Asakusa (浅草) - Sometaro - Restaurant

In Asakusa 浅草, a wonderful part of Tokyo, there is a great Okonomiyaki restaurant named Sometaro. (photo below of front door/entrance)


For those uninitiated in this unique culinary item....okonomiyaki お好み焼き is a a dish that I'll simply describe as a working class meal, in essence it is a Japanese pancake filled with any number of ingredients depending on what you like to eat - you name it beef, chicken, fish, noodles, vegetables, etc.


They bring all of the ingredients to you in a bowl which you then mix and cook on the grill in front of you. The entire pancake is then usually covered with some mayonnaise, a brown sauce that my friends refer to as bull dog sauce and then its all topped off with bonito fish flakes.



There are a wide number of variations ranging from Kansai, Hiroshima and Tokyo style okonomiyaki all with different toppings and batter consistencies according to the region of origin. I prefer Hiroshima okonomiyaki as it is filled with noodles and I opted for shrimp in mine.



The interior of Sometaro is basic and not for those looking for elegant/fine dining (photo below) - it is good hearty food that you cook on a grill in front of you as your sit on tatami mat floors. Bear in mind that you'll need to remove your shoes at the entrance, however, they have plastic bags handy, so you can carry your shoes with you when you are seated at your table.



The staff are great and if you've never had okonomiyaki before they will give you some help, tell you if it needs to be cooked a bit longer or if its time to flip the 'pancake'.

Sometaro is located at 2-2-2 Nishi Asakusa - a short walk from the nearby Asakusa subway station and is also near the Taiko (Drum) Museum, which I'll cover in another posting. You can also take a look at their web site as well for more information http://www.sometaro.com/

I hope that you enjoy this really great working-class meal.

All the best...Mark

Sunday in Shinjuku 新宿区

On Sundays during the summer, as most Tokyoites takes time to relax and spend time with their family, certain parts of Shinjuku are closed to vehicular traffic. This creates a nice environment, as you exit the East Exit of Shinjuku Station and can roam the streets without worrying about oncoming cars, motorcycles or bikes.

As you exit the East Exit of the station, you'll immediately see a famous meeting spot - Studio Alta (photo below). The site has a massive TV screen monitor several stories high and is a spot that many of Tokyo's residents use to easily meet up with friends outside of a station that sees some 2 million people a day.

While this area has an entirely different vibe and feel at night as Kabuki-cho comes to life, during the day, there are lots of coffee houses, movie theaters, art galleries, record shops, book stores like Kinokuniya, department stores such as Isetan, the nearby Hanazono Shrine and countless cafes to enjoy.

On Sundays, you can often catch some local artists/street performers. I had the good fortune to run into an event on Sunday featuring 2 new acts that were performing to promote their new CDs - one duo was named The Cigarman and their web site is http://hamq.jp/i.cfm?i=sakamoto33 while the other act was a ladies group DSC and their web site is http://shakariki.info/. Both were great and entertaining on a hot sunny day.



Nearby to the stage was a great little cafe - Moa 4 Cafe (photo below). Here you can get a cold drink, coffee, beer, strawberry soda floats (I had one of those and it was delicious) as well as hot dishes in case you're hungry. They have plenty of cafe style tables and chairs directly next to their location, so that you can also enjoy the nearby musicians that I referenced earlier.



So head to Shinjuku on a Sunday this summer as there are a lot of diverse things that can be enjoyed.

All the best....Mark

Nihonbashi 日本橋

As you continue to explore Tokyo, there are numerous wards and areas of interest; however, one area that is often passed by or overlooked is Nihonbashi (日本橋).

Nihonbashi , while primarily a business area in central Tokyo, was built up and developed primarily around and as a result of Nihonbashi, meaning Japan bridge. The first bridge was built on the site in the 1600's and was made entirely of wood - nothing at all like the stone structure occupying the same area today which was built in the early 1900's.



As you can see the bridge is now beneath an expressway overpass, which was built around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, obscuring the classic view of Mt. Fuji from the bridge which was immortalized in ukiyo-e wood block prints by Hiroshige, i.e. 53 Stations of the Tokaido.

Recently, there has been a movement by the citizens to get rid of this expressway - time will tell if this passes or not.

As you cross the bridge, heading north towards Mitsukoshi Department store, you will see a bronze marker (photo below), which is the point from which all distances in Japan are measured - i.e. if you see a sign along the highway noting the distance to Tokyo, it is this marker that is used to calculate the distance.



Passing by this marker, you will see Mitsukoshi Department store on the left side of the street on Mitsukoshimae. Famous for selling kimonos and started by the Mitsui family, this store personifies high end shopping under one roof....think of it as the Harrods of Tokyo - high end retail clothing, kimonos, a food hall in the basement, etc. While walking around the department store make certain to see this impressive, ornate and colorful sculpture in the lobby (photo below) which spans 3 - 4 floors.

In this district, you can also find the Tokyo Stock Exchange (東京証券取引所) - one of the top 5 exchanges in the world - which has a visitors observation deck and an exhibit comparing this exchange to other major exchanges around the world.

Also, in this area are the Kite Museum, the Bridgestone Museum of Art, the Pokemon Center, as well as the National Film Center. So put on a comfortable pair of sneakers and explore this often overlooked neighborhood.

All the best.....Mark

Excelsior Caffe - Shinjuku (新宿区)

Without a doubt, my favorite coffee house in Shinjuku 新宿区 - Excelsior Caffe - is a little oasis amidst the throngs of people populating this busy ward in Tokyo.

In this day and age with a certain Seattle coffee chain seemingly open on every single street corner, Excelsior Caffe is clean, friendly, and good value for your money - in short, it is a find.

As you enter, they have a great display counter and staff that seem happy to see you. They take there job seriously, and the staff seem to enjoy what they do. I think we have all at one time or another gone into other coffee shops, that shall remain nameless, only to be greeted with a "I'm making minimum wage, so don't ask anything of me" gaze.

You can get the full range of coffee drinks iced/hot coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, blended drinks as well an assortment of sweets and sandwiches

On my recent visit, I had an iced almond caramel latte, an fozen macha latte, as well as a mont blanc and mille crepe pastry (all pictured below) - what can I say I was hungry and it was a sweltering Tokyo summer afternoon.

There are of course numerous Excelsior Caffes located throughout Tokyo and Japan all offering similar coffees, blended drinks. More details, additional menu items and caffe locations can be found on their web site http://www.excelsiorcaffe.com/ - hope you enjoy it.

All the best....Mark

National Diet Building 国会議事堂

For those of you planning to visit the Imperial Palace and connecting gardens, you can continue along a nice walk through the Sakura Gate onto Harumi dori and head towards Hibuya Park and the nearby Japan National Diet Building 国会議事堂. (Mind you I did this recently on a sweltering Tokyo summer day, so if you can't wait until the fall, then bring a big bottle of water with you - as it is hot.)

The Diet was established originally as the Imperial Diet during the Meiji period.

The building completed in 1936, is made up of two houses, much like the US Congress; however, the Japanese assembly consists of the House of Representatives occupying the left wing and the House of Councillors which occupies the right wing.

Tours are available, in Japanese only, but you'll be able to observe Japanese politicians discuss and debate the various issues of importance at the moment in the legislature. Not quite C-SPAN but certainly interesting for political junkies.

Reservations are mandatory and the building is open from 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday.

All the best.....Mark

Summer Fashion Contest - Marui Co. Ltd.

Always looking out for fun an unusual items to report about Japan and thought this one might interest my readers.

This summer a Fashion Contest will be held and is open to people of all countries, except residents of Japan. The contest is easy, simply take a photo of yourself wearing an outfit that you feel represents or is inspired by Japan and include a few words (in Japanese) about why you picked these items.


The contest application period is from July 15th - September 15th - you can forward the photo and text (up to 200 letters maximum in hiragana or katakana) and more details are available on their web site http://maruione.jp/ The Grand Prize is 2 round trip tickets to Japan - winners will be announced on September 25th.


All the best.....Mark

Keio Plaza Hotel - Shinjuku 新宿区)

Recently, I had the pleasure of staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku (新宿区).

The hotel, built in 1971, has the distinction of being not only Japans first skyscraper, but at 47 stories remains one of Tokyo's tallest hotels. The hotel has a Main and South Tower, but the personalized service and helpful attitude of the staff was admirable.

Because of its location and amenities, the property is popular with western tourists and Japanese.....the hotel boasts several first class facilities and services such as but not limited to daycare, an outdoor pool (NB - the pool is closed during 2008 as it is being renovated), several restaurants, bars, a fitness room, free high speed dataport, a business center, and a convenience store to pick up some snacks when you first arrive and are too tired to venture outside of the hotel.

The hotel has a wide array of room rates to suit any budget. I was able to make use of a package rate that included daily breakfast coupons. These breakfast coupons can be used in 2 outlets at the hotel: C&T Lounge (just off the lobby) that serves a Western Style Buffet daily from 7AM -10AM, and Kagari (located on the 2nd fl) which offers a Japanese Breakfast daily from 7AM - 10AM. While I enjoyed both, honestly speaking the Western Buffet was the best - a wide selection of cereals, fresh baked goods, yogurt, fresh fruit, as well as bacon, eggs and the best coffee I've had in ages.

The hotel is conveniently located near Shinjuku station, so you'll be able to quickly get around Tokyo via the JR Yamanote line as well as several other subway lines. Likewise, for those arriving by plane into Tokyo, the hotel is a main stop on the Friendly Airport Limousine bus route from both Narita and Haneda Airports. Bus tickets from Narita to the hotel are JPY3,000.

And, as if my word wasn't enough, this past February 2008, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo was chosen as a Best Value by Budget Travel Magazine in its first-ever Best Values list, powered by TripAdvisor

The hotel web site is up to date and informative and also allows you to book your reservation directly http://www.keioplaza.com/

For those heading to Tokyo looking for good service, a comfortable stay and a great location - look no further than the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku.

All the best......Mark

Japan Airlines (JAL) Closes Gap on Connection Times at Narita (NRT)

I just flew JAL round trip between JFK and Narita sampling both their Business Class and their Economy Class sections...and I can say without hesitation that the service in both was incredible. Whether you are in Business class or Economy class, you will be treated like a welcomed guest. From the moment I boarded the flight, I felt as if I was already in Japan. The food selection and movie offerings were wonderful and made the 12+ hour flight time pass by in a flash.

Having said that, and as we enter the busy summer travel season, I also wanted to mention that starting July 18, 2008, passengers connecting from Japan Airlines’ (JAL) domestic flights to international flights at Tokyo Narita Airport’s Terminal 2 will be able to do so within a smaller time frame.

Due to an exclusive passport-control area and security checkpoint, plus a new system that allows checked baggage to transfer more quickly, JAL has shortened the time needed from the current 80 minutes to one hour.

The new area for passport and security checks allows customers to bypass the international departure lobby for a direct link to the international departure concourse. JAL operates domestic flights from Sapporo, Nagoya (Chubu), Osaka (Itami) and Futuoka to Narita Airport Terminal 2

All the best.....Mark

iPhone Debuts in Japan - Softbank Store Omotesando-dori 表参道通り

Last Friday, July 11th, Apple released their latest iPhone 3G in some 21 countries.

The launch in Japan was heralded with a massive launch throughout Japan - with the biggest premier at the Softbank Mobile Corp store on Ometesando dori. Softbank is the official licensed seller of iPhones in Japan, just like AT&T is the officials licensed seller in the USA.

The store on Omotesando dori (表参道通り) opened early at 7AM, some 5 hours earlier than any other store in Japan amid fanfare, press, and a line of 1,500 people waiting in line that stretched 1km (some people waiting in line for more than 4 days) for a chance to be the first to see/purchase this new smart phone.

The iPhone has the same touch screen, internet browser, texting, camera and music features; however, the new 3G phone has a higher speed and larger data handling capacity. The GPS feature with maps including addresses in Japanese are incredible.

The price of the phone ranged from JPY23,040 (8 gigabyte memory) to JPY34,560 (16 gigabyte memory). Subscribers must also pay at least JPY7,290 a month as a subscription fee.

Even at these prices supplies sold out in a record time. This sign was posted at a Yodobashi Store front door in Ueno later that day.

All the best.....Mark

To Infinity and Beyond...........

This posting is not about a new Toy Story film.............................

but rather is to mention that this week a Japanese firm - First Advantage - announced it will start accepting reservations for couples that want to get married by rocketing into space to exchange their vows.

Each couple would pay JPY240,000,000 to recite their vows inside a small space capsule with up to three guests some 60 miles above the earth. I guess that might be cheap compared to some Tokyo wedding nowadays, but certainly not within every one's price range.

First Advantage is able to offer this new product in conjunction with US based Rocket Plane, launching from a private airport in Oklahoma.

So put down that bridal dress magazine and start sizing yourself for that space suit.

All the best......Mark