Seriously. My vacation is short enough without my misplacing days!
Last night, Akemi and I hit the basement food level of the Mitsukoshi department store where we picked up a variety of tasty treats.
Tokyo street fashion. I gotta get me one of those for Toronto.
Our dinner haul. My favorite was the cutlet and egg sandwich (the round white thing at the top). That gang from Maisen sure know their tonkatsu!
And various desserts including a sweet potato pudding and a chocolate, caramel, and macadamia-studded cake in the shape of a popsicle from Sebastien Bouillet.
I woke up early this morning, hoping to hit the Tsukiji Fish Market for a sushi breakfast but, by the time we were ready to go, we decided it was too late for breakfast – and only slightly too early for lunch. And so, we caught the metro to Ikebukuro where we met Akemi’s sister, Hiromi, and then headed off to Namco Namja Town in the Sunshine City Mall.
These silly Tony the Tiger bags were on display at the Hibiya station – retailing for about 22k a pop! Grrrrrreat for carrying your groceries! Akemi says he looks like he’s had work done on his face.
We passed a display of the various subway etiquette campaigns over the years. Some of the highlights:
Do what exactly? Try to swim through a door?
Apparently, the Japanes are notorious for practicing their golf swings with wet umbrellas.
Yes, at home where your wife and kids can deal with it.
Okay, I’m going to admit I’ve been guilty of this – practicing my ring routine between stops.
Stop neglecting your facial muscles. Pick up this ridiculous contraption!
Finally – Namja Town!
Our first (and, in hindsight, only) stop was Gyoza Stadium, a food park with about a dozen stands each offering numerous gyoza varieties from throughout Japan. Sadly, some of our favorites from our last visit – the garlic gyozas, the kimchee gyozas, and the ash gyozas – were no longer available as they’re apparently always featuring new gyoza artists.
We ended up sampling about 15 different types of gyoza. My favorites were the cheese gyozas and the mentaiko-topped versions.
From there, we headed off to Ice Cream City with its 300+ flavors of ice creams ranging from the bizarre (octopus and curry) to the breathtaking (sake!) – only to discover it no longer existed. Instead, ice cream city and its 300 flavors have been contracted down to a tiny stand and 30 rotating flavors. We settled for a fairly unremarkable trio that included a charcoal ice cream that, while dark, really just tasted like vanilla.
To top things off, I lost the bag holding my sun glasses and the chocolates Hiromi had gifted us. We retraced our steps but came up empty. If we were anywhere else, I would have shrugged and written them off – but this is Japan and I figured chances were good someone probably turned them into the Lost and Found. So we check with information and –
Cha-daa!
A maid drumming up business for her cafe.
Akemia and Hiromi headed off to Shinjuku to do some shopping and I hopped a metro to Akihabara – got turned around – twice – and by the time I finally made it, I was exhausted. A little browsing and I headed back to the hotel to gather my strength for tonight BIG dinner!
Today, I leave you with one more subway warning:
Note the look of sheer terror on the guy’s face. Woman down! He hits the button! The train is coming! And…?! AND…?!!!! Stay tuned! I’m heading back to the station tomorrow to read the final instalment!
I want to go to Japan so badly! Pick me up one of those coats too! It’ll come in handy down here in Florida.
Also.. thank you for sharing all the pictures. I laughed, I cried (I’m so hungry).. I am living vicariously through you.
~~Trish
Heard about an earthquake in Tokyo today. It would be interesting to read your description of it
Glad the earthquake didn’t shake you!
The food looks so delicious! The pictures are so interesting. Love your comments on them!
Like whoviantrish, I’m living vicariously through you and I’m having a pretty good time. Keep having fun!
I love gyoza sooo much. Yum.
They’re well-designed posters (except the swimming one). They use positive statements so people with poor language skills are less likely to miss the “don’t” part. Also, some people’s brains filter out the “don’t” when you’re trying to explain etiquette and then you’re just giving them ideas. I bet it’s even worse with the Japanese language where they hide grammar that makes the sentence negative way at the end of a sentence, for long after my attention has wandered away.
I don’t want that fuzzy coat. I need it, in baby blue! It’s so Blade Runner, c’mon! That last creepy subway warning; do people often tumble out of trains in Japan?
Keep the pictures coming. It really helps with envisioning what it’s like there, in that it’s stranger than I can imagine. But, I also imagine it being a TON of fun!
I think that first subway warning sign is for “diving”. Like when someone dives, trying to make it in before the doors close, and doesn’t.
-Mike A.
Argh! Why does everything have to end in a cliffhanger!?
That mouth exercising thing is freaky and disturbing. I want one.
You didn’t so much lose a day but rather lived September 14 twice.
I was just thinking, I’ve been on many subways and never saw that button. I’m wondering if folks in North America are just dumb enough to push it when nothing is wrong, thereby ensuring we don’t have such a device here.
I lost an entire year once…and here you are, whining about a single lost day. Just you wait until you get to be MY age. 😛
das
I’d like to be in Japan right now. Although we are having yet another awesome day here, Joe. The sun is shining, it’s hot outside, it’s been like that for days.
I just finished John Scalzi’s novel Lock In. I enjoyed it. Kinda short though.
I also just noticed that the rights to Lock In have been sold to Legendary TV.
Before Lock In I read Personal by Lee Child. I wasn’t as impressed as his usual books. He seems to be getting tired.
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper caught my eye here, I looked it up on Amazon. It sounds very much like a movie or show I thought I saw advertised recently. I’m trying to recall who was in it, but nothing jumps out of my mind. Isn’t that the way it always is? It looks kinda depressing though.
Trying to find the show that nudged my mind, I found this:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls058873183/
A list of 25 new shows.
Gotham
The Flash
izombie (girl zombie gets job at a coroners office for the free brains)
Forever
Wayward Pines
Constantine
The Whispers
Agent Carter (no, not Captain Carter)
and a whole bunch more.
http://www.straight.com/food/726596/gyoza-bar-ramen-opens-downtown-vancouver-photos been here yet?
I’m tempted to go to Japan now.. looks like a very interesting place..
@Finally – Namja Town!
But no ice cream pictures? 🙂
Dear lord, I’m almost a month behind again????