[RD] Exploring Japan

[warpus]

Omoide Yokocho Video

I did some research, and Omoide Yokocho is the set of maze-like alleyways where i found the Yakitori restaurant. It is located right beside the world's busiest train station in Shinjuku.

Here's a video of me walking through some of these alleyways. You will see me briefly point the camera at the restaurant where I ate the Yakitori

 

[warpus]

Day 7 - Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki are a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients. They are usually cooked in front of you.

I can't stress enough how good this was. It was a bit sweet and sort of tangy, an interesting mix of flavours that just made you want to try all the different kind of pancakes they had! But unfortunately this one was so filling..

This place was supposedly a popular lunch spot for local business people. In order to get here I had to walk into a skyscraper and take the elevator up to a lunch floor type deal

 

[warpus]

Tokyo Tower

After lunch I started walking towards my next destination

Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower that also happens to be the second tallest structure in Japan. There were other ways to get there, but that day I decided to walk to it from a bit further out

 

[warpus]

Tokyo Tower is designed to look like the Eiffel tower, but is taller, weighs far less, and is designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons.

 

[warpus]

It's-a me, Mario?

After visiting the Tokyo Tower visitors centre and taking a brief break, I moved on..

And ran into this

Five minutes later I was caught a bit off-guard as I heard an unexpected noise. I looked and saw these guys speeding away

 

[FriendlyFire]

Are you sure you have enough Green onions there ?
Looks like you went with the classic Hirosama Okonomiyaki, they are designed to be filling poor mans staple. Hey I see that he was working on another two in the background.

Each place is suppose to have their own take on it, (like ramen) they have secret sauce or things in the batter.

 

[warpus]

Are you sure you have enough Green onions there ?
Looks like you went with the classic Hirosama Okonomiyaki, they are designed to be filling poor mans staple. Hey I see that he was working on another two in the background.

Each place is suppose to have their own take on it, (like ramen) they have secret sauce or things in the batter.

Yeah, I went with the most common/most recommended okonomiyaki they had on the menu, IIRC. I can't remember exactly which one I ordered, but the toppings were standard. It makes sense to me that I would have ordered something more traditional, although I can't be sure after all these years. Usually when I order a new dish I've never had before (in its country of origin), I try to go for the "classic" version first, to get a good baseline understanding of what the dish is supposed to be all about.

For those curious, Okonomiyaki is usually associated with the Hiroshima and Kansai (contains Kyoto, Osaka, Nara) parts of Japan. The extreme amount of green onions seems to indeed hint at it being a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, although it's also possible it's some sort of a local take on the dish. You'll find Hiroshima & Kansai style Okonomiyaki throughout the country, they seem to be the most popular kinds.. although regions will often have their own takes on the dish. For instance, in Tokyo a more liquid version of this dish is popular (Monjayaki)

 

[amadeus]

A cursory search of the internet told me that the difference between Osaka and Hiroshima styles is (1.) when ingredients are added and (2.) which type of ingredients are used.

 

[warpus]

Zōjō-ji Temple

There is a temple near the Tokyo Tower that I was passing.. I wasn't really paying attention to it, until I saw this

I did some research, and these red caps seem to have a rather somber explanation.. They were put there by parents who have lost a child.

I did not go inside the temple, but it has some interesting history. It was founded in 1393 by monks who were devoted to the practice of rigorous recitation of the Amida Buddha's name. Even more interesting is that six of the Tokugawa shoguns are buried at the on site mausoleum.

You are looking at the Sangadetsumon - the main gate to the temple. It is the oldest wooden building in Tokyo, dating back to 1622.

Apparently those who pass through the gate are said to rid themselves of three passions: greed, hatred, and foolishness. Unfortunately I did not know this at the time (I walked around)

 

[FriendlyFire]

Yeah, I went with the most common/most recommended okonomiyaki they had on the menu, IIRC. I can't remember exactly which one I ordered, but the toppings were standard. It makes sense to me that I would have ordered something more traditional, although I can't be sure after all these years. Usually when I order a new dish I've never had before (in its country of origin), I try to go for the "classic" version first, to get a good baseline understanding of what the dish is supposed to be all about.

For those curious, Okonomiyaki is usually associated with the Hiroshima and Kansai (contains Kyoto, Osaka, Nara) parts of Japan. The extreme amount of green onions seems to indeed hint at it being a Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, although it's also possible it's some sort of a local take on the dish. You'll find Hiroshima & Kansai style Okonomiyaki throughout the country, they seem to be the most popular kinds.. although regions will often have their own takes on the dish. For instance, in Tokyo a more liquid version of this dish is popular (Monjayaki)

I'd figured you would go for the more expensive Okonomiyaki (extra meat, seafood, extra stuff)
Especially if you planned ahead knowing that you could only eat just the one.

Having said that, Iam a sucker for Curry and Takoyaki, most Japanese have Takoyaki plate and make that stuff at home
Its totally a waste of stomach space to go around eating curry and takoyaki

 

[warpus]

I'd figured you would go for the more expensive Okonomiyaki (extra meat, seafood, extra stuff)
Especially if you planned ahead knowing that you could only eat just the one.

I prefer getting the "classic" version first, and then mixing it up later, if time allows. Japan has so many different types of dishes I wanted to try though, for some there was unfortunately no time for doubles..

There is also the question of cost. I had a set budget for food and drinks on my trip, and Japan is not a cheap place to eat.

 

[amadeus]

There is also the question of cost. I had a set budget for food and drinks on my trip, and Japan is not a cheap place to eat.

Really? I find that dining out can be more affordable here than in the states, at least when bars and restaurants print the tax-inclusive price on their menus. That and the custom of no tipping makes the whole price system a lot less Byzantine.

 

[warpus]

Really? I find that dining out can be more affordable here than in the states, at least when bars and restaurants print the tax-inclusive price on their menus. That and the custom of no tipping makes the whole price system a lot less Byzantine.

More affordable than the States, but not Canada. Plus when travelling through like a place like Japan you're also paying more for everything else, so your budget gets tighter

 

[FriendlyFire]

I prefer getting the "classic" version first, and then mixing it up later, if time allows. Japan has so many different types of dishes I wanted to try though, for some there was unfortunately no time for doubles.
There is also the question of cost. I had a set budget for food and drinks on my trip, and Japan is not a cheap place to eat.

Kuidaore
Did you by chance eat at Lawsons ? Anthony Bourdain got hooked on their sandwiches its one of the secret cheap eats of Japan
You can also stay in a MangaKissa to stretch your budget further.

 

[warpus]

Kuidaore
Did you by chance eat at Lawsons ? Anthony Bourdain got hooked on their sandwiches its one of the secret cheap eats of Japan
You can also stay in a MangaKissa to stretch your budget further.

Kuidaore seems to mean "to stuff yourself until ruin". Which sounds like something many people would be tempted to try in a country where all the food is so interesting and delicious.

And that place wasn't on my radar unfortunately! Next time

 

[warpus]

Shibuya Crossing

I capped off day 7 with a visit to what's known as the world's busiest pedestrian crossing.

I was there earlier in the day as well, and went up to the Starbucks that overlooks the intersection. It's a very popular spot for people to sit down and drink their coffee or just take photos of the crossing.. I was lucky enough to get a seat both times without having to wait.

This particular photo was taken earlier in the day.. and as you can see the intersection is not always that busy. Online sources will tell you that 2,500 people use it at any given time.

 

[warpus]

Day 8 - Tsukiji Fish Market

When it was still in operation, Tsukiji Fish market was the largest seafood market in the world and one of the largest wholesale food markets in the world. A part of it was open to the public, so you could walk around the market and explore.

Initially my plan was to wake up super early and arrive before sunrise, which is when it was possible to watch the auctioning off of the tuna and other fresh fish.. But instead I took it easy and arrived in the late morning.

This fish market was taking up valuable real estate in a central part of the city, which is why it was moved to another location last year.

 

[warpus]

Tsukiji Fish Market Video

I recorded myself walking through a part of the market to show how incredibly vast this place was

 

[FriendlyFire]

Warpus you really missed out on the Street food around the Shrine
Meleon Pan, Curry Pan, The Taiwan fried Chicken (Really good)

 

[warpus]

Oh I bet I missed out all sorts of food while on my trip. There was just so much variety of new dishes to try! I figured I would rush through the main types of Japanese dishes and would then have time to try them all again.. but nope, almost every day I was trying something new. I knew Japanese cuisine was versatile, but you don't really quite appreciate that until you land in Tokyo and spend a week there