I had a day off work, so I decided to visit Akihabara. I was still on the lookout for a new TV, so I figured I might as well head to the epicenter of Japan’s otaku culture to check out some of Tokyo’s biggest electronics shops. I used to frequent the place, too, so it…
Category: Japan
A Day to Myself: Yoshinoya, BicCamera, and Takanawa Gateway
The other day, my wife attended a full-day kyudo event, so I had the day to myself. I could either stay home and do nothing or go outside and be a little more productive. I had to admit, the former option was very tempting, but I had a dentist appointment at 2 PM, so I…
Four Years Later: Was Buying a Home in Japan the Right Choice?
Four years ago, we decided to stop renting and finally buy our own place. For the longest time, we thought we’d be renting for the rest of our time in Japan. We didn’t want to be tied to a multi-decade mortgage. We didn’t even apply for permanent residency because we believed only people applying for…
Enjoying a No-Plan Birthday Vacation at Home
For my birthday, I took the week off from work but didn’t make any plans to go anywhere. Aside from my actual birthday, my wife was working throughout the week, so I basically had the whole time to myself—except for when she was working from home and we could grab meals together. This isn’t the…
Katsuretsu Yotsuya Takeda: A Birthday Lunch Worth the Wait
Katsuretsu Yotsuya Takeda is one of our favorite restaurants in Tokyo, so when deciding where to go for my birthday lunch, this was an easy choice. The restaurant opens at 11:00 AM, so we planned to arrive a bit early to ensure we were among the first in line. Since it was a weekday, we…
Why We Don’t Own a Car in Tokyo (And Don’t Miss It)
We sold our last car in 2013, thinking we might miss the convenience. Over a decade later, we haven’t looked back. Living in Tokyo, we’ve found that owning a car just isn’t necessary—and in many ways, it’s more of a burden than a benefit. Getting Around Is Easy Without a Car The train station, which…
Shogatsu this Year: A Day Trip to Southern Chiba
Shogatsu this year was particularly good since the holiday started on Tuesday, December 31st, and lasted all the way to Sunday, January 5th. Some companies, like my wife’s, even had December 30th off, giving them a full week of holiday. For us, we decided to stay home, do some household chores, and take it easy….
Discovering a Great Tempura Spot in Musashi-Koyama
The other day, I visited Musashi Koyama shopping street, in Shinagawa Ward of Tokyo. This is a long covered shopping street with many restaurants, shops, and cafes, and is maybe one of my favorite shopping streets in Tokyo. It kind of reminds me of the big shopping streets of Osaka, but at least for this…
A New Landmark in Nihonbashi
The Nihonbashi area redevelopment is progressing well. The plan is to eventually redevelop the area around Japan’s famed bridge, even moving the much-despised overhead highway underground to bring back the bridge to its former glory. The riverside will become a more pleasant and more sunny place, surrounded by office buildings, shopping centers, cafes, and restaurants….
Exploring Togoshi: Tokyo’s hidden gem of parks, temples, and cozy shopping
Today, we explored Togoshi, a neighborhood that Tokyoites from nearby areas love for its cozy homes and charming shopping street. Surprisingly, even though it’s popular, many long-time Tokyo residents from other parts of the city don’t know about it. We started our small Togoshi adventure at Togoshi Park and then wandered into the nearby Bunko-no-Mori…
Rediscovering Kameido: Tennis, Curry, and Change
Had a tennis event today at Kameido Central Park. I had played here before, but it might have been the first time in a few years. I used to frequent this neighborhood because I was enrolled in a tennis school near Kameido Station called Top Indoor Tennis School Kameido. Much to my surprise, the area…
Six Days in Kobe
We usually plan our vacation in September, primarily to avoid Japan’s August summer vacation period when families with kids are traveling, and secondly to escape the peak summer heat. Prices tend to drop after August, while temperatures remain high. However, in recent years, summer has been extending into late September, so next year we might…
Enrico in Tokyo 