Lost in Translation Filming Locations: Park Hyatt Tokyo
The Park Hyatt Tokyo was so integral to Lost in Translation it probably deserved its own feature billing during the film’s opening credits. Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) as well as other recurring characters spend the majority of their time in Tokyo cloistered in the hotel. Many of the film’s most important scenes involve Bob and Charlotte lounging in their hotel rooms or drowning their sorrows at the hotel’s famed New York Bar. The hotel is an oasis for Bob and Charlotte to help them escape from their struggling careers and personal lives back in the United States. In an unfamiliar city, Bob and Charlotte find a sense of solace within the sleek confines of the Park Hyatt Tokyo, as they are temporarily cut off from the pressures of their lives back home.
While the focus of the film is the doomed romance of these two wandering souls, the background setting of Tokyo - and the Park Hyatt Tokyo in particular - plays an outsized role in the film’s narrative. Powerfully sleek and modern, the hotel is adored by many fans of the film (myself included) and 'jazz and drinks at the New York Bar' remain a top recommendation in many Tokyo guidebooks to this day. I was fortunate enough to experience a similar sense of solace at the Park Hyatt Tokyo on September 11, 2021. During my one-night stay in the Diplomat Suite (where most of the in-room scenes from the movie were filmed) my fiancé and I were able to experience dinner at the New York Grill, non-alcoholic drinks at the New York Bar (thanks COVID-19 restrictions), a swim and massage at the Club on the Park and otherwise relive the adventures of Bob and Charlotte in the Park Hyatt Tokyo. A summary of my stay (including photos) can be found in the latter half of this article, while the first half focuses on the history of the Nishi-Shinjuku neighborhood and the hotel.
- Nishi-Shinjuku
The five-star hotel is located in the Nishi-Shinjuku area of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood, which is one of the commercial and government nerve centers of the Japanese capital (as previously described here). The ‘nishi’ prefix means ‘west’ in Japanese and the area is named as such due to its location west of Shinjuku station. Nishi-Shinjuku is known as one of the main skyscraper districts of Tokyo (the others being Marunouchi and Shinagawa) and is the home of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and several other prominent Japanese companies including electronics manufacturer Seiko Epson.
Prior to a massive redevelopment effort and standardization of neighborhood names which began in 1970, the Nishi-Shinjuku neighborhood was known as Tsunohazu. The area was named after the unique ‘spear-like’ hairstyle of Yohei Watanabe, who is regarded as the first settler and founder of Tsunohazu. During Japan’s Edo Period (1603–1868), Tsunohazu was famous for its scenic ‘shrine ponds’ that were located on the grounds of twelve local shinto shrines and which attracted many visitors. Outside of these attractions, Tsunohazu primarily consisted of rice fields and several large residences which were inhabited by wealthy landowners. Tsunohazu was also relatively close to Naito Shinjuku, which was the first of the forty-four ‘post stations’ (shukuba) along the Koshu Kaido. The Koshu Kaido was one of the five major arteries (gokaido) connecting Edo (Tokyo) to other points in Japan, and was traversed by the local feudal lords (daimyo) who were frequently required to travel and pay tribute to the Edo government (bakufu). These feudal lords and other travelers would stop for rest at the post stations, where they frequented the clustered inns, tea houses and brothels. The Koshu Kaido connected Edo with Kai Provence, which is located in modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture (to the west of Tokyo). Currently, Japan’s National Route 20 closely follows the original route of the Koshu Kaido, traversing from the capital through Kanagawa and Yamanashi prefectures before terminating in Nagano Prefecture.
After the end of the Edo Period, Tsunohazu, like much of Tokyo, was transformed under the modernization policies of the Meiji government (1868–1912) as Japan finally opened itself to the world after a long period of isolation (sakoku). Shinjuku Station opened in 1885 as the first train station in the area, attracting significant development around the station and its environs. In Tsunohazu, this development push included the establishment of the massive Yodobashi Water Purification Plant in 1898, which was responsible for providing tap water to most of Tokyo’s residents. This enormous plant occupied nearly 350,000 square meters of land in what is now almost the entirety of Nishi-Shinjuku. The establishment of this plant brought many job seekers to Tsunohazu, and following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 many of the displaced also moved into new dwellings that sprouted up around the Yodobashi plant. It was at this time that Tsunohazu residents began petitioning the government to move the plant in order to spur further residential development in the area as Shinjuku was rapidly transforming into an important commercial center. An initial plan to move the plant was approved by the local government in 1932 and the facilities were slowly relocated to Higashi-Murayama (in Western Tokyo bordering Saitama Prefecture) over the course of the next several decades, though there was a temporary halt to these efforts during World War II. The relocation resumed following the war and the Yodobashi plant finally closed in 1965.
However, instead of utilizing the newly vacated Yodobashi plant premises for residential development as originally contemplated during the pre-war years, a new development plan called the ‘Shinjuku Subcenter Development Plan’ was adopted during post-World War II reconstruction. This plan called for development of the old Yodobashi plant premises into Tokyo’s first skyscraper district, with the 47-storey Keio Plaza Hotel opening in 1971 as the cornerstone of these planned skyscrapers. Over the next several decades, many more skyscrapers and modern amenities such as department stores and subway stations would be built on and around the site, including The Yasuda Fire & Marine Building (1976), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (1991), the Shinjuku NS Building (1992) and the Shinjuku Park Tower (1994). Along with the Park Hyatt Tokyo, other major western hotels also established outposts in the area, including the Hyatt Regency Tokyo (1980) and the Hilton Tokyo (1984).
2. Shinjuku Park Tower
The Park Hyatt occupies the 39th-52nd floors of the Shinjuku Park Tower in Nishi-Shinjuku, which is owned by Tokyo Gas Urban Development Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (the primary provider of natural gas to Tokyo and the rest of the Kanto region). The building was completed in 1994 and was designed by famed Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (1913–2005), who was one of the most prominent and influential architects of the 20th century. Tange won the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture (the discipline’s highest honor) for his design of Yoyogi National Gymnasium, which was the centerpiece facility of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (the Pritzker Prize was established by Hyatt founder Jay Pritzker and his wife, Cindy Pritzker, which could explain Tange’s and Hyatt’s involvement in the Shinjuku Park Tower project). Other standout projects of his include the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, the Supreme Court Building in Islamabad, Pakistan, the Fuji TV Headquarters in Odaiba and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, also in Nishi-Shinjuku.
Tange was known for blending traditional Japanese styles with modern western styles and was considered part of the ‘metabolist’ Japanese architectural movement. This movement is characterized by its “moving parts, which, like cells, could evolve or ‘die’ (be removed) in order to fit with the ebb and flow the city’s landscapes and needs of its residents”. The thirteen storey Nakagin Capsule Tower in Shimbashi (designed by Kishio Kurokawa) is probably the most well-known example of the metabolist style and is characterized by an iconic cluster of 140 pre-fabricated capsules. These self-contained capsules are stacked upon each other haphazardly and can be reorganized, replaced or connected to other capsules.
Tange was also considered one of the the ‘godfathers’ of brutalist design, which is defined by its ubiquitous use of raw concrete and minimalist features. He designed the Yamanashi Broadcast and Press Centre in 1966, which features sixteen massive reinforced concrete columns that are five-meters in diameter. The centre is considered an archetypical example of Japanese brutalist design and attracts many architectural sightseers to Kofu from around the world.
Metabolist and brutalist features can also be seen in Tange’s designs of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 as well as the Shinjuku Park Tower (which houses the Park Hyatt Tokyo), both of which are noted for their tiered, compartmentalized designs and abundance of concrete. The two buildings are located in Nishi-Shinjuku and were completed within five years of each other. At one point they were the tallest and second-tallest buildings in all of Tokyo. Although other Tokyo skyscrapers have since surpassed the Shinjuku Park Tower in height, it remains a memorable fixture of the Shinjuku skyline and is notable for the star-shaped tops of its three main towers, giving it a distinctive silhouette that is easily spotted from other neighborhoods in Tokyo.
The Shinjuku Park Tower was constructed on a former industrial site owned by Tokyo Gas that was used to house municipal gas tanks. A firm patch of earthquake-resistant bedrock sits beneath Nishi-Shinjuku, which made it an ideal location for gas works and also skyscraper construction. The building itself consists of three connected and progressively recessed towers: S tower (235m / 52 storeys), C tower (209m / 47 storeys) and N tower (182m / 41 storeys). Construction on the towers was carried out by four main contractors: Taisei Construction, Shimizu Corporation, Kajima Corporation and Campolongia Italia, the latter of which was responsible for importing and installing the reddish Sardinian granite used on the building's façade.
Tange famously argued with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government over the height of the building, as at the time no new construction in Tokyo was permitted to be taller than buildings operated by the government (i.e., the 245m Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, also designed by Tange). His original plans called for the building to exceed the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 in height and would have featured a large shopping mall with only offices on the top floors (and no hotel). After being rebuffed by the government, his plans for the building were scaled down and the new design incorporated the Park Hyatt Tokyo for use of its top floors.
3. Park Hyatt Tokyo Overview
The Shinjuku Park Tower was completed in 1994 and the Park Hyatt Tokyo was one of the building’s original tenants. The hotel opened to the public on July 7, 1994, occupying the top fourteen storeys of the building across all three of its towers and boasting 178 guest rooms. It was one of the first hotels in Japan to feature prominently on the top floors of a skyscraper, beginning a trend that continues with new skyscraper constructions to this day. The hotel employs approximately 400 people and is well known for its array of restaurants, banquet halls and its wedding chapel.
The hotel features six dining options: the New York Bar (52F) offers majestic views of Tokyo and the Kanto plain and was also one of the main shooting locations for Lost in Translation; the New York Grill (52F), which is connected to the New York Bar, is well known for its unique vision of New American cuisine and 1,600 bottle wine cellar; Kozue (40F) is the hotel’s signature Japanese restaurant; Girandole (41F) is a French brasserie featuring western and Japanese classics in a more casual setting; the Peak Lounge (41F), with its vibrant bamboo grove, offers afternoon tea, desserts and pastries; and the Peak Bar (41F) offers casual drinks with a sprawling view of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho entertainment district. The 39th and 40th floors host the hotel’s several banquet rooms and wedding chapel, while the hotel’s full-service fitness club and swimming pool — Club on the Park — occupies much of the 45th and 47th floors.
The interior of the hotel was designed by the Hong-Kong based American designer John Morford, who is also responsible for the interior design of the Grand Hyatt Seoul, the renovations of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and of many other premiere hotels across Asia. Morford was awarded complete control over the interior design of the Park Hyatt Tokyo and sparred with Tange on occasion over his vision for the aesthetic (with Tange arguing that Morford’s predominantly western vision for the hotel would not comport with Japanese tastes). Tange ultimately relented and while the design of the hotel does incorporate some traditional, minimalist Japanese elements, the interior design is noted for its sleek western and modern aesthetic.
Most noticable is the focus on large open spaces, which was uncommon for hotels in Tokyo when the Park Hyatt Tokyo opened (though many others have followed suit as most recently seen in Aman Tokyo's large atrium in Otemachi). Visitors to the Park Hyatt Tokyo are first greeted with an abundance of green, bamboo and a massive floor-to-ceiling windows when exiting the main elevator into Tower C’s atrium on 41st floor. The New York Bar and the swimming pool at Club at the Park make use of the two other cavernous atriums atop the building and feature ample natural lighting. The rooms themselves average an impressive 55 square meters, a hotel room size that was unheard of in Tokyo as Japanese hotel operators at the time favored more compact room designs (much to the chagrin of foreign tourists).
Morford’s demanding nature and attention to detail are well documented: several articles have highlighted his micromanagement of such details as the themes of books to be shelved in the hotel’s Library on the 41st floor and selection of even the smallest accoutrements and materials installed in the high-end suites, including the selection of water-elm wood paneling from Hokkaido used in the guest rooms. Morford named the hotel’s Tokyo Suite after the cinematic masterpiece Tokyo Story by celebrated Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, a style which was reflected in his careful selection of hundreds of books on film and entertainment for the suite’s private library. He is also known to have noticed when light bulbs that were not of his prescribed wattage were installed in certain parts of the hotel without his approval.
The hotel underwent a partial renovation in 2008, however most of the design elements remained unchanged, with the notable exceptions being upgrades to furniture and fixtures in the guest rooms. When Sofia Coppola and the rest of the cast and crew filmed at the hotel in the fall of 2002, the Park Hyatt Tokyo management only permitted the filmmakers to film in the hotel’s common areas after midnight and before 6am so as not to disturb other guests and allow the hotel to function normally. Therefore, many of the ‘daylight’ scenes that were shot in the hotel (including Bob’s swimming lessons and scenes in the main lobby) were very likely shot early the morning. Tokyo’s average sunrise in the fall is 5:30am, which would have provided the filmmakers a window of daylight to utilize in the early morning for these shots.
4. Hotel Main Entrance (2F)
The main entrance to the hotel is located on the 2nd floor of the Shinjuku Park Building, and features a covered driveway where guests can alight from taxis or other transportation. The nearest subway access is at Tochomae station of the Oedo subway line, which is about an eight minute walk. The larger Shinjuku Station is about a fifteen minute walk from the hotel, though a shuttle service to and from the station is offered to guests. In contrast to other Tokyo hotels which feature the main lobby and reception on the ground floor, guests must first make their way through the main entrance on the second floor (which is adorned with the mask sculpture ‘Gatsy’ by Japanese sculptor Mieko Yuki) and through the modest entrance area (featuring the abstract sculpture ‘Airflow’ by British artist Antony Donaldson) to the main elevator bay, which offers direct access to the check-in lobby on the 41st floor.
Several of Lost in Translation’s scenes were filmed at the hotel’s main entrance. After first arriving in Japan and twisting through the neon streets of Shinjuku, Bob’s private hire taxi drops him off at the main entrance where several hotel employees gather his bags and show him inside. Once inside the main entrance area next to the Donaldson’s sculpture, Bob is met by several Japanese advertising executives and representatives from Suntory, the distiller of Hibiki 17, which is the coveted Japanese whiskey that Bob is endorsing in the film (one of the actors playing the Suntory executives was Jun Maki, who was one of Japan’s most famous copywriters and was responsible for some of Japanese advertising’s most memorable catch-phrases). The executives hurriedly hand an overwhelmed Bob their business cards as well as several gifts, one of which is a bag of sweets from Toraya, the famed Japanese confectionary (wagashi) maker, which is distinguished from the other gifts by its iconic black bag emblazoned with three gold tigers.
Towards the end of the film, a fire alarm is triggered late at night, forcing all of the guests to wait outside of the entrance while the fire department sorts out the alarm. Bob sees Charlotte and they share an embrace as Bob tells her that he will be going back to the United States the next day. Charlotte appears visibly upset to hear that Bob is leaving. Later, the two share an elevator back up to the New York Bar for some final farewell drinks (they would meet again the next morning for the film’s final scenes).
5. Main Lobby, Peak Lounge, Girandole and Library (41F)
The first stop after taking the express elevator from the 2F entrance is the main lobby of the hotel, which is located in the atrium of Tower C on 41F. The lobby features a green grove of bamboo which immediately draws the attention of visitors as the elevator doors open. Surrounding the main bamboo grove is seating for the Peak Lounge, which offers afternoon tea as well as a dessert and pastry service. Taking a right out of the elevator brings you to the entrance to the Peak Bar, a smaller, more casual bar than the New York Bar that serves as an ideal watering hole and perch for those waiting on their company to arrive at the hotel. After taking another right at the entrance to the Peak Bar, visitors will find themselves in the main corridor that connects all three of the main towers. The corridor passes by the casual all-day French brasserie Girandole until finally terminating at the Library, which contains more than a thousand books meticulously curated by the hotel’s interior designer, John Morford. At the exit of the Library is the main check-in counter as well as another elevator alcove which brings guests to their rooms and diners up to the New York Grill and the New York Bar on the 52nd floor.
The main lobby atrium, corridor and Library feature in a few smaller scenes from the film: Charlotte and her husband John (Giovanni Ribisi) bump into the bubbly blonde airhead actress Kelly (Ana Faris) in the main hallway just outside Girandole early in the film (Charlotte scoffs at Kelly’s announcement that she is staying at the hotel incognito under the name of the deceased English writer Evelyn Waugh, who was a man). Later, in one of the film’s final scenes, Charlotte runs into Bob in front of the bamboo grove as he is saying goodbye to the Japanese advertising executives before leaving for the airport. Charlotte returns the jacket she had borrowed from him on an earlier night as they share one final embrace in the hotel (Bob tracks Charlotte down on the streets of Shinjuku later in the film’s final scene).
6. Diplomat Suite (48F, Room 4808)
The film depicts Bob and Charlotte staying in two separate rooms — Bob appears to have a larger suite to himself (which would make sense given his in-film occupation as an actor) while Charlotte has a much smaller room that she shares with her photographer husband, John, before it becomes largely her own after he leaves for Fukuoka (in southern Japan) on a photo shoot halfway through the film. Much of the film’s early action takes place in these two rooms as Sofia Coppola shows us many scenes of the two in their beds late at night, suffering from the effects of jet lag. Later in the film, after the two have become formally acquainted, Bob and Charlotte spend time with each other in their rooms preparing for a night out, watching films, and having heart-to-heart discussions in bed.
Although Sofia Coppola does a great job of distinguishing these two rooms for the audience, all of the hotel room scenes were actually shot within the hotel’s Diplomat Suite, which is located at the Southeast corner of the 48th floor of the hotel in room 4808. The 160 square meter Diplomat Suite features a private library, Yamaha grand piano, a master bedroom adorned in Egyptian cotton bedding and spacious living and dining rooms. There is also a connected conference room, which likely proved useful during the shooting as a prep and equipment room. For the film, the suite’s main entrance and dining and living rooms were repurposed into Bob’s hotel room. His bed was placed along the main windows where the sofas and coffee table are now located.
The suite’s master bedroom became Charlotte’s room for the film, with the configuration remaining largely the same as it is today (though it is clear that much of the furniture and wall fixtures seen in the film were replaced during the 2008 refurbishment). The windowsill where Charlotte sits and takes in the awesome view of Shinjuku is exactly as it was in the film, and the two lounge chairs near the window are likely of the same design as those in film (if not the same ones). Although the fax machine that humorously woke Bob up at 4am is no longer in the suite, several of the books that could be seen on the bookshelf (notably the large Oxford English dictionary) remained. Acknowledging the film’s legacy, there were several picture books about the film littered among the ‘diplomatic’ themed private library as well as a CD of the film’s official soundtrack.
The bathroom where Charlotte soaks while looking out over Tokyo is the same bathroom where Bob also struggles with a shower head and shaves with a tiny travel-size razor provided by the hotel (note: the razor provided by the hotel during my stay was of a standard size — the hotel seems to have gotten the hint). This main bathroom is attached to the master bedroom (Charlotte’s room) and is very large by Tokyo standards, featuring a walk-in closet as well as a detached bath, shower and two large sinks. The small kitchen is the one room that is not featured in the film, though it was stocked for our stay with premium alcohol and some snacks.
7. New York Bar & New York Grill (52F)
Quite possibly the most famous location from the film is the New York Bar, which is located on 52F. From the main lobby, one must take two rights out of the elevator and walk down the long hallway past Girandole and through the Library before using the guest elevators up to 52F— the top floor of the tallest tower (S Tower). This atrium provides the most stunning and unimpeded views of Tokyo in the whole hotel.
Upon entering the New York Bar, guests are first shepherded into the bar’s main floor which features a lounge area with several tables surrounding a small stage that is positioned up against the floor-to-ceiling windows that surround the entire bar and restaurant. Opposite the stage is the long bar where Bob spent most of his time during the early part of the film alone and where Bob and Charlotte had their first proper meeting during a jetlag induced sleepless night. On several occasions during the film a traveling jazz band called ‘Sausalito’ performs on the music stage, headed by a nameless Australian woman with bright red hair (Catherine Lambert) who Bob later sleeps with (much to his regret the following day).
During his time at the bar, Bob snaps his fingers to the jazz music, shares Hollywood gossip with the Japanese bartenders and avoids the several Americans who recognize him all while slugging back round after round of Suntory Hibiki 17 whiskey. We only see Charlotte order a drink once in the film when she first meets Bob — a vodka tonic. The New York Bar features both of these drinks on their menu, as well as a cocktail of their own making which was inspired by the film — the ‘L.I.T.’, which consists of Japanese Sake, Sakura Liqueur, Peachtree and Cranberry Drink. The bar is open from Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 12am and from Monday to Wednesday from 5pm to 11pm. There is a JPY 2,750 (USD $27) cover charge for non-guests and shorts and certain other casual wear (sandals, athletic trainers, etc.) are not permitted. Live jazz music is featured on most nights.
Past the bar is the New York Grill, which offers New American cuisine drawing “inspiration from the cosmopolitan flavors of New York.” Its 1,600-bottle wine cellar is also the largest collection of American wines in Japan. Tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows and offer romantic panoramic views of Tokyo.
8. Club on the Park / Swimming Pool (45F)
Bob and Charlotte both spend time in the 20m x 8m swimming pool attached to the hotel’s fitness and wellness center, Club on the Park. Bob visits the Club on the Park at least three times. During his first visit he enjoys a morning swim as he looks befuddled at a group of overweight Japanese middle-aged women partaking in an ‘Aqua-cise’ (pool-based aerobics) program guided by a charismatic male instructor and tacky pop music. Later, Bob has trouble with the elliptical as he cannot understand the automated Japanese prompts. Finally, there are two shots of Bob in the sento and sauna facilities — he listens on as two German guests next to him in the sauna speak to each other in their native language and later takes a tense call from his wife Lydia while sitting in the Japanese sento (bath). We see Charlotte make use of the Club on the Park facilities once, taking a late night dip in the empty swimming pool.
The Club on the Park occupies most of the 45th and 47th floors and includes an exercise studio, Japanese sento, sauna and private treatment rooms for massage and other beauty care. The spacious atrium drenches the pool in natural light during the day and offers line-of-sight views of Mt. Fuji when the weather is right. Two exercise studios surround the pool area, while certain pool lanes and some of the pool-side seating are reserved for club members only.
The locker room area offers premium toiletries and numerous grooming stations. In addition to full-body jet showers, each male and female facility also contains a large Japanese sento, two saunas and a steam room. There are relaxation rooms just outside the locker rooms for male and female guests. Only hotel guests and members can make use of the Club on the Park. Club membership requires a joining fee of JPY 2,000,000 (USD $20,000), a deposit of JPY 3,000,000 (USD $30,000) and an annual fee of JPY 363,000 (USD $3,500) per individual.
Lost in Translation Scene Recreations
During our stay, my fiancé and I recreated several of the iconic scenes from the film. Pleased to welcome.
