Quick little getaway weekend in the Bay. Took a baking class, ate some KBBQ, ate some sashimi, ate some oysters, went for a nice long trail run, popped by Heath, got some buns at Lung Fung, ate some tacos, ate some noodles, and back home. Too quick!
Last set from Tokyo
1-4. Yakiniku Ushigoro, Nishiazabu. 🐮🔥🔥
5-8. Early morning run through Ginza and around Chiyoda/The Imperial Palace. The path around the palace is a great place to run right in the middle of the city. Especially nice that the restroom along the path was even open (and free, and clean) at 5am!
9. One more public restroom in a station - this one at Tokyo Station. Totally free and looked like a restroom in a fancy mall.
1. Kakigori (shaved ice) the texture of fresh snow with amazing toppings. Pricey but totally worth it.
2/3. Nagoya style charcoal-grilled eel. Served with condiments to eat three different ways: plain with rice (which is already great), with wasabi and green onions, and as ochzuke where you pour dashi over the eel and rice. The flavor and texture of the eel was unlike any I’ve ever had.
4-8. Akihabara, the epicenter of electronics, video games, and otaku culture.
9. Another public restroom.
1/2/3. Yakitori Alley under the tracks at Yurakucho Station
4/5/6. 7-11 under the rail tracks and dessert.
6/7/8. Public restrooms contd. This one really blew me away - not only inside the Metro but ON the tracks. There was no station at this stop so no space for a restroom outside the fare gates. Never seen this before. Also note the baby seats mounted to the walls.
1/2/3/4. Udon breakfast in a tiny old-school spot tucked between taller buildings in Gotanda called Udon Oniyanma. Chicken tempura is their specialty topping and you can see from the 3rd pic, they go through a lot of it. Highly recommend a stop here.
5/6. More Metro
7/8/9. In case you missed my stories - I’m obsessed with Tokyo’s public restrooms. They’re insanely clean, conveniently located (case in point here - inside the subway station,) free, and open all the time.
10. Quick stop to grab the kids some souvenirs from the gashapon (capsule toy) machines. These things are everywhere and some have really high quality toys in them.
Kappabashi Kitchen Town is probably my favorite place to shop in Tokyo. If you’re into cooking at all, put it on your list.
1/2/3. Kamata Hakensha knife shop
4. Plastic Food Shop
5/6. Some of the buildings in the neighborhood are adorned with giant cookware
7. Inside one of the shops
8. Teenage mutant ninja kappa manhole cover
Tokyo 3
1. Tonkatsu Aoki Ginza
2. Madeira Entrada Ginza. Insane collection of Madeira wine in this tiny Ginza bar.
3. Early morning run around the Imperial Palace
4. More Metro
5/6. Shibuya
Tokyo Dump 2
1. The Tokyo subway system still blows me away every time
2. Appetently we missed Taylor Swift by a couple days at Turrett Coffee 😂😅
3/4/5. Still lots to see in the Tsukiji Outer Market even though the fish market has moved to Toyosu
6. Tsumugi’s Japanese breakfast of rice porridge, miso soup, and 16 other side dishes.
7. Bar Style
8. Tokyo Tower View
9. Lots of great shops in the mall below Tokyo Tower
10. Sobamae Yamato Azabudai Hills
Tokyo Dump 1
1. Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki at Tokyo Station
2. 6am Breakfast at Daiwa Sushi, Toyosu Market
3. Perfect Sweet Potato Tempura at Tempura Azabu Yokota Ginza Bettei
4. Scallion Ramen at Ramen Garon in Golden Gai, Shinjuku
5. Lemon Sour with Nigori Sake at Open Book in Golden Gai
6. Snow!
