Sutorenjaa In Japan

More of Tokyo...

Sunday
·Loach for lunch
After coming back from the club, I crashed for a whopping 4 hours before I decided I should get up (didn’t want to miss out on sight seeing!). Almost everyone was gone (blasted early-risers!) so I took my time & prepared to wander the streets of Tokyo on my own. But luck was on my side (sort of) as a couple of friends came back and we went to lunch together at Komagata dozeu. “This restaurant serving loach (icky little bottom feeder river fish) dishes was opened in 1801. The interior design as well as the manner of the guests, sitting on cushions in the large straw mat room to eat from the pot on the table, reproduce the mood of the early nineteenth century. The popular Dozeu Pot (1,400 yen) contains loach cooked with miso flavor.” My friend had wanted to come here “since 1998” (he heard about “through a BBC program”… poo poo!). They cook the loach first by drowning it in sake, then slow boil it in a sort of hot pot. You eat the thing whole with onions on top. It was hard for me to get past the aesthetic aspect of it… those little beady eyes and fishy mustache! The skulls and spines crunching in my mouth was a little rough too. It didn’t taste awful, but its not the best dish I’ve ever had. Oh well. Hurrah for trying something new.

Restaurant webpage (in Japanese) http://www.dozeu.com/
Description (in English) http://www.norenkai.net/english/shop/dozeu/index.html

·Bandai HQ
Our hostel was near the Bandai HQ. Character statues, of course, were standing guard. Doraimon, Anpanman, Cinneroll and ULTRAMAN!

Akihabara

This is the technology/ electronics district. Kind of like Hong Kong… only way more expensive. Endless shops selling electronics. ALSO it is kind of known as manga/ anime central, so occasionally you can see fans doing the ‘cos play” as their fave characters. Lastly… there are “maid cafes” where girls are dressed as cute little maids and serve their clients (mostly men). To advertise for their cafes, many girls were out in costume handing out fliers or staging small shows (basically them doing something ‘cute’ and ‘girly’ like playing red light-green light)- of course with THRONGS of men swarming & taking pictures (hehe... and intrigued passers-bys such as meself!).

Shibuya Shopping

I spent the rest of that day in Shibuya doing some preliminary shopping scouting. Tried to meet up with a friend… first he got lost and then I got lost looking for him. The madness.

Christon Café

Finally caught up with my friend and the group at this posh & gothy restaurant in Shibuya. Food was good (a bit expensive) and the atmosphere was interesting. http://www.ug-gu.co.jp/english/e-resutaurants/e-shop/e-christon-shibuya.htm

Pub 2- Dublin Bar

After dinner no one felt like clubbing (weak-sauce!) but they wanted to go to a bar. So we found an Irish bar in Shibuya & hung out the rest of the evening there. One wonderful thing… they actually knew how to make Cosmopolitans. JOY. First one in 6 months?! Did I say how much I liked Tokyo yet??

posted by KidBach @ 1:13 PM