Last Day in Tokyo
We went out to Gakugei Daigaku, which was filled with old buildings that were being upgraded with new shops. Lots of bicycles and locals were making their way down the roads.
WR is a coffee shop by day and a craft beer spot by night.
The best coffee I had in Tokyo, hands down.
Matterhorn has been around since 1952, and not much has changed since then. The outfits the women wear are classic.
We got a few goodies for the Gotham team and tried a cake. The beauty of the cake is much better than the actual taste.
We also got a bite of Higuma donuts where you can’t go wrong is you love a donut
This is a sake bar, and the architecture of this spot defines the area. Love it
They are building in between buildings, and the foundation is wood. Always love a good construction site.
We went back to Shibuya, although it was Monday, and the area we went to was not as insane as it was to find a bag. Lunch was in order and curry was something we had not had yet. Coco Ichibanya is a chain, and the experience was worthy. You order from the iPad, and then they bring you the meal. We felt a bit like we were the office workers grabbing lunch.
It was pretty good.
Dinner was at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Roppongi Hills. This is the son of the famous Jiro from the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi. We did the sushi course, which is 20 pieces, in about 45 minutes. The sushi is outstanding, every single piece. The experience, not so much.
We sat next to a couple from Northern California who went for the whole thing, including sashimi, which we bagged. Part of their meal was sliced raw fish with a huge shiso leaf. The couple did not know what a shiso leaf which might be why Jiro is so miserable. I tried to engage him about where he ate or what he enjoyed but talk about a grump continuing to say that his life was the Japanese culture. It made me sad perhaps he can’t stand the people who did know his dedication to the fish, and a shiso leaf.
And the trip is a wrap. I am still processing everything we did and saw. Having dinner at Jiro, in many ways, summed up the trip, mainly his misery. Tokyo and Seoul have such a futuristic feeling yet the culture is tied to the past. The new generation is not as interested in that part and perhaps that is one of the reasons they are not having children. Although, the most impressive thing is that we can still walk over 20,000 steps a day and dig into a city as if we were a much younger version of ourselves.