I generally find it pretty hard to pinpoint a single movie as being my favourite. But, if I really think about it, Lost in Translation is probably the one.

I’m not a film reviewer, so I won’t go into every detail about the movie and why I like it. I’ll also leave the plot summary and critical response up to Wikipedia and everywhere else.

To me, there’s just a vibe to the whole film – from the acting, to the music, to the cinematography – that I really enjoy and find myself drawn to over and over again.

How much I like the movie has played out in a few ways over the years. Lost in Translation, along with director Sofia Coppola’s earlier film The Virgin Suicides, put me onto the French band Air. I eventually got to see them at the Sydney Opera House in 2017.

The film’s soundtrack, which includes tracks by Kevin Shields, Phoenix and the Jesus and Mary Chain, is one of my go-tos. Due to some limited edition Record Store Day releases, I’ve ended up with three copies of it on vinyl.

And while I didn’t go on trips to Japan in 2015 and 2016 just because of Lost in Translation, visiting a couple locations from the film was definitely on my list of things to do. This includes heading to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where a lot of scenes take place.

Visiting the Park Hyatt Tokyo

Part of the reason I’m writing about this now is because the Park Hyatt Tokyo has closed for renovations. It will likely look completely different when it reopens in October 2025.

During my two visits, the public areas of the hotel were just like I remembered from the film. I believe the actual hotel rooms also remained pretty much the same right up until when the hotel closed its doors in May 2024, but unfortunately I never got to stay.

My first time at the Park Hyatt was in late November 2015 with my brother. After arriving via Manila on a Cebu Pacific flight which cost only $300 return, I convinced him that we should go for a drink at the hotel. Talk about a contrast of experiences!

We made our way to Shinjuku, where the Park Hyatt is located. The trees leading up to the building were full of countless fairy lights. After getting in the lift, we rode up to the hotel’s New York Bar on level 52. The view upon exiting was, in a word, amazing.

There’s just something about looking out at that blueish glow of the city that kind of mesmerised me. It really just seems to sprawl on forever. Tokyo is, after all, the world’s largest city.

For relaxing times…

We found a table near the windows in a quiet spot where I could take photos without disturbing anyone. The bar area where Bill Murray’s character Bob Harris hangs out was quite busy. Instead of trying to sneak any pics, I just stuck to shots looking outside.

A quick look at the bar menu showed that prices were about as sky high as the Park Hyatt itself. I have no idea what I ordered, but I have this pic of a drink in a martini glass, so I’m going to guess… Some kind of martini.

I knew one drink was just about all that me, as a then unemployed uni student, could afford. Generously my brother also got us an overpriced bowl of chips to share.

We spent about an hour there soaking in the view. I took a few more photos and a short video looking out at the constantly blinking and moving lights:

Then it was time to return to street level and head into the Shinjuku nightlife. And by nightlife, I mean an arcade, where I won a big 1-Up mushroom from a claw machine.

Later, while browsing a department store, I found a miniature bottle of Suntory’s Hibiki 17 whisky, the one Bob promotes in the film. I haven’t made it Suntory time yet, as that bottle remains unopened.

I spent a few more days in Tokyo with my brother before he returned home. Meanwhile, I continued on my Japan adventure solo.

Alone in Kyoto

One of my favourite scenes in Lost in Translation is when Scarlett Johansson’s character Charlotte takes the Shinkansen to Kyoto and visits some shrines. Air’s song Alone in Kyoto, which I think is one of their best, plays throughout the scene.

Heian Shrine, where the second part of that scene takes place, was also on my list to visit. It turned out to be one my favourite shrines in Kyoto (second only probably to the Fushimi Inari Shrine).

The way that the bright red buildings with green roofs stand out in a sea of white gravel is really eye catching. Looking at my photos, I didn’t do a particularly good job of capturing that:

There is also a garden within the shrine. Japan is next level when it comes to gardens, but this one stood out to me. I visited in the middle of a Tuesday, and it remained quiet and tranquil the whole time. With the booming popularity of tourism in Japan, I wonder how places like this are faring now?

Anyway, I meandered through the gardens, taking in all the autumn leaves and the immaculate appearance of everything. Like every garden I visited, there was no shortage of staff standing by to ensure that things were picture perfect.

A highlight was the stepping stones you see Charlotte walk across. As I approached that area of the garden, I saw two older Japanese women enjoying themselves as they hopped from step to step.

Shortly after, I walked across, and found myself similarly enjoying it but without really knowing why. I guess it’s kind of like a more sophisticated version of hopscotch, so of course it’s fun.

That wraps up the Lost in Translation experience on my first trip, so I’ll move onto the second.

Christmas in Japan

In mid-2016, I finally graduated from uni and, not long after, got my first real full-time job. I couldn’t think of anything exciting to buy with my first pay check. So why not just go back to Japan?

I had to plan the trip around the Christmas break, which saw me pay $1,300 for flights, not $300 like last time. The flight was direct and with ANA though, so at least the experience was better.

ANA did (and still does) offer free domestic flights within Japan, so I chose to fly in and out of Kobe. My second visit to Tokyo, and also to the Park Hyatt, occurred around the middle of the trip.

After enjoying some traditional KFC on Christmas Day, the next day I decided to treat myself to lunch at the Park Hyatt. I’m fairly sure I saw online that a basic lunch set would cost like $40. Kind of pricy, but I had a little bit more money than last trip. Not much, but a little.

Like a year earlier, I made my way over to the hotel and took the elevator up. Then I looked out again at the amazing view, only this time in the daylight, and snapped the photo at the top of this post.

Lost in translation (again)

I walked over to reception and asked if I could get a table for one. I was told that yes, I could, but I would need to order from a special Christmas menu.

What did that mean? Well, lunch was still a set menu, except I would be forced to have a glass of champagne along with it. The price? Around $125.

I don’t actually know whether it was because I felt too awkward to walk away or if I just thought “fuck it”, but I did go ahead with the lunch despite the high price, which was the most I’d ever spent on a meal, possibly by a factor of two.

While the place was fairly empty, I didn’t get a seat by the window. I was close enough anyway. The daytime view looking out over Shinjuku and beyond is even more mind boggling than it is at nighttime.

Not long after sitting down, my glass of compulsory champagne was poured along with some water. Lunch then started off with a salad and bread.

I chose fish for the main, maybe because the other options cost extra, although I can’t recall for sure. I also want to say the food was good, but I literally have no recollection of it. It was probably just fine rather than specifically good or bad, hence the forgetfulness.

Thankfully, the price of lunch also included coffee and a dessert buffet which I loaded up on. I lingered for a while before I decided it was time to depart the Park Hyatt and do something else. According to my photos, that ‘something else’ was looking at super long individually wrapped carrots at a department store.

My favourite things

If you have the opportunity to visit a key location from one of your favourite movies, I’d definitely recommend you do it.

Every time I watch Lost in Translation now, I remember not only my time in the Park Hyatt Tokyo and at Heian Shrine, but how much I loved spending time in Japan. It just so happens that my favourite movie takes place in my favourite country.

Unfortunately, if your favourite movie is also Lost in Translation, you won’t be able to visit the hotel as you see it in the movie.

The decor, the bar, the rooms and everything else will all look different when the Park Hyatt reopens. But you can rest assured that the view, as you see it when Charlotte sits on the windowsill of her room, or as Bob lights up a cigar in the New York Bar, will still be there in all its breathtaking glory.

I can only hope I’ll finally be able to afford a room to take it all in.