One fine day, I received an email about having to renew the contract for our current place, which was fine as it was something we had to do every few years. The difference this time was, our monthly rent would have to increase by 50,000 yen! First thing that came to mind was our happy…
Category: Minamisenju
Azaleas of Minami-Senju
Not known to many people, but Minami-Senju is kind of a hidden gem, known among the locals and hobbyist photographers for azalea spring viewing. The blooms usually start after the sakura cherry blossoms season (mid-April), and last a couple of weeks until around the Japanese golden week (early-May). During this period, the sidewalks and the center…
Sumida Fireworks from Minami-Senju
Not known to many people but Minami-Senju also has great views of the Sumida Fireworks. People flock to the riverside to reserve spots from early in the morning. There are also several high-rise residential buildings that offer a clear view of the fireworks, with the Tokyo Sky Tree by its side. For this year, we…
Apple Flyover Map of Minami-Senju, Tokyo
Looks like Apple maps already has 3D flyover maps of Tokyo. Not exactly sure when this was added but it’s good to know the city I live in now has this feature. See the picture below of Minami-Senju. It looks like a real picture taken from the sky, except when in the app, you can…
Minami-Senju Primer
This is how the area near Minami-Senju station would look like from Apple Maps. The area to the right of the station is what many people would call the new Minami-Senju. This area was redeveloped about a decade ago, so you can see many new buildings, big parks, big condominium buildings, and shopping centers. This…
Minami-Senju Cherry Blossoms
On the way home from tennis, I walked through Shiori Park (汐入公園) in Minami-Senju (南千住) and was pleasantly surprised with the cherry blossom trees that dot the park. Even on a Tuesday morning, there were many locals setting up tables and blankets under the pretty cherry blossom trees. There were also streets surrounded by cherry…
Nishi-Matsuya Minami-Senju Opens on April 4
In what used to be the space occupied by Tsutaya, three new shops will be opening in April, and one of them already posted this big poster just outside what will be their shop. Nishi-Matsuya (http://www.24028.jp) is opening their shop at Lala Terrace Minami-Senju on April 4, 2014. I have to admit, I didn’t know…
No Starbucks in Minami-Senju Yet
Just saw a poster at Lala Terrace Minami-Senju announcing new shops that will open from April 2014. The old Tsutaya space is big enough to accommodate these three. Unfortunately, none of the Starbucks that the guy who cuts my hair was telling me about. This is the second time he told me Starbucks is coming…
Minami-Senju West Gate
The West Gate of Minami-Senju station has seen massive changes since I moved here about half a decade ago. Back then, the east side was the more progressive side with its high-rise condominiums and community malls, while the west side was just a bunch of old houses and old shops. There are still many old…
Starbucks at Lala Terrace Minami-Senju?
The Tsutaya shop at Lala Terrace Minami-Senju closed shop last month, and people are now making guesses as to which shops will occupy the big floor space Tsutaya once occupied. When I went for a haircut last week at Ichi BDO, this was one of the topics I talked about with my stylist. He mentioned…
Where The Trains Park
Minamisenju is home to two rail terminals – the Hibiya Line Terminal and the Sumidagawa Freight Terminal. The Hibiya Line Terminal is located at the north of Minamisenju to the right of the Joban/Hibiya/Tsukuba train tracks and just below Sumida river. This is where they park all the Hibiya line trains when not in use….
Minamisenju Haircut
There are several places in Minamisenju where you can get a haircut. There’s Luft Hair in Bivi, Mignon in Branz Tower, and of course QB House (1,000 yen 10 minute haircut) in Lala Terrace. For 3,675 yen, I get mine from Ichi BDO a minute north-west of the station. The place is owned by Takamatsu-san,…
Enrico in Tokyo 