Eating our way around Tokyo

 This is the famous waffle shop, Manneken.  Yes, pronounced like "mannequin".  Last year Susan and I followed a wonderful smell to a tiny shop in Kyoto Station.  We were transferring trains and couldn't resist.  Hot off the iron, crunchy and not too sweet.  Love at first bite.
So this year we tracked down this shop on Ginza 4-chome.  Got cookies to bring home and taste-tested a creme-filled version.  Can't beat the original, plain.  I wonder if there is always a line; this was Sunday, Mother's Day.

Ameyoko-cho is what I think of as "shita-machi"  old town Tokyo.  Stalls selling all kinds of foods, fresh meats, fish, produce, clothing, shoes, luggage, sundry items, etc.  Crowded and noisy; an assault on the senses but great fun.  Luckily, I had the rolling cart, which was soon stuffed with goodies!

Tokyo Day 2

My body clock is still a little off.  Even after 9 to 10 hours out walking and shopping; legs tired, hot and humid, I keep getting up every 2 hours during the night.  Maybe I'm too excited being in Tokyo and want to make sure I don't miss a minute.

Breakfast--I forgot how good Japanese yogurt tastes.  We head out to Ameyoko after a light hotel breakfast,perhaps a little jet-lagged and dehydrated after the long day of flying then hitting the ground  running, yesterday.

Ameyoko (Okachimachi station on Yamanote line) was just beginning to bustle at 10am.  Luckily Susan remembered the hair pins for Nicole because I was distracted by all the other products in the drug stores.  We found our spray on hair color for only Y580.

The nori vendor was friendly as Susan got her quota for this trip.  Next to him was a tea seller and we got stuck there tasting green tea candy and sipping fragrant peach green tea.  These make perfect take-home gifts. I found a sakura shaped spoon to go with the gift pack.  Got myself a little tea strainer too.

Kept seeing the BB cream that is only now catching on in Honolulu.  Got Japanese sunscreen and hair gel.  Love these corner drugstores. (The hair gel was a huge tube for around $3.00--too big; got confiscated at Narita TSA).

The day was heating up and our bags were full and heavy.  Learned that not every station has storage lockers.  Susan needed a new, larger tote bag for all the omiyage she'd gotten so far.

We needed a break so sat on tatami at Owariya, an historic 100 year old restaurant in Asakusa.  Tenzaru soba really hit the spot.  The shrimp was crispy and fragrant with sesame oil.

Nakamise is very touristy and there were a lot of them!  There was a 'parade' of drag queens and throngs of groupies and film people surrounding them.  We had to move out of their way as they swept past us to the shrine.

The two side streets were much more calm and nostalgic. We sat in the shade of a wisteria pergola with a few tourists and enjoyed our melon ice bars.  Fujiya Tenugui was closed!! (Thurs)  Kanaya-tawashi shop--Horse hair toothbrushes.  There are temples and shrines everywhere in Tokyo.  I love coming across one in a busy shopping area. 

Hello Tokyo (after 17 years)

Long ago, before 9/11 happened, I was practically commuting to Tokyo.  Then the Japanese economic 'bubble' burst and the money dried up. 

In May, I was fortunate to travel with a group to Japan for the 15th Anniversary Celebration of Hiroshima-Hawaii Sister Cities.  But, that's jumping ahead...

Susan and I went to Tokyo for a few days to power shop and have fun before the Hiroshima portion of the trip.  Landed at Narita and was happy to see it modernized and air-conditioned.  Sent luggage ahead to Hiroshima by takkyubin.  This is a great freight forwarding service everyone uses to travel light.  Wish we had something as dependable, honest and affordable in the US.

Limo bus to Shinagawa Prince Hotel; no traffic!  What?  Tokyo with no traffic?  Just lucky I guess.  I was mesmerized, looking out the bus window at how much the city had changed and yet stayed the same.  An hour or so later, we were at the hotel.  Dropped off our bags and hit  Shinagawa station for the Yamanote line which circles the city. 

Shinagawa is so convenient to me, after years of staying closer to central Tokyo, in the Ginza area, mainly for working with the uniform clients and manufacturers.  Much had changed due to the global economic crisis and I was warned that the prices for things would be very expensive.

In my opinion, the prices may be a little higher but I easily stayed within my daily budget because we do not eat American food in hotels.  That may be where visitors from the U.S. go wrong.  Eating in the cafes and regular restaurants, was very affordable, delicious and filling.  Food there is so fresh!