On January 7th, Tokinomori (5-17-10 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo) held its grand opening in Shirokanedai, Tokyo, as an information hub promoting the charms of Nara. The two-story facility houses the French-inspired restaurant CIEL ET SOL on the second floor. This is Nara Prefecture's first restaurant in Tokyo, and it was produced by Kazunori Otowa, the first Japanese chef to train under the three-star chef Alain Chapel, known as the "Da Vinci of the kitchen." Based on French cuisine, the restaurant offers "LA CUISINE NATURELLE," the culinary concept of the Otowa Group, which Otowa has been developing in his hometown of Utsunomiya. The chef will be Otowa's second son, Hajime Otowa. The interior design also features a Nara-inspired theme. The high ceilings express the grandeur of the shrine, allowing in abundant light during the day and illuminating the space with elegant lighting at night. The flooring is made of Yoshino cedar wood blocks. The lattice-like fixtures are made with Yoshino cypress and cedar, and incorporate plant-dyed washi paper from Fukunishi Washi Honpo, a traditional Yoshino craft. Many designers have incorporated Nara-themed designs, including a textile installation by mina perhonen on the front wall. The first floor also houses the LIVRER café and shop. Produced by Yukiko Ishimura, owner of Akishino no Mori, a walnut tree in Nara, the café features high-quality Nara ingredients and crafts carefully selected by Ishimura. The café space offers Yamato tea and sweets. This is a space where you can enjoy the historic Yamato tea, which is said to have originated from tea seeds brought back from Tang China by Kobo Daishi (Kukai), along with Nara sweets.