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 […]
Ochanomizu
Sabroso, Ochanomizu (サブロッソ)
Yooooooshta. It’s official. I have now been to all of the good sake places in Tokyo. Think you know another? Nope. Not good. This is the last one. Boo-yah! Good, I’m glad we could all agree on that. Warm, sunny nights in summer, I just enjoy the hell out of Tokyo. After work I took […]
Rimshot Guitars, Ochanomizu
This one’s a little out of completeness, but bear with me. Along with Woodman and Hobo’s, Rimshot forms the trio of extraordinary acoustic guitar stores in Ochanu (only Woodman has banjos, etc.). Any of the three could fairly be described as world-class in the slightly different spaces they inhabit. Rimshot is basically the Martin store […]
Isshin ramen, Ochanomizu (とんこつらーめん 一心)
Confession time. I took Friday afternoon off. Because I could. And the early Spring perfect weather made it perfect to cruise to Ochanu by bike, ringing the bell from time to time out of sheer happiness. Dining in Ochanu has always disappointed me, and I think I’ve pretty well been to the places that looked […]
Izumiya no Kura, Kanda (神田和泉屋乃坐)
Well, I went to yet another incredible guitar store in Ochanu after work. And after that, I walked around a little. I successfully resisted the urge to visit the mighty Takaban, but when I walked down a tiny alley and saw this place, with not even much of a sign, and that name.. The paper lantern […]
Hobos Guitars, Ochanomizu
Even from a seasoned walker-around and inveterate observer, Tokyo manages to hide things. For instance, through this little doorway and down the stairs must be one of the best acoustic guitar shops I’ve ever seen, and it’s right around the corner from Woodman (which is possibly better, and includes banjers and mannolins and steel gitars […]
Ikaruga, Kudanshita (九段斑鳩)
Lunch with Peacock today. Since he’s the busy one in our relationship, I fired up the googlemaps and searched for what I’ve been thinking about all through Health Week – ramen. It’s so easy to blow your diet… Ikaruga popped up as one of the places closest to his office. Turns out it’s famous. How […]
Ryuryuken ramen, Ochanomizu (龍龍軒)
Today I introduced Preacher to the delights of both Hakata ramen and taking the train somewhere for lunch, still getting back in 50 minutes. A mere two stops away from the office is Ochanomizu, where a pleasant view of the Kanda river awaits as you cross from the subway station toward JR and the main […]
Takaban, Jinbocho (鷹ばん、小川町)
Having some time to kill after work and before 8, I spied out something on the map that looked like it would pass the time. Takaban will bear further investigation since I just sat and read and nibbled and drank for an hour, but it could well be my new favorite place. The food seemed […]
Woodman Instruments, Ochanomizu
Heavens. Just wandering around looking for a restaurant, I saw a little green sign with a guitar. It turned out that if you go into the nondescript little office building, the second floor is half taken up with one of the best guitar stores I’ve been to in Japan. Mostly acoustic…aside from the steels (lap, […]