Since it’s the first store here, figures that they’d have a limited selection of products. But do they have the house?? Now THAT’s something I’d like to have shipped! When you’re in Tokyo, visit the flagship store in Yurakucho where they actually have the house assembled (and a greeter in the foyer) so you can do a walk through. More on the MUJI infill house here.
A visit is due next time I’m in New York! (hat tip: Mari’s Diary)
Remember this scene from Memoirs of a Geisha (AKA Sayuri in Japan)?
Memoirs Of A Geisha
In this picture, it looks very dramatic. And in real life, it’s dramatic as well. Fushimi Inari-taisha is the name of the temple in Kyoto that’s really a MOUNTAIN with paths covered in torii.
This is the beginning. It’s all UPHILL from here…
If you can get over the fact that you’re climbing a MOUNTAIN, it’s really beautiful and it’s more torii then you’ll ever need to see for the rest of your life.
Torii are engraved with the names of people or companies that sponsored themIMG 0965IMG 0967One of several rest stops on the way to the top. This was pretty much the view for 2+ hours
Then when you get to the top, do you get a view or some kind of “you’re done, yay” sign? NO. You do get a shrine and a rest stop where the attendant, who doesn’t speak much English but must get this question a lot, said “is top”.
I understand that this is a shrine and all, but is this IT? Yup…
Drinking in Japan is the stuff of legend. Both for the fun and for the price (usually expensive). In Kyoto, there is a bar called the Moonwalker. It’s on the main drag along the canal next to a Harley themed bar. Entry is Y300 and drinks are Y200 apiece. They’re not watered down but they ARE half size. Regardless, you can drink a LOT and get smashed very quickly.
So here’s Momo and Yuki again. Fellow backpackers at the hostel who I wound up going to dinner and boozing with on my first night in Kyoto. Soon to be graduates of Uni in Tokyo, both of them have spent a year in English speaking countries (New Zealand and Canada) so their English is quite good. Also very fun to hang out with.
Erm, too many drinks will do this to you…!
Besides cheap drinks, the Moonwalker has a small selection of snacks that we were comped since we ordered so many drinks. Like these bunny shaped buns. Bun buns? We had something else too but I forgot what else we ate.
…cuz we ate lots of these bunnies!
Shortly after we arrived, a party of three came in and took the table next to us. Since they were “next to us”, for them to be seated meant that half of our table had to get up so they could squeeze inside. As a result, they became part of our merryment (along with the Aussies at the bar). Note the one in the red cardigan on the right. Unbeknownst to me, I was to see her again…fate perhaps?
Hiya neighbours!
They had the same fascination with the drinks as we did. They did the Japanese thing. Whipped out their phones and took pictures of their drinks. As opposed to us Joe Gaijin that merely whipped out cameras.
wish MY phone could do that…
More drunken merriment until our neighbours left and then we left the bar later on.
I can hold my breath for THIS long Wheeee! Merryment! And on the death march back to the hostel, we passed a LOT of combini. So naturally we heeded the siren’s call and got some refreshment. Mmmmm! Refreshment
After settling in at the hostel, the next order of business was finding a place to eat. I do have priorities you know!
I went to the room next door and met two more backpackers who were also hungry. On the way out the door, we picked up one more for a total of four. Makes it easier to get a table. We wound up in Kyoto’s Terimachi Arcade at a beer hall called Ichiba Coji. There’s also another location in the Kyoto Station building. Look at how this place is designed. Definitely does not scream “beer hall”. I thought it was a “Kyoto Cuisine” place.
It’s a really nicely designed place It does say “Kyoto Dining” thoughinstead of “Kyoto Cuisine”Very contemporary. And inbetween the bricks on the floor, there’s water and goldfishWah! So nice! This is bar food??Yes, this is bar food
We also ordered some bibimbap and some grilled beef with sauce.
Probably the nicest bar food I’ve ever had. Grilled beef with sauce.You figure out which dish this is
Naturally at the end of a good meal, it’s time for camwhoring.
One is not from our hostel (the third one). She was our waitress and really nice!
I found out after the fact that they also have a “free flow drinks” option where you pay Y1200 and for 90 minutes, you get all the booze you can drink. I’m sure there’s SOME limits, but I would have liked to try that!
Miyajima, one of THE scenic spots in Japan is only 30 minutes away from JR Hiroshima by train and then 10 minutes away via ferry. For a scenic spot, it’s VERY easy to get to. Some of the best shots can be had on the ferry ride over.
It was rainy and cloudy the first day
The next day with blue sky and sea
The floating torii at low tide
I actually made TWO trips to Miyajima. The first trip was made on a day that started rainy and continued to be rainy. The next day was sunny so I made land and visited the Itsukushima temple and the town.
The entrance to the temple. Y300 please!
Much of the temple is actually on stilts so when it’s high tide, it looks like it’s floating, like the torii. Unfortunately, high tide is at 0740 and then gradually recedes.
Low tide is so low you can walk to the torii.
The temple is a big part of the town. It draws the tourists in and is the symbol of Miyajima. Here’s some renditions from the local school.
I like the second one. Verrrry abstract
Miyajima is also a town with several other temples and a main street that runs from the ferry terminal along the side of the island to the entrance of the temples. The town also runs into the hills.
It’s a nice, beautiful town
A wooden bridge that connects Itsukushima Temple to the shore
Toyokuni Shrine with it’s Five Storied Pagoda
Miyajima is also known for the quality of their rice scoops. And on display in the center of town is the world’s largest rice scoop.
How big is the rice cooker that goes with this??
There’s also some ryokan here. Next time I’ll spend the night and chill.
On the first episode of No Reservations titled “why the French don’t suck”, Anthony Bourdain devotes part of the show to the simple joy of sticking your head into the door of a strange restaurant and finding bliss.
Of course, as it is with all TV shows, this segment was scripted. However, it still made the point of leaving your culinary comfort zone to try and find new places that can eventually become old places (and a new part of your comfort zone) and then you can continue the search for new places. It never ends, unless they outlaw good tasting reasonably priced food (like they seem like they’re trying to do back home in SF, NYC and other places).
My first visit to Tokyo and my indoctrination into the ramen world took place a few years back at a small ramen shop off of Koshu-Kaido dori, across from a Citibank down the hill from the south exit of JR Shinjuku-eki. The place is still there and I’ve made my usual visit.
But the other night, I was hungry and decided to expand my horizons. I noticed a small shop across the way from one of the many small computer shops that populate this part of Shinjuku.
There’s an a/v shop behind me!
It has the usual flags up, but none of them said “ramen” in katakana (which is the kana I can SORT OF read). Looking inside, there were lots of people and it LOOKED like a ramen place, but I wasn’t sure. So I continued to walk around, passing the mysterious place every 5 to 10 minutes, sneaking peeks through the wooden slats that cover the windows.
When you see this from the other side, it’s intimidating
After 30 minutes of window shopping and indecision (and stomach grumbling), I walked in and took a seat and tried to figure out the elegant looking menu. Thankfully they had an english menu that was not as elegant looking and I was able to place an order for a bowl of shio ramen.
irrashimasse!Well, it looks nice…too bad I can only read 6 characters!
After the beer and the water, comes the shio!
This is the starter in ramen shops!Shio!!
It was a delicious broth, light and flavourful with just a touch of oil with the slices of toriniku and negi sitting majestically on the top with a sour plum.
And guess what? The thin ramen noodles I lurrve! I hit a gold mine!
So now this is one of my “must go” places now. And they play real jazz inside!
Ramen Santouka Shinjuku Minamiguchi 1st Floor, Nakaoki Building 1-18-5, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
The Tokyo Design Week had a lot of neat stuff. Held in a field in Aoyama Park, it had a big tent in the middle full of vendors and cool stuff you could buy (but couldn’t photograph), a stage for musicians, a cafe and obligatory omiyage stand and about 20 containers (you know, the kind that big ships and trucks carry) full of design exhibitions from different organizations. There was soo much design, I forgot to keep good notes. However, I did take pictures for your bemusement.
Being “green” (the only time you will EVER read that phrase on this blog) was a popular theme this year. Not only did it get people’s attention to the exhibits, it served as an opportunity for designers to get creative. This lamp is made with old gashapon containers as the light fixtures and what looks like junk for the rest
Colourful too!
How about these distant relations to SpongeBob?
blah blah blah under the sea…
Here is a lamp from the collection of Wile E. Coyote. Gee, I didn’t know he was a designer in addition to being a soooooper geeeenius. No mention if this is from the Acme Corporation.
…sooooper geeeenius
This bag pretty much sums up what I like to cook with and put under my pancakes in the morning…
NEVER COOK WITH MARGARINE!!! THAT’S EVIL!!!
This was a Enveloop projector dog from Sanyo. It’s a dog you plug into your computer and it projects whatever is on the computer on the nearest screen or wall. Very powerful.
Enveloop is also a brand of rechargable batteries. To save the environment, ya know
Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather and slow down. Also it’s nice to do when the sun comes out. Today I’m in Minowa, in the part of Tokyo known as Shitamachi. It’s the older part of Tokyo, representative on how it was back in the day.
IMG 0857
Tokyo has one tram line left, a line that cuts through backyards and runs parallel to main streets, rumbling along at its own leisurely pace with lots of old folks riding it. The Toden Arakawa Line runs from Minowa-Bashi to Waseda with several transfer stops to JR and Tokyo Metro and it is 12.2 km long.
The neighborhood around Minowabashi
Many of these folks grew up with the tram line and some fear that once they begin to pass on, so too will this last tram line. It was a nice day to ride around and get some fresh air (because you can open the windows).
You must be logged in to post a comment.