Saturday, January 12, 2013

Home Now, But Here Are Some Sushi Photos

January 12, 2013

I made it home safely, but before I left, I had sushi breakfast at Tsukiji Market. The fish is caught, sold, sliced, and put on your plate that morning. From the sea to your plate.

There is no fresher or better place to get sushi.

I waited in line for 50 minutes to get into Dai Sushi, the most famous restaurant in the market, but hardly budged. I gave up and went elsewhere. It was $40 for the chef's suggestion (7 pieces of nigiri, 6 pieces of maki). And let this cheap Jew tell you... 'twas worth EVERY penny.



In focus: Toro (fatty tuna). One piece goes for ~$10 and was the most beautiful thing I have ever eaten. Basically melts in your mouth.  

In focus/in the middle: Sea urchin 

On the right: Shrimp! (Duh. You knew that.) 

First row of maki is tuna, second ikura (salmon eggs) 


Left to right: Eel, hamachi (I think), octopus, sweet egg

 In focus: Octopus

In focus: Hamachi 

Eel

As usual, thanks to my family for gifting me the flight and the rail pass! I had a frickin' amazing time. Japan is my new favorite country.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Last Full Day in Japan

January 10, 2013



Breakfast was Mos Burger's cheese burger (with a tomato and some sort of Japanese version of chili). While I don't like to eat hamburgers while I travel, especially in a place like Japan. Mos is a chain of uniquely Japanese burgers that came highly recommended by several people. It was actually pretty good for a cheap bite.


Sensoji Temple in Asakusa is Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple (original temple built in 645), and only a short walk away from my hostel (and Mos Burger). Walking around, I took several typical shots - one of the gate, the temple, the pagoda. Realizing that everyone who had ever walked these grounds with a camera had taken these same shots, I switched my lens to allow for more close up detail, and began looking for shots that had never been taken. I think I got a few unique ones (not all of them are).

















A comfortable subway ride transported me from Tokyo's oldest symbol of antimaterialism to the height of Japanese consumerism: the Ginza neighborhood. Filled with department stores (depaato) and designer brands, I walked through one depaato and quickly left. What an unnecessary building filled with unnecessary items at unnecessary prices. NEXT.

I took the subway to Meguro, which I read was pretty and worth a stroll through. And stroll I did. The map in the book did not cover the area that I was in, so I did some aimless wandering through this San Francisco-esque, chic, urban-suburban hybrid neighborhood and stumbled upon what looked to be an ideal ramen shop. Not a chain, a maintained but not pristine exterior, reasonable prices, completely filled with locals (Japanese salarymen to be specific), and delicious smells permeating the walls. Well, all the indicators were right! I ordered some random ramen and got exactly what I was looking for, an unbelievably tasty bowl of ramen - this one with white broth on one side and dark broth on the other (it looked slightly reminiscent of a yin-yang).



Happy, I continued forward in an attempt to find the Tokyo Photography Museum in nearby Ebisu. I got crazy lost and wandered through some beautiful park. An inviting furniture shop filled with modernized antique items beckoned me inside, and I asked the really sweet young woman how to get to the museum. She printed me out a Google Map and I was on my way!

Ebisu was shockingly gorgeous - what Boston or Georgetown in DC would look like if it were built today - modern, yet with a very generous usage of brick.

The ¥1000 ticket to two of the three exhibits was a worthy investment in the confidence it instilled in my own artwork. The majority of the images are the types of photos that I would be embarrassed to put on my Facebook Wall, let alone the walls of a museum. There were two sections within the exhibits, however, that really struck me. The first was a series of photographs of the artist when she was a child at different places, but she had photoshopped a current image of herself into the photo so that it looked like she was there at the time. Really cool. The second was a series of edgy, colorful photos following a transgender drag queen in Chongqing, China. Very well done, very interesting.

After the museum, I went to an Excelsior Cafe for Maple Royal Milk Tea, played some Tetris, and then went to Harajuku. As I walked out of the train station and toward the shopping area, someone tapped me on the shoulder to say hello. Who was it? Beth that I had met at the monkey onsen! SMALL WORLD.


Beth on the left

Everyone in Japan is super fashionable as is, but Harajuku has long been known as the home of the fashion-forward Tokyo teens. I was so overwhelmed with potential photographs, that I hardly got any, and instead stared blankly and blatantly at passersby. What seems to be in fashion right now: dyed hair (light pink, light blue, light grey, or bleached blonde), beanies pulled down just a little over the head so that there is a large fabric bump sticking up, thick scarves, oversized and super cool jackets, and a fluffy fusion between clown pants, pirate pantaloons, and harem trousers. As for women's makeup, it's either nothing on the eyes, or far too much (fake lashes aplenty), and light neon colored blush (think of a typical pack of office highlighters). This look, which I did not capture in a photograph unfortunately, would be best described as 1980s meets 2980s meets Wild West vagabond. Kind of like this but without the crutches.







After a few times around the backstreets, I went to Shibuya to meet Anya at the famous Hachiko statue. From there we went to the world's highest grossing Starbucks for coffee, a macaroon, some good conversation, and a view of one of the busiest intersections in the world.


Terrible photo from Starbucks 


We decided to find a restaurant next and stumbled upon this trendy place that had a contemporary take on traditional dishes. We got gyoza wrapped in chicken skin, pork yakisoba, and cheese and mochi okonomiyaki. I had a shochu and lemon, she had apricot wine. Everything was out of this world and we got away with spending $20 each.







Anya is known for her incredibly accurate tarot card readings, so I asked her to do one for me. We settled into a cafe, got some pastries and warm drinks, and she pulled out the cards.

Five different readings were all linked - either with the same few cards or the same two suits - and were eerily accurate. More to come on that.

Sufficiently freaked, we walked back to the station to split off. I was trying to figure out where the entrance was for the Ginza line (Anya was to take the JR line), when some middle aged man ran over and eagerly offered his assistance. I asked where the Ginza line was and he pointed down one direction and said he was actually going there and he'd take me. He was a little pushy, and I hadn't had time to say goodbye to Anya, so I told him I'd walk in that direction afterwards, that he should go one, and thanked him. At first I had thought he was being as friendly as everyone else has been, but his intenseness piqued my intuition not to trust him. I thanked him again and told him to go on after he insisted. He finally walked away. Anya leaned in and said not to trust him, I agreed. As we finished chatting and saying our goodbyes, I noticed the man hadn't gone in that direction and was still standing around looking for prey to scam. I walked to a station employee and asked where the Ginza line. It was in the opposite direction of where the man was trying to take me. F*cker. Thank god for gut feelings!

The rest of the way to the hostel was smooth.

Such a great last night in Japan!!!!!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

I'm 22!

January 9, 2013

So really quickly before I write about my fantastic birthday, let me do a quick recap about January 8...

Yesterday was rather uneventful. I took the train back to Tokyo, which took up a good chunk of the day. On my way, I had a delicious pastry and bento box, and stopped in Kyoto because I realized I forgot to get a phone charm (I've purchased one for everywhere I've been but Nagano). Back in Tokyo, I checked into Nui Hostel, a super chick lounge/hostel. The lounge is small but has lots of misshapen wood and cool lights. The living quarters feel like a converted warehouse and the lack of upkeep adds character and charm, rather than a sense of uncleanliness.

Shinkansen (bullet train)

I went to the Pokemon Center (last one of my trip), then to Shinjuku to swap some clothes I got at Uniqlo (they were Japanese size). Starving, I went to the really good ramen place I had gone to the last time I was in Shinjuku and got ramen and gyoza. My eyes were a little bigger than my stomach, but I came close to finishing. After that I went back to the hostel for an early night. Oh, and I met an Aussie named Anthony who is in my room.



OK. Birthday!

This morning I woke up early to go to Tsukiji fish market, but it was closed. Just for today! Of course! Three restaurants were open (instead of like a million), so I picked one and got toro (fatty tuna), yellow tail, clam, oyako (parent and child), some sort of toro wrap thing, and seafood miso soup. I plan on going back before I leave for the true experience.

Oyako - mother and child - salmon and salmon roe 

In focus: Toro (fatty tuna) 


In focus: Yellow tail

In focus: Clam 

 



A bus took me to a Mt. Fuji viewing spot (it's closed for climbing), but it was too cloudy for a good shot. HOWEVER, it was still absolutely incredible and the views of the surrounding area were none-too-shabby.







I got off the bus on the way back to take a walk along some deserted path along Kawaguchiko river. Breathtaking.






Between the end of the path and the next bus stop were a few souvenir shops. I stopped in desperately looking for gifts for friends and family, but there was NOTHING. I met some Australians (of course, so many Australians), and chatted with them for a bit.

The bus ride back to Tokyo was fairly simple, and brought me to Shinjuku. I went to a Starbucks to use their free wifi so that I could get in touch with my high school friend, Anya.

I took my time leaving Starbucks and finding our meeting spot, but still managed to arrive an hour earlier than Anya. Luckily, a random side street on the east side of Shinjuku is one of the best places to sit and people watch. And that I did. Quite pleasantly.






She finally arrived and we went right to a cat cafe that I saw on my way to meet her. Yes. A cat cafe. A place full of adorable, fluffy, prissy, holier-than-thou critters prancing around and enjoying the limelight as tourists and Japanese girls vie for the feline's limited attention spans. Best ¥1000/hr EVER.






This guy must be made of cat nip 





Next, I wanted to check out the infamous Don Quijote in Shinjuku - a ridiculously trashy store that combines the worst of Walmart, K-mart, Five Below, Toys R Us, CVS, a Halloween store, and a sex toy shop into a can of sardines. Our only purchase was a bottle of White Peach soda, which is probably the best soda in the world. Not exaggerating.



We were both hungry so we went to Yoshinoya, ate, chatted about how much we love Japan, and then took the subway to Akihabara.



Akihabara, or 'Electric Town,' is otaku headquarters. It is the Mecca for people that I like to call nerdverts. Imagine the nerdiest, perverted young Japanese boy stereotype, multiply him by several thousand, and surround him with flashing lights, arcades, gadget shops, cafes where girls dress in French maid outfits and call you 'Master,' ramen joints, and lots and lots of animated porn. That would be Akihabara in a nut shell. We took some photos and went into Excelsior Cafe for my new favorite warm drink: Royal milk tea (warm milk and tea, no water), with whipped cream, and maple syrup. UGH. I want to move here. To Japan. Not Akihabara. Ew.





From Akihabara, we made plans to meet tomorrow (5:30pm at the Hachiko statue in Shibuya - THE Tokyo meeting place), and hugged goodbye.

Back at Nui I had two well-made and very reasonably priced drinks (no idea what they were, just let the bartender decided), and then got into bed.




Turned out to be a great birthday!!! Certainly rivaled my 21st in Tel Aviv.