BBC/Chris McGinnis wrote:Business trip: Tokyo
Tokyo has emerged from the dark days following Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami, re-assuming its position as an Asian hotspot for business travel. You can see it everywhere, – in the recent spate of new hotel openings, expanding airports and buzzy restaurants and hotel lobbies. The scaffolding has come down after a massive facelift of the iconic Tokyo Station in the heart of the city, and the new Tokyo Skytree tower gleams on the edge of town, attracting millions.
Despite Japan’s 20-year-long recession, Tokyo’s business class hotel scene is dynamic, with a raft of new players. In the last decade, big international chains such as Shangri-La, Peninsula, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton have moved in, dominating the luxury hotel scene. Japanese companies are reclaiming their turf by tearing down old standards and putting new hotels in their place, such as the Tokyo Station Hotel (2012), the Palace Hotel (2012) and the Capitol Hotel Tokyu (2010).
... ad nauseam...
When did this "20-year-long recession" happen? Oh, and "the practice of tipping is nearly non-existent in Japan".