Now, in December, as visitors move from house to house, from blacksmith to wigmaker, from restored Capitol to the Royal Governor's Palace, they're walking through a contest on all sides of them: The city's designers hope for ribbons on their wreaths, garlands, "fans" and other seasonal decor, created within guidelines of historical plausibility and authenticity of materials.
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).