As I said below, today was hiking day. The mountains that ring Tokyo are nowhere near as high as the ones that you get a little farther out (they don’t call those ‘Alps’ for nothing), but there’s still some good autumn color and soothing vistas (as long as you don’t look toward Tokyo, where the […]
Month: November 2010
- Other treats
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Harajima Liquors, Otaba (Okutama) (原島商店, 大丹波)
The Woodsman and I had a bit of a walk today. It’s a tourist special to take the train west from Shinjuku and go ‘hiking’ at Mt. Takao (where you have your choice of fully-paved road, cable car or chairlift to get you up and down), but in the same area there are plenty of […]
- Other treats
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Iseya, Kichijoji (いせや)
After spending a long, long day in Kichijoji last summer, I didn’t feel a tremendous need to go back – not that it’s not nice, but it’s pretty far away. So imagine my surprise when a trip to my new friend Beach’s pottery exhibition and lecture east of Ikebukuro turned into an invitation to yakitori […]
Zero, Monzennakacho
Bike culture may not be for sale, but it is most certainly available for exhibition in the windows of recently-opened bars in middle-aged districts of Tokyo that cater to middle-aged men. This is a questionable strategy; there were some young customers in here that might have been lured in by the hip fixie in the […]
En, Monzennakacho (えん)
Clearly I’m not spending enough time walking the streets of Monnaka at night; there were several new places since the last time I got around, and that’s a rarity. This one looked really nice on Friday night when Mayu and I were binging on my old favorite places, so when we found ourselves with time […]
Seikanin, Kagurazaka (清閑院)
After a truly terrible lunch that I won’t link to because I want to forget it happened and wouldn’t like any of you to repeat my mistakes, Mayu and I walked around Kagurazaka. It’s a mellow neighborhood – apart from the homey, shitamachi feel; abundant french bistros; and high-end antiques and art shops, you can find […]
Popolare, Iidabashi
I like to admit when I make mistakes. I don’t like people who don’t admit when they made mistakes. I made a horrible mistake today, I feel a complete boob, and I want to apologize deeply and sincerely to Mayu, who suffered with me in this mistake. Sorry dude. For Japanese readers wondering about Mayu’s […]
- izakaya
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Kitayama, Otsuka (きたやま)
Recently I wrote something about how my friends and I have been to all the good places. I’m not going to link to that post. I just wanted to say I’m sorry. That was a really stupid thing to say, and I’m very embareassed. It won’t happen again. Here’s another good place. Actually a whole […]
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Takatora ramen, Takadanobaba (麺屋武蔵 鷹虎)
Wh…wh…what what? Is this the second day in row for tonkotsu-gyokai ramen in Takadanobaba? Why yes. Yes it is. Today I had a run and a small breakfast to prepare. I also accidentally waited until about 2:30 to eat. I just figured, as long as I’m here, I might take advantage of the proximity of […]
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Watanabe ramen, Takadanobaba (渡辺)
It was a day of disgruntlement. The morning started off weak at work, and by lunch I was ready to pack it in – which in EOITwJ-land means “Have an extravagant lunch”. That can come in many forms, like a long course, or a big burger, or a distant location…in this case a small street […]