[RD] Exploring Japan

[warpus]

Golden Gai

Golden Gai is small part of Tokyo famous for its 200 tiny bars, clubs, and restaurants accessible via a set of narrow walkways.

This was my last night in the country and my goal was basically to spend as much as of the remaining Japanese currency I had as possible.. which wasn't a ton.. but enough to have a bit of fun.

All of the bars had just about 6-8 seats and that's it.. eventually I found one with a free seat and befriended the bartender. I asked her to recommend to me whatever Japanese drinks she thought I should drink. I started off with a beer and then move on to sake.

Next up was some whiskey

Next up was Shōchū, a sort of Japanese beverage typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar.

Next up was absinthe for some reason

At this point I had also already made another friend, a bartender from another bar who came over on her break. She gave me some good tips on where to spend more of my money! Her favourite place to eat beef, and it was nearby.. I walked out of the bar with directions on my phone and a little sheet of paper with more instructions on what to order

 

[JohannaK]

That alley looks straight out of an Ozu movie. Obvioisly he shot on a studio, but I'm sure the street set was modelled after this kind of alleyway.

 

[warpus]

This is what Golden Gai looks like from above

Picture not by me

 

[JohannaK]

Looks like a shantytown from up there...

 

[warpus]

Actually, one of the interesting things about Golden Gai is that it shows you what large parts of Tokyo used to be like before the post-war "economic miracle". It's all private property and will probably now always stay like this due to the demand for Golden Gai and the nostalgia... So the bars seem really run down but actually charge a premium

 

[warpus]

All Good Things...

I found the restaurant and ordered some wagyu beef to cook on my own little personal grill.. which was the gimmick of the restaurant..

I loved the taste of the beef so much I ended up spending all my remaining cash on it, including the cab fare.. I figured I would just use my credit card to get back to the hotel.. Turns out the first 2 cabs I flagged down didn't accept cc.. So I walked back to the hotel instead, which took about an hour.

I stumbled into the hotel lobby at some point between 3 and 4am and asked for a wakeup call at I think it was 7:40am.. That's when I would have to wake up and not be late for my flight. I set my own phone and a secondary alarm to both go off at 7:30am.

I packed up my bags so that in the morning I wouldn't have to do anything, got everything ready as best as I could, and collapsed on the bed.. and then woke up hungover several hours later.

To get to the airport I had to jump on the subway and eventually transfer to a train that that completes the journey.. Before all that I had to find a public mailbox so that I could mail off my pocket wifi and get my deposit back. Everything was accomplished without a single problem, although at first I could not find a mailbox.. I even found some time for a quick breakfast before I jumped on the subway.

I don't remember much of the flights home, but that went off without a problem as well.. It wasn't long before I was home, dreaming back to all those fascinating parts of Japan I had the privilege of visiting.. and all the amazing food I was no doubt going to miss

 

[Birdjaguar]

Excellent adventure!

 

[JohannaK]

Sad that it's come to an end.

 

[warpus]

Thanks for following! Does anyone have any questions about anything I've posted? I'm obviously not an expert, but I could give a first-hand account and my own personal observations. For now I am looking through my media to see if there's any videos I missed that might be worth posting.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Did you meet any Japanese women with whom you stay in touch with?

 

[warpus]

Did you meet any Japanese women with whom you stay in touch with?

I made a friend I stayed in touch with for a bit.. I am also facebook friends with the bartender who recommended that restaurant in my last post.. but her English is not very good, so we pretty much never talk. She's in some sort of a Japanese theatre group thing maybe, I see occasional posts that seem like a fascinating look into some sort of Japanese art subculture. Random food posts too, which is great.

I did actually meet 2 backpacker friends on this trip who I occasionally say hi to and have met up with since.. but they are not Japanese

 

[warpus]

Assorted Videos

Here are several assorted videos from the trip that got lost in the mix but are probably worth sharing

The first video highlights how easy it is to get around the country at times, even though there's so many people around..

The following video highlights the advanced state of Japanese toilets. We are seriously way behind on toilet tech here in North America. I got really used to some Japanese conveniences.. Returning to my regular bathroom here at home was a bit disappointing..

The next video shows you a bit of that Kabuki theatre performance I witnessed in Nikkō

And last but not least, what a ride on the bullet train is like.. It's hard to see, but there's also a nice amount of legroom

 

[tjs282]

I'd also like to thank you for this thread. It's been fascinating.

 

[warpus]

You're welcome and thanks for reading!

I've started documenting my hike to Everest Basecamp here, for those interested

 

[JohannaK]

The Great Warpus Travelogue. It never ends.

 

[warpus]

The Great Warpus Travelogue. It never ends.

I figure during this weird time when a lot of people are still staying at home, an extra thing to read might be good for some people's mental health. It's definitely a good hobby to have while I sit here trying to not get too stircrazy!

 

[Morty]

Thanks @warpus - enjoyed exploring Japan from the comfort of my home!

 

[Darsnan]

I figure during this weird time when a lot of people are still staying at home, an extra thing to read might be good for some people's mental health.

This!

I really enjoyed warpus's "Hiking thru Norway" thread from last year, and as warpus has pointed this is a good way to contribute/ give back to the community that brings enjoyment to others, so are there any ground rules for these types of threads? I can see about posting an "Odyssey" thread (this is what I call the trips I take with the wife around the US), as the wife and I take a lot of pics on our ventures that I think people would enjoy here.

D

 

[FriendlyFire]

I loved the taste of the beef so much I ended up spending all my remaining cash on it, including the cab fare.. I figured I would just use my credit card to get back to the hotel.. Turns out the first 2 cabs I flagged down didn't accept cc.. So I walked back to the hotel instead, which took about an hour.

Should have skipped the alcohol to try and fit in more food.
I think Japan allows the export of Wagyu but its one of the lowest grades, you should be able to buy them in Canada

 

[Birdjaguar]

Should have skipped the alcohol to try and fit in more food.
I think Japan allows the export of Wagyu but its one of the lowest grades, you should be able to buy them in Canada

In the 1990s a group of Texans found a way to sneak 11 Akaushi red cattle out of Japan and began breeding them outside of San Antonio. The Akaushi meat is as good or better than the black wagyu. I visited their operation there in 2005 when they began to offer their meat to the public under the name Heartbrand Beef. You can buy it on line.

https://heartbrandbeef.com/heartbrand-difference/