Japan for FOOD and PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

This blog is basically for personal research notes and general trip-planning. Notes are culled from everywhere. I've structured it to flow like a topical document, rather than chronological diary entries - therefore the dates are all engineered to make certain posts appear where required. So if you don't see anything change in the top part of the blog, that isn't because nothing new has been added. Changes could be (and likely are) much deeper down. I will be constantly refining the entries, as I uncover more and more about Tokyo and Kyoto's must-see/do/eats!

Photos are mostly borrowed (apologies to owners, but do visit their sites too!) and are merely for my personal reference. The ones on next post are mine though. Below: Akihabara (in front of the station) and Shibuya at dusk.

Tokyo

TOKYO (5 days)
* Akihabara: electric town!
* Shinjuku: kabuki-cho, uberneon nightlife, street bands and skyscrapers
* Shibuya: babe central!!
* Meiji Shrine & Park
* Shimokitazawa: new hip area for youth
* Miraikan at Odaiba - National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation
* Tokyo Midtown, newly launched in Mar 2007?
* Yanaka or Yanasen - historical yet untouristed suburb near Nippori/Ueno
* Edo-Tokyo Museum at Ryogoku station? 600 yen
* Tokyo National Museum (the largest) or National Science Museum
* Bass guitar window-shopping in Shinjuku east, Akihabara and Shibuya (for hubby)
* Yasukuni Shrine?
* Apple store at Ginza! Nearest station is JR Yurakucho. Oh there's an Apple store in Shibuya too!

* The Studio Ghibli Museum is fun if you are a Miyazaki or Takahata fan. Kichijoji station. Inokashira Park also nearby. Tickets need to be purchased in advance - oh no, JTB Singapore does not sell the tickets separately, only as part of hotel/tour package! We'll have to buy from one of those Loppi machines at Lawson's when we get there (there's one at Narita Airport Terminal 1, 5th floor Central Bldg)...check here for ticket availability. More on the museum here.
* The John Lennon museum?
* Meguro Parasite Museum? Kiseichuu Hakubutsukan! All feeder creepies and crawlies for you to pop your eyes out with. Even the Economist knows it!


Tokyo Qool
Japan Hopper on interesting Japanese stuff!
Tokyo Pocketguide
Self-guided walking tours in Tokyo
Tokyo for Free!
Hey I like this guy's itinerary (it's got some quirky lesser known spots to check out)

Shopping

Now, I really don't plan to spend much on buying stuff.

But I really wouldn't mind getting one of these Tanuki statues to bring home! So cute nehhh....

Pom poko, pom poko...

But hey Japan has some funky products...I bet I won't be able to resist some.

Kyoto has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

On top of this, I really don't know how they managed to cram 1600+ temples and shrines into one city. I'm thinking we should do no more than 3 temples a day (to avoid OD-ing), and intersperse these with parks/forests, river, city, palace or market visits. Got to watch the admission fees (average 500 yen each) too, they can really stack up!

Kyoto

"Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial capital between 794 and 1868, and remains the cultural centre of Japan. Its raked pebble gardens, sensuously contoured temple roofs and mysterious Shintō shrines fulfill the Japanese fantasy of every Western cliché hunter.

With an astonishing 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shintō shrines, a trio of palaces, and dozens of gardens and museums, Kyoto is Japan's cultural treasure house. Seventeen of Kyoto's ancient structures and gardens have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites." - Lonely Planet...

Most of Kyoto is very walkable and there'll be interesting little alleyways to peek into, besides the larger avenues.

The city's grid pattern is fashioned after Xian's. Ten avenues run east-west of the city in ascending order from the north, about 500m from each other. Fourth Ave (Shijo-dori) is the centre of bustling activity. Downtown is mainly between Kawaramachi and Karasuma. The most prominent north-south street is Karasuma-dori (Karasuma Street), which runs from Kyoto Station via the city center to Kyoto Imperial Palace. Another north-south axis is Kamo River, about one kilometer east of Karasuma-dori.

KYOTO (3-4 days)
* Gion (geishas) and Pontocho (red-light) districts, Maruyama park nearby
* Ni-jo Castle with its anti-ninja defenses
* Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) with special Koyasu-no-to (the easy child-birth pagoda)
* Fushimi Inari Shrine (hundreds of bright red-orange torii gates!)
* Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavillion) - official site
* Kyoto Station itself - a futuristic cathedral of glass & steel, a world in itself (and very easy to get lost in!)
* Sumiya Pleasure House - the only remaining ageya in Kyoto (huge banquet hall where upper class entertained with music, dance and geishas)
* Kyoto Imperial Palace Park - advance permission required?
* Museum of Kyoto
* Philosopher's Walk - likely swarmed with touristy stalls
* Heian Shrine?
* Nishiki market - all kinds of weird and wonderful foodstuff
* Daimaru and other depachikas!

Good reference site - http://japanholidayinfo.pbwiki.com/Kyoto

Osaka!

Now tempted by a day trip to Osaka! Lots to see and do there! Their tourism website is chockful of info. I would love to go see the Kaiyukan, famed aquarium with whale sharks!

Meanwhile, the city itself is the culinary capital of Japan, so there's bound to be lots of food. I've targeted Tempozan Harbor village, Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho (food theme park at Kaiyukan), Minami/Namba, Shinsaibashi, Dotombori areas to explore.

Food notes:
Okonomiyaki at Botejyu
"Although okonomiyaki is considered plebeian fare, this restaurant is classier than most, with dark-wood paneling, an open kitchen, and recorded music that is likely to be jazz. In addition, instead of cooking your food yourself as in most okonomiyaki restaurants, food here is prepared for you, making it much easier to experience this very tasty meal. The dinner menu, in English, lists various choices for okonomiyaki and yakisoba (fried noodles), including those made with pork, squid, or shrimp.."


Kani Douraku - that gigantic mechatron crab signboard at Dotombori



Golden Dragon (Kin-Ryu) for tonkotsu ramen

Himeji and Hiroshima?

Hiroshima is about 2hrs by Shinkansen from Kyoto, transfer required at Shin-Osaka station for hikari trains.

Kyoto to Hiroshima in a day - forum recommendations

Peace Memorial Park - complete with museum, the A-Bomb dome and Memorial Cenotaph
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3400.html

Food notes: Hiroshima is famous for oysters

* Suishin - famous for kamameshi (rice casseroles) served with mushrooms, oysters, shrimps, sea bream, sea eels and chestnuts.
* Okonomimura (okonomiyaki village) - not sure it's worth the trip there...

IgoUgo listing of restaurants in Hiroshima

Frommers listing

We could do the Miyajima trip but the famous "floating" torii gates are likely going to be at low tide, stuck in mud, unless we're there at dawn or night.

Himeji is in between Hiroshima and Kyoto.
Kyoto <-- 55 mins --> Himeji <-- 1hr --> Hiroshima

The castle (UNESCO World Heritage site), is one of the most beautiful in Japan. It takes 1-3hrs to explore. Open 9am-4pm daily. ¥600 Adults and ¥200 Children. The castle is an easy 10-minute walk north from the station.

Good Food Hunting!

Tokyo is a food paradise! You can almost randomly step into any eatery and come out satisfied and happy. Some of the best meals can be had in the tiniest hole in the wall. The posts below detail by cuisine some of the eating places that have earned a reputation for consistently good food.

Here is a summary breakdown of the restaurants according to area:
Shinjuku: Tsunahachi, Higonoren, Mo-mo Paradise, Shion, Tokyo Mentsu-dan, Yamachan...darn chains - you name it, it's here.
Shibuya: Midori Sushi, Viron,
Harajuku: Kyushu Jyangara Ramen, Maisen, Kakiya Sushi
Akihabara: Kyushu Jyangara Ramen, Unasho, Sushizanmai
Ginza: Ippudou, Sushizanmai,
Asakusa: Owariya, Aoi-Marushin
Kichijoji (where Ghibli Museum is!): Nigiro Cafe
Ueno/Kanda-Jimbocho: Imoya
Everywhere: Chain stores like Tenya, Matsuya, Yoshinoya

Tempura

Tsunahachi (MUST EAT!!)
Well-raved about chain serving high quality tempura at affordable prices. Take a look at its menu here.

The ample ¥1365 set (available only from 11am to 4pm) comes with two prawns, white fish, three veg, eel, small shrimp kakiage, rice, pickles and soup.

You can tell from the picture just how delightly light and crisp the batter is. Flagship store is at Shinjuku, just east of the train station. Gnavi map here. Take the first avenue parallel to Shinjuku and turn right at Mitsukoshi South Bldg, it'll be on the left. Review of the more upscale branch Rin here. Great review here too.


Imoya (天丼いもや)
This tiny nondescript shop is synonymous with Kanda-Jimbocho and proof that good tempura does not have to be expensive. Only two items on its menu - tempura set (600 yen) and shrimp tempura (¥800), and it does them well. A quick 3 minute walk from the A5 exit of the Jimbocho station. The restaurant consists of a beautiful counter, apparently cut from a single board, with about 15 seats. The tempura set gets you rice, hot tea, miso soup with clams and, most importantly of all, 5 pieces of tempura - squid, shrimp, kisu (“sillago” in English — I’ve never heard of it), pumpkin and shiso leaf. Oh they have a tonkatsu specialty branch nearby too.
1-4,Kanda, Jinbo-cho, Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo
Open 11:00～20:00
Closed: Alternate Wednesdays
Tokyo Good Eats review
Patrick.com review


Aoi-Marushin (葵丸進), 1-4-4 Asakusa, tel. +81-3-3841-0110
Just a few minutes away from Sensoji Temple, this is one of Tokyo's largest (and less expensive) tempura restaurants. Also serves sashimi and eel, as well as Kaiseki upstairs for a fraction of the price of what specialist restaurants would charge. Asakusa was apparently famous for tempura during the Edo period. Hmm, the teishoku (set meals) are still upwards of ¥2000 though. Well, will only visit if in vicinity.

I know, I know, Ten-Ichi is *the* place to go for really good tempura (foreign VIPs/diplomats often dine there) but it's also very expensive. Has a special sauce (or, if you prefer, you can dip the morsels in lemon juice with a pinch of salt). There are a dozen Ten-ichi restaurants in Tokyo. Locations include the Ginza Sony Building at the intersection of Harumi Dori and Sotobori Dori (tel. 03/3571-3837; station: Hibiya or Ginza); the Imperial Hotel's Tower basement (tel. 03/3503-1001; station: Hibiya); Akasaka Tokyu Plaza (tel. 03/3581-2166; station: Akasaka-mitsuke); and Isetan department store, 3-14-1 Shinjuku (tel. 03/5379-3039; station: Shinjuku Sanchome).

Teppanyaki

Believe it or not, teppanyaki is not that common in Japan. Or so I read somewhere.

Seryna
To-die-for teppanyaki. There is an outlet in Shinjuku besides Ginza and Roppongi. Your wallet will hurt but you will wax lyrical about the sublime experience. Course menus for dinner are upwards of ¥10,000 (S$126) per person (min 2). Kobe beef costs double that amount. Lunch specials from ¥2,000 though. A la carte also available.

Bamboo Grassy
I have seen this stylish joint recommended by bloggers as well as the Metropolis Tokyo. Fortunately prices seem a whole lot more easier than Seryna. The foie gras, shiitake mushroom and wagyu beef combination sounds heavenly (only ¥4,300)!
B1F Pia House Ebisu, 3-9-29 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5739-0527. Open daily 5pm-1am. Nearest stn: Ebisu (Garden Place exit). Menu in Japanese and English.

Hana Hana - cute & casual teppan restaurant popular with girls. Features "original" dishes on its menu. Also known for its drinks, including shochu. Wagyu beef square steak for only ¥1,500? I'm there!! Only 3 mins walk from Shibuya station, south exit.

Japanese Curry!

Found a curry place that's (hopefully) not a vending machine joint. GO GO CURRY! I like the yellow gorilla logo.

Must try their MAJOR CURRY! The works - Loin cutlet + chicken cutlet + sausages + deep-fried prawn + boiled egg! 1000 yen!

Just next to Tsunahachi too! Shinjuku East 3-31-5
Looks like they just opened up in New York too, with queues three blocks long!

Paku-Mori パク森
Another popular Japanese curry place just further off from Shibuya Mark City.
Dr Macho's review here
Shibuya Dougen hill 2-16-8 Sakamoto building B1
東京都新宿区市谷左内町1 山本ビル1F

CoCo Ichibanya
A curry chain - offering regional specialties, meat, seafood, vegetable, even half-size and low-allergy curries! Curry soup and specials. Five outlets at Shibuya, six at Shinjuku (including a 24-hour one at Shinjuku Station West Exit)

I'm going to have the Hokkaido Limited Edition Happiness Soup Curry, chockful of seafood! Regular rosukatsu curry looks good too. OMG they even have curry omelet and salad for breakfast (Akihabara outlet)!

Shinjuku Nakamuraya
For better upmarket Indian curry - this is highly recommended. See Nipponia review.

Got curry pan (buns) too!
Apparently Nakamuraya is a Shinjuku icon.

BakaBaka.Net Curry Recommendations

Excite Tokyo Curry page

Ramen

Kyushu Jyangara Ramen じゃんがららあめんat Harajuku & Akihabara (MUST EAT!!)

If we try only one ramen in Tokyo, this has to be it. Expect to queue at this iconic ramen place but it will be worth it. Heady tonkotsu broth paired with skinny noodles with toppings galore - cha shu slices, chunks of kakuni (stewed pork), mentaiko, and most importantly kikurage (wood ear fungus)!!! I *LOVE* ramen with this. Go for the zenbuiru ("all-in-one")! Oh my, they have six outlets (Nihombashi, Kanda, Akasaka and Barde at Meijijingu) now! Bewarned...the Akiba outlet is as big as a shoebox!

http://eatbma.blogspot.com/2006/07/kyushu-jangara-tokyo.html

http://ramenroad.blogspot.com/2007/01/jyangara-ramen-tokyo.html

http://www.rameniac.com/resource/comments/kyushu_jangara_protoculture_ramen/

Ippudou 一風堂

This chain varies slightly from the usual Hakata style. A special oil browned from vegetables add an unusual flavour. Choose from white (shiro-marumoto-aji) or the red (aka-marushin-aji) broths. Complimentary Roibosu tea served. Outlets found near stations - Ebisu (next to Shibuya), Takadanobaba, Meiji-Jingumae, Ginza, Roppongi, Ueno, Gotanda, etc. English menus available!

http://incognitomosquito.wordpress.com/2006/07/24/ippudou-ramen/

Higonoren 肥後のれん

Kumamoto-style ramen at Shinjuku

Note the generous portion of kikurage shown below. Yums.
Ramen from ¥650. Chashu ramen ¥900. Gyoza ¥350.
http://ramenroad.blogspot.com/2007/01/higonoren-tokyo.html

Do remember...there are 5 levels of firmness for noodles that you can request:

はりがね (harigane) the hardest and means "steel beam"

ばりかた (barikata) is very hard

かため (katame) is firm

ふつう (futsuu) is regular

やわらかめ (yawarakame) is soft

Other ramen reviews:

The Ramen Ninja

Ramen Tokyo Blog

Before you eat sushi...watch this!

Hilarious spoof of Japanese sushi etiquette!

Sushi

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Midori-zushi (Sushi). 5458-0002. Shibuya Dogenzaka 1-12-3, Mark City East 4F. Open 11am-10pm daily.
The newest branch of a famous sushi shop in Umegaoka, popular for their high-quality fish and reasonable prices (¥3000-5000 with a few drinks). There can be long lines at peak hours. You have to see their menu! Take-out is also available.


http://www.potatomato.com/seat/archives/002171.html
http://www.andreaharner.com/archives/2007/01/tokyo_06_midori_zushi.html
http://merrymanjapan.blogspot.com/search/label/sushi
http://tokyofoodie.wordpress.com/2007/03/13/do-you-hate-sushi/
http://www.epicurious.com/features/news/dailydish/021306

From Hachiko statue, head across the street towards the entrance to the Keio line. (If you don't know where this is, stand looking into the eyes of the Hachiko statue. Then cross the street immediately behind it - the crossing is a bit to your left). There is a huge department store called "Shibuya Mark City". Midori is on the fourth floor. Yup. Line up. McDonald's is downstairs if you want to earn a shitload of bad karma after eating at what might be the greatest bang-for-your-buck sushi restaurant in the world.

Sushizanmai
A 24/7 sushi chain serving up goodies direct from Tsukiji...Sushizanmai prides itself on knowing good tuna. We must try the aburi-otoro (seared lightly with blowtorch to bring out the best of the fatty tuna). Most branches at Tsukiji itself, rest are at Ginza, Yurakucho, Roppongi and two itself at Yodobashi-Akiba (1F restaurant and 8F kaiten style).
Pic of menu here and other links
http://www.jnto.go.jp/syd/yoe/13_sushizanmai.html (with English addresses!)
http://eatbma.blogspot.com/2006/07/breakfast-at-sushizanmai-tsukiji.html

Kakiya Sushi
3rd floor; Across from Harajuku Station; look for the sign SUSHI KAITEN! Also branches at Shinjuku (omg, every chome/subdistrict has one!) Plates of sushi ¥60-¥480 (US50¢-$4); credit cards not accepted. This conveyor-belt sushi bar is more hip than most, attracting a mostly youngish crowd with its contemporary interior, modern art on the walls, music that might include the Rolling Stones, and windows overlooking the greenery of Meiji Shrine. An English-language menu on each table describes the options, which include sushi rolls, salmon, conger eel, sea urchin roe, and the ubiquitous tuna, all delivered via color-coded plates of varying prices. Smoking is not allowed.

Heiroku-zushi
5-8-5 Jingumae, Omotesando Station (near Shibuya).
On Omotesando Dori close to the Oriental Bazaar, 03/3498-3968
Bright, clean, and modern, this is one of those fast-food sushi bars where plates of food are conducted along a conveyor belt on the counter. Customers help themselves to whatever strikes their fancy. To figure your bill, the cashier counts the number of plates you took from the conveyor belt: pink plates cost ¥120 ($1), green ones ¥160 ($1.35), blue ones ¥240 ($2), black ones ¥350 ($2.90), and gold ones ¥500 ($4.15). There's a plastic display case of takeout sushi; you might want to eat in nearby Yoyogi Park. There's also a branch at Shinjuku (2 mins from Shin-Ookubo station on JR Yamanote line)

Kyubei is one famous joint, being over 70 years old and the inventor of the gunkan sushi (boat-shaped sushi). But this Ginza establishment is not cheap. Lunch from ¥4,000 onwards. Kyubei main and best branch is at 8-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku TokyoTel: + 81 (03) 3571-6523, Nearest = Shimbashi station (Ginza & Hibiya lines)

Shion
1-25 Kabukicho or 3-25-9 Shinjuku. Round the corner from Kirin City on the west side of Shinjuku, this is one of the area's cheapest conveyor-belt sushi operations. There's often a queue, but it moves quickly. Plates are a ¥100 or ¥200 each and you can order beer and sake. Shinjuku Station.

Yakimono & Yakiniku

OMFG look at this! Hitsumabushi at Unasho in Akiba Yodobashi (8F). (MUST EAT!!)

This place I believe is a grilled eel specialist. The set costs ¥2,200 (S$28) - pricey for my pocket but is really really good value! Probably worth more than 10 crappy Japanese meals you'll have back home too.

Now how to get hubby (not an eel fan!) to come in and try this...

OK never mind, they have ippin ryori too (a la carte tapas-like thingies).

Apparently there is a three-step process to eating this Nagoya dish.

1. Eat one-third portion of the rice and eel as is.
2. Pour on seasoning and garnishes, (seaweed, sesame, onions, wasabi etc) mix and eat another one-third.
3. Pour hot bonito stock soup onto the remaining one-third portion and eat that.

Super Yummy! Three ways to enjoy one great dish!


Hey this huge Yodobashi-Akiba has quite a number of interesting eateries! Sushi, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Western, natural health foods. Including an omusubi specialist - Omusubi Genbei! YAY! Ooh a Genbei branch too at the Prince Shinjuku Hotel building. Mmmm! Besides every electronic gadget you can think of, Yodobashi-Akiba has fashion, books, CDs, cafes and and even golfing (on the 9th floor)! It opened Sept 2005 to wild acclaim.


YAKINIKU places - Metropolis recommendations

Fufutei - also all you can eat (for 120 mins) from ¥2500-3000. Chain from Osaka. Various locations including Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Gotanda, and oh Nishi-Shinjuku! Also in Kyoto (Shijo-Karasuma easiest probably). 5pm to midnite.


"This beef flown in from Kagoshima really is a must try. Although Kagoshima beef lacks popularity compared to its Kobe and Sanda brothers, it really is tender and an excellent choice for BBQs. The meal comes with all you can eat salad, dessert, soup and some a la carte extras."