Years of my life, I spent here, years. Seeing Mori Tower gives me a peculiar feeling; not like the dread I used to get when I would catch a glimpse of Chifley Tower across Sydney Harbor on a Sunday, but a little twinge. Fortunately it’s been years in arrears since I felt the certain intensity […]
Month: June 2011
- izakaya
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Mitakaya Sakaba, Morishita (みたかや酒場)
I almost feel bad writing about Mitakaya. Let me count the ways. Just two, actually. 1. It’s on my street, and I like to support local business, but it took me approximately 2,500 nights to go for the first time. 2. The Mitakas, and their customers, are the nicest people, and I would hate for anyone […]
Kajima Liquors, Ningyocho (加島酒店)
As foreigners, and especially as foreigners with an interest in ‘deep’ Japanese culture, we get cut a lotta slack. We get to go to some of the weirdest, localest little places you can imagine, and people are by and large nice. Or better. Now that I mention it, they’re usually welcoming, interested, and friendly. It’s […]
Shun-poo ramen, Akihabara (麺 旬風)
Another day, another ramen. I was braving the heat again to ride about on my bike, this time up by Akiba. On the east side of the highway, in that weird strip of tall buildings under and next to the tracks, I popped out of a random alley and faced this happy site. I try […]
Juhachiban, Kanda (十八番)
Have you seen this picture before? I have a feeling I’ve taken it before, like the taxi driver with the red hair who squats and smokes (that picture is Nihonbashi, but I saw him outside my house one time). The lion seems to be saying “Suckazzzz! I’ve got it made in the shade!” but the […]
Ogura, Jinbocho (割烹 おぐら)
What’s uuuuuuup! I was trying to take a random picture on the street while Volleyball and I waited for the light to change, just something to say “Jimbocho is the sports-store neighborhood.” These women were pretty in-the-spirit, so I took another one with them posing better. And then got lost for 5 minutes looking for […]
- Kanda
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Katsugiya ramen, Kanda (かつぎや)
It’s tempting to give up sometimes. These guys went to Katsugiya just after it opened and did a much more complete job of writing it up than I ever would. On the other hand, I bet most of you can’t read that crap. I sure can’t! Anyway, I had a different dish. So here goes. […]
- bar
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Hantoco Cafe, Shintomi (ハントコcafe)
Wooden and I just wandered around a bit on the way to the station from Rusai. That was a pretty unsatisfying meal, and this little place looked awfulllly inviting as we strolled past. I’d seen it before, of course, but never noticed that it had a ‘sake ball’ outside, and we were doubly sold. We […]
- Other treats
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Rusai Doshin, Shintomi (潤菜 どうしん)
Years ago I used to read Tokyo Calendar all the time. I was really looking for the little places that were reasonably-priced but still lived up to the standards that I like to think Tokyo Calendar sets for all the restaurants that they allow to buy space in their pages (just guessing here). Rusai Doshin, […]
Bondy curry, Jimbocho (神保町本店)
There’s a curry-shop rating site in Japan, did you know that? Anyway, Bondy is within striking distance from the office and is conveniently 8th on the list today. (Contrasting, Manten is 7th and Ethiopia is 2nd. I didn’t like Ethiopia, but between Manten and Bondy you should find a place you like.) There’s a lot […]