Tokyo, Japan (Spring 2024)

Tokyo Station

We tried taking the bus into the city instead of the Narita Express as it was cheaper and it was quite pleasant. It drops you off at Tokyo Station which in basically the de facto center of the city. The train station is a small city within itself as besides the train station there are two large underground malls with tons of shops and eateries. It’s actually quite easy to get lost down there.

We took a train to Kanda Station which is one stop north where our hotel was located. It turned out to be a great location because you can access most Tokyo Station trains but avoid the mass of people at Tokyo Station.

つみき神田駅前店高架下 (Kanda)

This is the first 1st izakaya we tried in Kanda. There was no English name. This happens a lot in Asia. We arrived too early to check in at the hotel so we just wandered the neighborhood in search of some drinks and snacks.

*First beer on this Japan trip*

*Side Note: Why don’t we get hand towels at bars and restaurants in the US like they do here when you sit down? We need more hand towels.*

The guys here were super cool and friendly but there was no English going on here so there was a lot of pointing at menu items and hand gestures.

One problem you often run into is that Google Translate doesn’t always work well. Sometimes it’s because the handwritten menus don’t scan well and other times the words themselves don’t translate into something you can decipher as a food item.

*Example of Google Translate fail:*
*This is not what I thought I had ordered but it was delicious. I think it was a trachea of some animal - a bit crunchy but the flavor was great.*

*Happy accidents happen when you travel.*

将 (Kanda)

(This is the second izakaya we tried in Kanda. Again - there was no English name - this is very much a locals joint)

It was still too early to check into the room so how to kill some more time? More beer and snacks of course. Stopped into this place for another break. There are few things more satisfying than having some yakitori and beer.

*I like how here they often start you out with some free snacks*

Zima is still a thing?

When we checked into the hotel, they gave us not bottles of water but Zima. I didn’t know they still existed and I guess it’s cool that they just give you alcohol. We wound up getting some whiskey at the 7/11 to make highballs with these and some ice.

Shinjuku

After checking in, we decided to head to Shinjuku in search of some drinks.

*The sights of this place are right out of your Bladerunner dreams and never disappoints*

Renoir Coffee (Shinjuku)

First order of business was to get a little pick me up of caffeine after a travel day. Tokyo has sevaral fancy coffee house outfits. This is one of them. Has a feel of an English tea room. They actually have a walled off smoking area inside.

Anchor Bar - (Golden Gai, Shinjuku)

We wandered off into the narrow alleys of Golden Gai to explore the bar scene there. It is now much more welcoming to foreigners/tourists now than it used to be. Years ago you would have to search a while to find one that was receptive to outsiders. This one was mostly locals but was tourist friendly.

*Sometimes bars (like this one) will have a sitting fee*

*At this bar, you at least get some snacks for the small fee*

神田応援団大分からあげと鉄板焼勝男 (Kanda)

This was the 3rd izakaya we tried in Kanda (again - no English name). This was right by the hotel and was a good place to get an evening snack before turning in for the evening. This might be a small chain as I recall seeing similar signs around town but can’t be sure since I can’t read Japanese.

Tokyo, Japan (Spring 2024) - Day 1