial Hotel Tokyo is being holding a Halekulani Fair featuring Hawaiian cuisine through June 30.

This fair is being held to celebrate the second anniversary of the Imperial Hotel's alliance with the Waikiki Beach luxury resorts Halekulani Hotel and Waikiki Parc Hotel. Two executive chefs from the Halekulani Hotel have been invited to the fair, which will also feature Hawaiian cocktails.

At the Hotel Imperial Tokyo's Parkside Diner, seven kinds of popular Hawaiian dishes, such as Halekulani-style chicken curry with jasmine rice and fried tuna wrapped in seaweed, are offered.

At the Imperial Lounge Aqua and Rendez-Vous Lounge and Bar, various kinds of special Hawaiian cocktails will be available, such as the rum-based Mai Tai Royal and the fresh, fruity Hula'auana.

Also during the fair, a prize draw will offer one lucky winner a pair of round-trip tickets to Hawaii with a voucher for the Halekulani Hotel.