One of those perfect days

Last Tuesday was one of those days I wanted to bottle in its entirety, repackage in a more portable format and carry with me for emergency deployment when other days of the week start to turn a bit sour. I didn’t have such high expectations for this particular day in mid-August but everything started to fall into place with the day throwing up pleasant surprises.

That Tuesday morning in Tokyo had a brilliant start and the sunny/hazy view across the Imperial Palace beckoned me to trade in my boxers for running shorts, T-shirt and trainers. On the occasional morning I do look for excuses not to go for a run. The weather’s always a good one. Too wet is always a good one because I never travel with a running jacket. Too hot also works because I know it will then take me too long to cool down. Misplaced clothes can also serve.

Chambermaids usually provide another excuse as running socks are perhaps put into a the dress sock pile, the running T-shirts end up back in the duffel bag and the running shorts oddly get put into an underwear pile. Normally, I like to toss everything on top of my sneakers the day before so there’s no excuse, but the turndown service frequently sees that this is taken care of, so I find myself with an extra excuse not to take to the park.

Not last Tuesday: everything was exactly where I left it and I was in the lift descending to the lobby in under 90 seconds. Below is how the rest of the day fell into place and the experiences, people, products and places that made it work:

1. The perfect 5K. From the front door of Tokyo’s Peninsula all the way around the Imperial Palace and back is almost 5km.
2. Exercising in a civil society. Few things can bring a smile quite like watching a businessman leave his backpack with work attire in the bushes by the palace perimeter and then run around the park to find that no one has disturbed it.
3. Hitting your groove with a new tune. Japanese artist Eico’s track “Drop” has all the elements to launch a weekday on the right trajectory.
4. The return of in-room radio. It’s a very simple thing but having pre-programmed internet radio channels in the hotel room is a time-saving luxury.
5. White-gloved taxi service. No matter how many times I go to Japan, this simple detail is one that never wears off. The immaculate white lace seat covers also help.
6. Taxi-brand Hinomaru’s Prius cabs. While I’m still a fan of the more old-school Toyota Crown taxis that dominate Tokyo’s streets, the new Priuses look quite fetching in their simple, black livery.
7. An airport that works. Would you believe that when I recently met with some officials from BAA and asked what they thought of Tokyo’s Haneda as a benchmark they stared at me blankly and asked what’s so special about it? And they’re wondering why they’re on the cusp of being broken up. Tokyo Haneda is everything an airport should be – centrally located yet built into the sea and efficient from the check-in to security to boarding to takeoff. It works as well, if not better, for arrivals.
8. A new type of airline. I flew Starflyer for about the fifth time down to Kitakyushu and the all-black interior and simple service still works. As the carrier flies a limited number of routes, I’m hoping it can weather the current economic storm.
9. Foot for purpose. If you’re having one of those early mid-life footwear crises where you feel you’re a bit too old to invest in a pair of royal blue and green bespoke Nikes but still want something sportive for your feet, then find a stockist for Common Projects. They’re not made for 5K tours however, just for shopping expeditions in Ginza.
10. Dinner with a maestro. Tucked behind Kitakyushu’s main station is Tenzushi, a sushi restaurant so strict (no alcohol, no chopsticks, hands only) and thoroughly delicious that it’s well worth the 90-minute flight south for dinner.
11. Drinks with a maestro. Even in tiny Kitakyushu, there’s a certain delight in discovering a bar that has a better selection of whites from Alto Adige than you could find in London or New York.
12. A return flight free of thunderstorms. Last Tuesday had all the climatic ingredients for a set of serious thunderstorms but happily our black A320 managed to avoid them.
13. Running to time. Imagine covering half the length of a country with a crammed schedule of meetings and never arriving late.
14. Discovering a dangerous retailer next to your hotel. For fans of slightly twisted American menswear classics (think Brooks Brothers restyled by the Italians and refined by the keen eyes of a team of Japanese buyers), the new branch of Beams Plus in Marunouchi is a must-see for autumn wardrobe additions. Just remember, you can’t be bigger than a 40 jacket.
15. A stack of bedtime reading. While I like to go out and play most nights in Tokyo, last Tuesday involved a somewhat timely tuck-in accompanied by a small tower of my favourite magazines and the Imperial Palace blacked out below.

Tyler Brûlé is editor-in-chief of Monocle

tyler.brule@ft.com

More columns at www.ft.com/brule