watashi to tokyo

Shinjuku! where you go?

Shinjuku area is a major commercial and administrative centre and it's the busiest railway station in the world!  Here is my recommeneded places.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (the administration centre for the government of Tokyo ) and other high buildings: You can go up to the top and enjoy the Tokyo nice views. It's free.

Isetan Department Store : One of the biggest department store and the annual sales ranks between 6th and 8th always in Japan.

Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku Takashimaya : The biggest Tokyu Hands in Shibuya, but Shinjuku one is located inside of Takashimaya Department building in south exit, you can enjoy department store too and also very big book store Kinokuniya stands next to the building.

Restaurants which you can cook by yourself: There are a huge number of restaurants in Shinuku. I recommend to have "the experience", not only taste.Here is some video who enjoy cooking.

Takoyaki:HONJIN
Okonomiyaki,Monjayaki,Okonomiyaki / Konamono Other
Dinner 1,500 JPY
03-3200-9714 (+81-3-3200-9714)
Monday - Friday Dinner: 16:00 - 23:30(L.O.22:45)
Saturday & Sunday & Holiday Lunch・Dinner: 12:00 - 23:30(L.O.22:45)
JR Shinjuku Station East Exit 1-minute walk

Kushiage:KUSHIYA MONOGATARI
Japanese Other,Izakaya (Japanese Style Pub),Fried Skewers (Meat and Vegetables)
Lunch 1,260 JPY Dinner 2,800 JPY
03-5321-6166 (+81-3-5321-6166)
Saturday & Sunday & Holiday Lunch: 11:30 - 15:00(L.O.14:30, Drink L.O. 14:30)
Dinner: 16:00 - 23:00(L.O.22:30, Drink L.O. 22:30)
Shinjuku(Tokyo) JR Shinjuku Station West Exit 2-minute walk

Shabu Shabu : MK restaurant is very very reasonable restaurant you can try Shabu Shabu and sushi etc,.If you want to save costs.
Nabe (Japanese Style Hot Pot),Dim Sum,Sushi / Seafood (Other)
Lunch 1,300 JPY Dinner 2,000 JPY
03-3356-7768 (+81-3-3356-7768)
Monday - Sunday 11:00 - 23:00(L.O.22:30)
Shinjuku(Tokyo) JR Shinjuku Station East Exit, central East Exit 5-minute walk

Kushiage all-you-can-eat (Tabehodai)!

Kushiage is is a Japanese dish of fried skewered meat and vegetables. In Japanese, kushi means the skewers used while katsu means a fried foods with breadcrumbs.  When you visit Tokyo, I recommend Kushiage all-you-can-eat restaurants. Especially the place you can fry by yourself.  Kushiya monogatari is such place. You can fry and eat as much as you want Kushiage by 2800yen. There are 12 shops in Tokyo area now. Here is the video that introduce the Odaiba shop in TV show.

Kunisad and Kuniyoshi visit home from Boston Museum

Don't miss this! KUNISADA KUNIYOSHI. The Kunisada and KUniyoshi's ukiyoe owned the Boston museum visits home Bunkamura Museum in Shibuya. We can say this is POP culture of EDO. This exhibition categorized works from interesting view points.

Skulls


Ghost busters

That's entertainment etc,.

They have original Bear Brick and kuniyoshi key chain etc,. too!

Bunkamura Museum @ Shibiuya
March 19 -> June 5 10:00-19:00
adult 1500yen

Takeshi Murakami the 500 arhats

Takashi Murakami the 500 arhats.

Wiki said 五百羅漢（The arhats) is Theravada Buddhism denotes arhat (Sanskrit) and arahant (pali) as "one who is worthy" or is a "perfected person" having attained nirvana. But I think we may call just a trainee monk arhats. Anyway I have never seen such unique approach, Pop! Cute and grotesque. I like it.

Mori Museum @ Roppongi
March 4.5- 8:00-25:00
March 6 - 8:00-22:00 adult 1600yen

Unique Cost price bar

A Italian restaurant Fiore Akasaka opened small bar corner inside the place. The place is called "kanzume Genka bar". it means "Original price of canned foods and drinks". You need to enter charge 2000yen but in the shop you can drink and eat canned food with their cost price, so beer is 200yen, whiskey and soda is 50yen.Also they have rare canned foods like Toughness, Grasshopper, Fugu.

Standing restaurant "ORENO French"

Standing restaurants are a king of trend, we had standing japanese noodle SOBA place from long ago (maybe from Edo).  But now we can eat various type of gorgeous cuisine in standing restaurant. Commonly Foods are amazing and price is reasonable because they cut cost by enhancing the turnover rate of customers and serve better quality foods than regular place.  I think the key player of this boom is Oreno ( means "mine") restaurant company.  They opened "Oreno French", "Oreno Italian", "Oreno Kappou （Japanese）", "Oreno Yakitori"etc,.in Tokyo.  Most Oreno restaurant got good reviews from customers and it was hard to reserve before but now it will be not so bad.  Oreno French popular menu Omal roast, beef steak with Foie gras are only 1280yen each.  Ratatouille is 380yen and it means only $4 or so.  Last year, new standing steak chain "Ikinari Steak ( = sudden Steak) got popular and people made a line in each place.  They sell steak by 1g = 5yen.

Here is the video of a standing sushi bar.

Loof, Japanese traditional style cozy place in mt,Fuji area

Loof  It's a nice place to stay in Yamanashi. If you can go in a group by car, it will be great trip. Personally I love to g o to Yamanashi, foods and wine are good, visit Mt Fuji and Shosenkyo, drive around Fuji five lakes area in Spring is nice. This site “Japan Concierge” has a lot of article about Loof.

 

Tokyo Okashi Land

I wrote about Japanese snack maker Calbee's antena hop in Harajuku in 2011. After that, Glico started antenna shops "Glico.ya Kitchen" to sell their limited snacks and also original goods. Glico's most well known item is Pocky.  My favorite Pocky is this demitasse Pocky. A little bit strong and bitter chocolate is nice. Another Glico's big product is PRETZ.  PRETZ has a lot of local limited series with its area's local foods and flavor.  This is the special site that they foreigners about the best flavor of local PRETZ. Hmm Tacoyaki is No.1. I have never tried it before.

Here is the factory tour video of Pocky.

In Japan, there is another big snack and sweets company, it is Morinaga.  Morinaga’s most well known snack is chocoball which was released in 1960s.  I think chocolate is Morinaga’s field. Actually we have unique practice that only women give chocolate to men in Valentine day. That practice was started by Morinaga’s chocolate campaign.  Anyway they didn’t have antenna shop like above two, but Morinaga had opened it in Tokyo Station, and it is only place which you can enjoy those BIG three’s antenna shop in the same place.  It is “Tokyo Okashi Land” .

New Akihabara Guide Site

BEACON AKIBA is a new Akihabara guide site for foreign tourists. It consists of an "AKIBA ROUTE"(Akihabara walking route guide), "IPPIN" (product introductions), "AKIBA SPOT" and "AKIBA EXPERIENCE" (Optional tour guide), as well as foreign costume players and columnists. They have also released "BEACON KYOTO" and the free magazine "BEACON magazine" last September. Both sites look very useful. Please check it out.

Yes, Tokyo night train

This is funny moive, I really understand this atmosphere.

I could know this funny blog by Ron's post on facebook. Since a few years ago, wearable blanket seems to be popular as winter home wear. I don't think it's cool but it will be warm, 買っちゃおうかな. Anyway here is a crazy one.

I laughed a lot on this post "Pictures: Terrible Kanji Tattoos With Their English Translations ", but I can tell most of tattoo are not Japanese, they are Chinese. Chinese character and Japanese Kanji is some are same but some are different, actually Chinese are more than Japanese, then instead of that we use Katakana and Hiragana. Anyway funny, I love this one.