The Ultimate Guide To Tokyo
Let it be said that this post is motivated ninety-three percent by personal interest–because at Mirror Fashion I found the cheapest denim jackets I’ve seen in thrift stores in Tokyo, hands down, including this pornographic flannel-lined Levi’s specimen. All jackets are priced at […]
KaraNet 24 is permanently closed. Internet “café” is actually a gross misnomer for this nine-story building in Shibuya, and not only because the Nescafe-in-a-paper-cup from the vending machines is predictably vile, but because it’s an understatement in every possible way […]
Continuing on my culture hopping articles, I wanted to bring attention to a museum that I don’t think a lot of people know about. At least not people like me, lazy and apathetic to the world around me. However, I’m […]
If there is one thing I can say I have learned to love while living in Japan, it’s walking. I used to hate walking. If I wanted to hit the Taco Bell just three blocks away from my house and […]
Beyond dull bronzes of early statesmen, public art in Tokyo is a relatively new phenomenon. Only in about the last 25 years or so have architects and urban planners started to incorporate public artworks into their projects. Luckily, there are […]
** This store is permanently closed ** Why haven’t I known about this? Freshly-made pita & made-to-order falafel right here in Tokyo since 1993? Was my honing device recalled? I could not sniff-out such extraordinary food? In an average week, […]
Slog slog. Get around wet people with big umbrellas we bump and walk in pedestrian holdups chilly. And then, like that longrunning Campbell’s Soup commercial, with the warmth of our hearty bowl of soup, we melt off our outer snowmen, […]
Just to let that sink in properly – that’s not just for a slice, that’s 350yen for the whole damn pizza. All of their pizzas measure 30cm across so that’s a full 706 sq. cm of goodness. To put that […]
On a recent lunchtime stroll down the marvelously cheap Sakae Dori – a narrow street of small restaurants, bars and cafes that atarts just outside Takadanobaba Station – the newly opened Takadanobaba branch of Ginhachi-don caught my eye with banners offering seafood […]
On January 30th, 1703, a cold, still winter night with snow fluttering over Edo, forty seven ronin – samurai without a master – crept into the house of their dead master’s arch enemy and exacted a brutal revenge, so creating […]
Store closed: Tokyo Paris Shokudo is permanently closed. Welcome to the French part of town. Special bookstores aimed towards the French community, petit cafes, and lots of croque madame and macarons. In between this mysterious French space hovering between Iidabashi […]
Wonder of wonders, I have never sauntered into Freshness Burger until this month. I was surprised by the choices offered, both in the obvious burger department, and in the vegetarian burgers. Not bad, Freshness. I also had no idea they […]
The cheapest clothes in Tokyo tend to come from second-hand shops, but used clothing isn’t for everyone. I’ve met plenty of perfectly awesome and sincere Cheapos who never buy used clothing. Used clothing may have “soul,” but they also have […]
The impression that Tokyo is a pricey town to live in is an old trope, but unfortunately it isn’t far off from the truth. Otherwise you wouldn’t be visiting a site offering tips for saving money on sex by forgoing […]
Store closed: Brimmer Beer Box is no more. The beauty of Brimmer Beer Box is its simplicity. They serve quality beer in a box for a good price. They don’t sell pizzas, just locally brewed craft beer for 500yen a […]
Tokyo parks get crowded. On weekends (especially if you have more than one small child) your kids will run off and disappear like ninjas on a moonless night. Due to the crowds, there also tend to be queues of 6 […]
Cona is part of a chain of 500yen pizza restaurants which also includes Voco (in Ebius) a similarly named branch in Dogenzaka and Ura-Cona in Maruyamacho. While the speciality is Roman Pizza, the exhortation of the menu for “High tension Please!” should […]
Note: This article is out of date. While the Tsukiji Fish Market still exists, the tuna auction has now moved the to the new Toyosu Fish Market. Tsukiji Fish Market Tuna Auction appears in literally every single guidebook about Tokyo. […]
Store closed: Sadly, Happy Salada closed its doors at the end of November, 2014. When I visit Happy Salada in Akasaka, owner Raphael and his multinational staff are flat out preparing salads for the lunch rush. The store itself is […]
The Yebisu Garden Place is one of the crown jewels of Ebisu. Filled with an array of restaurants and shops, the Yebisu Garden Place is a great place to spend the afternoon. The highlight of Yebisu Garden Place is, of […]
Tsurumaru Udon is a chain of udon noodle shops located throughout Tokyo. Despite having udon in the name, they are surprisingly soba friendly, with a soba variant of all dishes available. The menu (with tiny English text!) offers up 12 […]
Yudetaro is yet another one of the soba noodle chains that proliferate through Tokyo. I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing either – soba noodles are the ultimate cheapo fallback when you’re in a hurry, you want something […]
Store permanently closed. Sometimes eating needs to be about more than just sustaining yourself. At its best, it can be a complete sensory experience – leaving lasting memories and an urge to return as soon as possible. With this in […]
Transportation in Japan is expensive. Rental cars, trains, and busses can often drain your wallet faster than those rotation sushi places we all seem to love. So what is the alternative if you want to travel around Japan but save […]