I planned my arrival in Tokyo for Memorial Day Weekend to give me an extra day off to get over my jet lag. I also booked a 9am walking tour of the more popular attractions close to my neighborhood. This way I could get my bearings on the area before diving headlong into work. Some of the highlights included Shibuya Crossing, Tsujiki Outer Market, Hongan-ji Temple, and Senso-ji Temple. It was a great way to start a tour, and I suggested Misha do the same when she arrives Hanoi.
I still want to do a food tour in Tokyo, but that hasn’t stopped me from digging into Japanese cuisine. As part of the walking tour, my guide took me to a place that served monjayaki (or monja), a popular dish in Tokyo made from flour, eggs, cheese, and a variety of vegetables and cooked on a griddle right in front of you. This classic Tokyo dish is a thinner variant on okonomiyaki (the dish with brown sauce in the photos below), which is very popular in Hiroshima and Osaka, leading to a bit of a rivalry between the cities.
My first few meals outside of the tour were nothing special, but as I’ve explored, I’ve started to find better options. Like my dog, I’m very food motivated. I’ve learned that even restaurants with 3-star ratings on Google can be delicious. I’ve had great sushi lunches for $8, bento boxes sold on the street for $4, and all-you-can-eat sushi, yakiniku (meat you grill right at the table), and dessert for $22. You can find great deals all over, and you’ll never run out of options.
It’s rained a lot in my first few weeks, so I haven’t done much during the week aside from swim and watch movies. I’ve spent a little too much money on whiskey already, but I found Johnny Walker Blue at Costco for $110, less than half the sale price in the US. I’ve also found some decent deals on Japanese whiskey, but the fancy bottles everyone wants in the States still run $100 and up.
My second weekend, despite the pouring rain, I went to the Tokyo National Museum. I bought a basic ticket for less than $8 and wandered through the exhibits. It was a nice introduction to Japanese art, archaeology, and history. Unfortunately, the gardens were closed because of the rain, which looked impressive from inside the museum. I still hit 15,000 steps by 1pm, so I treated myself to the all-you-can-eat buffet mentioned above and spent the rest of the full and happy.
Some people have mentioned that the embassy community here can be a bit isolating because everyone goes off and does their own thing. There’s so much to do that people can entertain themselves without socializing with work colleagues. It’s something I’ve already noticed, but part of that is because it’s summer transfer season, so a lot of people are on their way out. I really wish Misha could be here to share these experiences with me; it would certainly make wandering more fun. I know she’ll have a great time in Hanoi, and she plans on visiting often. I intend to pressure her to start writing about her experiences in Vietnam, too. In the meantime, there’s plenty to keep me busy!
Beer and Diplomacy 