I have read so much about the lovely Shimokitazawa neighborhood located not far away Shibuya, I told myself that I must visit it on this trip. Besides the indie vibe that Shimokita is known for, I also wanted to visit
Tokyo: Awesome Bara-chirashi At Sushi Sho
I have not been to Jiro. Or any of the other famous sushi restaurants in Tokyo like Mizutani, Sushi Saito, Sushi Dai. It is just too difficult to get a reservation. Most of them accept reservations only one month before
Tokyo: Bear Pond Expresso
We visited the famous Bear Pond Expresso in Shimokitazawa on our recent trip to Tokyo. Google ‘coffee in Tokyo’ and this tiny coffee bar will definitely turn up in the search results. I went there with pretty high expectations given
Tokyo: Kissako Kaiseiken In Ningyocho
One of the first Japanese words that anyone learns in a beginner Japanese class is ‘kissaten’ – meaning ‘coffeeshop’, or ‘tearoom’, or ‘cafe’. In my mind, I have always associated ‘kissaten‘ with a modern (the popular word nowadays being ‘hipster’)
Tokyo: Hanami At Nakameguro
Cherry blossoms at Nakameguro-kawa. It is an excellent place to view the beautiful cherry blossoms. We walked along both sides of the river, filled with quaint and charming boutiques and cafes. What lucky residents to be living in those apartments overlooking
Tokyo: Tamahide Oyakodon in Ningyocho
If you are a big fan of oyakodon and you happen to be in Tokyo, you should give Tamahide a try. I read that this famous restaurant in Ningyocho, founded in 1760 (or thereabouts), is the birthplace of oyakodon. What
Tokyo: Teppanyaki At Hakushu (白秋) In Shibuya
One of the main drivers for us ending our Japan trip in Tokyo was to eat teppanyaki at Hakushu and tempura at Tenmasa. We enjoyed ourselves so much at both places on our last trip several years ago, and a repeat visit
Tokyo: Omotesando Koffee
Update: Omotesando Koffee has closed its doors and is now operating as Toranomon Koffee at Toranomon Hills. We checked out Omotesando Koffee – reputed to be one of the best coffee shops in Tokyo – on our first evening in
Tokyo: Abura Soba
I was writing posts of my Japan trip in sequential order. Then I got a little bored with doing so, became distracted with doing a bunch of other stuff, and now I am trying to get back to finishing up
Tokyo Getaway: Bits & Pieces
^ Omotesando. One of my favourite places in Tokyo to take a stroll, window-shop, people-watch. I love how charming old and modern buildings are jumbled together on both sides of the boulevard. I like murals. I wish we had more
Tokyo Getaway: The Great Buddha Of Kamakura
鎌倉の大仏は日本に有名です。 ^ The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamukura Daibutsu) located in the Kotokuin temple was our last stop for the Kamakura day-trip. The Daibutsu is a very famous bronze Buddha statue in Japan. The other famous bronze Buddha statue that
Tokyo Getaway: Jochiji Temple in Kamakura
Of the places of worship in Kamakura that we have visited this time, the Jochiji temple is my favourite. It might not look as grand as the Tsugaoka Hachiman Shrine, or as impressive as the Engakuji Shrine, or is as
Tokyo Getaway: Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
One of the things that I wanted to do during this trip was to visit the Ghibli Museum, located at Mitaka, just outside of central Japan. Being a fan of Miyazaki’s animes, I was curious to see the animation and