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도쿄맛집 72 아사쿠사 규카츠 (浅草 牛かつ)

일본에서는 요즘 오버투어리즘에 대한 말들이 많이 나온다. 현지에 살고 있는 사람들 입장에선 아마 그럴수 밖에 없는 듯하다. 예전에 편히 가던 식당들이 점점 웨이팅이 생기고 가격이 오르고 그런거다. 아사쿠사 규카츠도 이젠 편히 가기 힘든 집이 되었다. 항상 웨이팅이 장난아니다. 만약 본점에 웨이팅이 심하면 근처에 2호점이 있으니 그 쪽으로 가면 된다. 

줄이 길면 미리 주문 받는 사람이 나와서 주문을 받아놓기도 한다. 

도쿄맛집 71 킷사텐 피노키오(喫茶店ピノキオ) 오야마

이케부쿠로에서 선샤인시티 갔다가 후배를 만나서 저녁에 술한잔하고 후배네 집에서 자고 아침에 팬케익 먹으러 가자고 해서 갔던 킷사텐(커피샵이지만 조금 성격이 다르다. 약간 다방 같으면서도 간단한 음식도 판다)이 하나 있다. 할아버지가 50년 가까이 해오신 곳이라고 한다. 후배에게 뭐 특별한 곳이냐고 물으니까 노포 감성이 느껴지는 킷사텐인데 두툼한 팬케이크와 커피 마시면 좋은 곳이라고 해서 둘이 자전거를 타고 오야마로 갔다. 

반죽이 일단 우리가 집에서 굽거나 보통 가게에서 사먹는 팬케익의 반죽보다 좀 된것 같았다. 그래서 다 구워도 저런 두께가 나오는것 같았다. 그리고 보통 팬케익이 팬에 닿는 부분은 색깔이 저렇게 갈색이 안되고 팬케익에 부푼 구멍도 많은데 이 집의 팬케익은 신기하게 앞뒤가 동일하게 갈색으로 표면도 매끈하다. 이게 이집의 노하우인듯. 

계란냄새 솔솔 나는 따끈따끈한 갓구운 팬케익에 평범하지만 따뜻한 커피 한잔하니 아침에 축복받는 느낌이더라. 

일본 노포 킷사텐가서 할아버지가 만들어주는 오래된 일본감성 한스푼 하시고 싶은 분들에게는 추천. 

도쿄맛집 70 상등카레 시부야점 (上等カレー 渋谷本店)

일본어로 발음(죠-토-카레) 하면 약간 민망해지는 이 가게는 시부야에 있는 카레 맛집이다. 상등카레는 그냥 카레보다는 주로 돈카츠카레가 유명한 집이다. 

나는 두번째줄에서 왼쪽 첫번째 메뉴인 돈카츠 카레(이 집의 시그니처 메뉴)를, 여사친은 배가 많이 안고프다며 두번째줄 왼쪽에서 두번째인 에비후라이 돈카츠카레를 주문했다. 밥양도 정할수 가 있고 사이드 메뉴들도 추가 할 수 있다. 

상등카레의 돈카츠카레는 돈카츠와 카레가 참 잘 어울리는 맛이다. 일본카레를 먹을 때 야채가 다 녹아있어서 꼭 밥과 카레국물만 먹는것 같은 느낌에서 오는 허전함(?)같은 것도 없이 만족감이 좋다. 사람들마다 케바케지만 도쿄에서 먹은 카레중에서 여기가 제일 좋았다는 사람들도 여럿 봤다. 

Asakusa sanja festival (淺草 三社祭り)

Under the warm May sunshine, I went to Asakusa (淺草) to see the Sanja Matsuri (三社祭り). Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri 

is one of Tokyo's three major festivals, along with the Kanda Matsuri and the Sanno Matsuri. The Sanja Matsuri is like a local town festival for the Asakusa area, starting on the third Friday of May and ending on Sunday. Many omikoshi (portable shrines) participate, and it's famous for its intense energy. About 100 omikoshi take part in the festival.

The walk from Asakusabashi Station to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa was relatively quiet. However, when we reached 

the famous Kaminarimon (雷門), the crowd was unbelievably huge. I had heard it would be crowded, but this 

was on another level. We somehow managed to meet up at Kaminarimon and started heading towards Senso-ji. 

The first 50 meters or so were manageable. We even bought some dango (sweet rice dumplings) and had refreshing matcha (powdered green tea) along the way. But after a while, the line barely moved. Eventually, I wasn't walking by my own will anymore; I was just being pushed around by the crowd. I even got a little scared wondering if an accident might happen. And sure enough, when I got home and watched the news, I heard that several people were injured. We were finally pushed and shoved into the Senso-ji temple grounds, where an incredible number of food stalls had set up shop.

The Kokyo (皇居),  Imperial Palace 

From Nakano Station (中野驛) where I am, I can take the Tozai Line (東西線) and get off at Takebashi Station (竹橋驛) to reach the Imperial Palace (皇居). However, today I took a slightly different route. 

In reality, the inner area of the Imperial Palace where the Emperor resides is not open to the public, and only the Kokyo Higashi Gyoen (東皇居御苑), which can be considered the garden of the Imperial Palace, and the Kokyo Gaien (皇居外苑) are open for public viewing.

Usually, when I get off at Takebashi Station (竹橋驛), I cross this Hirakawa Bridge (平川橋) and enter through Hirakawa Gate (平川門), but today we went in through Kita-hanebashi Gate (北桔橋門), which is a bit further up. The bridge you see in the picture is Hirakawa Bridge.

This place that looks like a small pyramid is where the main keep, or tenshukaku (天守閣) –the tallest building often seen in Japanese castles – used to stand. Now, only the foundation remains. Originally, the Imperial Palace was Edo Castle (江戶城), which was used by the Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the shogunate was overthrown, and it became the residence of the Emperor. The imperial residence (gosho, 御所) was destroyed by fire in 1873 and rebuilt in 1888, but it burned down again in the 1945 air raids, leading to its reconstruction.

The weather was so hot that it was a bit tiring to explore the entire garden thoroughly, especially since the East Garden alone is over 200,000 square meters. We walked slowly towards the Ote-mon Gate (大手門), taking pictures along the way.

There are many fish patterns throughout the Imperial Palace. It reminds me of reading an article before that speculated on the relationship between the ancient Korean kingdom of Gaya and the Japanese imperial family, using the example of Gaya's twin fish emblem.

rikugien garden, the best place for enjoying the autumn foliage in Tokyo

I went to Rikugien Garden (六義園) to see the autumn leaves at night. In Japan, many famous spots 

for autumn foliage have lights illuminating the leaves so that they can be enjoyed even at night, and Rikugien 

is said to be one of the best places for this in Tokyo. The nighttime autumn leaves I saw at Kiyomizu-dera Temple (清水寺) in Kyoto are still vivid in my memory, so I was determined to go see them again before the leaves disappeared.

Rikugien was originally the private garden of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a samurai during the Edo period. Later, it was 

purchased by Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi, who then donated it to the city of Tokyo. In 1953, it was designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty.

Rikugien is a classic strolling garden, featuring a central pond with paths designed for walking around it.

This was almost my first proper nighttime photoshoot. However, I was met with frustration here. I was reminded once again that shooting at night without a tripod is insane. I clung to anything that could provide support, whether it was a tree or a streetlamp, like a cicada, to stabilize my camera and take shots. Out of 150 photos, I was only able to salvage about 30.

                        The illuminations create a fantastic atmosphere for the autumn leaves.

They had put up wire netting to protect the pine tree branches from breaking under the weight of the snow, and it looked like a Christmas tree all lit up.

Every trip is enjoyable in its own way, but today was truly special. It was wonderful to breathe in the fresh air of the forest after a long time and immerse myself in the fantastic scenery.

Here's a tip for those who want to see the autumn leaves in Japan. In Tokyo, the peak of the autumn foliage is usually from late November to early December. Japanese weather forecast websites provide information on the autumn foliage season in the fall.

Also, Rikugien is one of the most famous places in Tokyo for beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. In fact, most of the trees in the autumn foliage photos are cherry trees.

Please refer to Japanese weather forecast websites for the autumn foliage season.

https://tenki.jp/

Koenji Awa odori festival part 3

It's Sunday today, so I thought there might be fewer people, and I headed to Koenji with my camera. But wow... there are way more people than yesterday! It's almost impossible to see properly because I'm getting pushed around by the crowd.

As you can see by comparing with yesterday's post, there are significantly more people today. So, today I mainly focused on capturing the scenes around the streets where the Awa Odori is taking place.

Here's a stall selling okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). The surrounding convenience stores and shops probably saw their sales increase by about tenfold today.

It seems like many Japanese people enjoy shaved ice flavored with cherry or strawberry. Shaved ice varieties often just seem to be ice, food coloring, and sugar syrup, which gives them a somewhat unhealthy or artificial feel.

the Nakamura-bashi Ren (team). I remember seeing a banner yesterday when I passed by Nakamura-bashi, announcing their participation in the Awa Odori. So this is the team!

It was a bit of a struggle with the crowds today, but the Awa Odori is definitely a fun festival. If anyone asked me what the most enjoyable experience was during my time living in Tokyo, I would unequivocally say the Koenji Awa Odori is the best. It's a shame that the photos can't fully capture the excitement of the Awa Odori. For those traveling from overseas, if you check the Awa Odori dates online and book a hotel near Koenji, you can thoroughly enjoy the festival. Plus, Koenji Station is on the Chuo Line, making transportation very convenient.

Koenji Awa odori festival part2

The Awa Odori is originally a dance from Tokushima Prefecture, a type of Bon Odori (a dance performed during the Bon festival in mid-August) that's also done here in Tokyo. "Awa" (阿波) is the old name for Tokushima, and "Odori" simply means dance. People from various areas within Tokyo participate. The Awa Odori dance itself is simple yet dynamic. The women's dance involves crossing their hands and feet forward alternately, with their hands held almost above their heads, which is both cute and alluring. The music also features a repetitive, simple rhythm and melody, which I think makes it even more addictive. It's fascinating and also a bit envious to see so many people participating in and hundreds of thousands coming to watch this traditional dance.

It's not just about them dancing amongst themselves; they also shout "Yattosa~!" and constantly interact with the spectators around them, which makes it even more enjoyable.

after watching from in front of Koenji Station, I moved to the shopping street in front of Shin-Koenji Station. The street here is narrow, so the teams were lined up in a narrow and long formation as they danced. It lacked the dynamic feeling of the previous spot, but it was nice to be able to watch right up close, creating a sense of intimacy with the performers. A middle-aged man in samurai attire danced past in front of me, and he was really entertaining.

I think I should come again tomorrow. 

Koenji Awa odori festival part1

The fourth weekend of August marks the date for Koenji Awa Odori (高円寺阿波おどり), one of Tokyo's famous festivals. Koenji is close to my place, so I visit it several times a week. I previously went to the Asakusa Festival but was overwhelmed by the crowds, couldn't see anything properly, and didn't find it very enjoyable. I wonder how this one will be. Arriving at 5 PM, Koenji Station was already bustling with people, and hundreds of police officers were mobilized to manage traffic. Koenji Station and its surroundings are also the neighborhood featured in Haruki Murakami's novel 1Q84. Many young artists and aspiring entertainers live here.

The teams are typically organized with a person carrying the participating region's flag at the front, followed mainly by young women wearing geta (traditional Japanese wooden sandals) and kasa (straw hats) performing the women's dance. Then come the men (and sometimes women) dancing without geta, as shown in the picture above. The procession concludes with musicians playing instruments at the very end.

The Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli Museum is so famous it hardly needs my explanation. It's a place where the pinnacle of Japanese animation, created by Studio Ghibli centered around the renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, is exhibited. I'm not a huge animation fan, so I haven't seen many, but I have watched My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Princess Mononoke. I took a train from Koenji Station to get there.

The Ghibli Museum is located between JR Sobu Line's Kichijoji and Mitaka Stations, making it accessible from either. However, I intentionally went to Mitaka Station to take the exclusive Ghibli Museum bus. You can also walk, which takes about 15 minutes from the station.

For Ghibli, you need to book your admission ticket in advance, and there are designated entry times: 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 4:00 PM.

When you present your reservation receipt at the reception, they give you a ticket made from film. This also serves as your admission to a 15-minute movie shown inside. The movie was Totoro.

Photography is strictly prohibited inside the Ghibli Museum, so I couldn't take any pictures. I could only sneak a few shots outside the building. You can feel the immense care and attention to detail in every aspect of Ghibli's facilities, even in something as small as a uniquely designed water fountain.

                                       This is the view of Ghibli from the second-floor outdoor cafe.

The birdcage-like structure on the upper left of the photo is the staircase leading to the rooftop.

Once you go up, everyone takes a picture with this: the Robot Soldier from Castle in the Sky Laputa.

Ghibli is a place where they've put a lot of effort into everything, but it's a bit small, so the viewing ends quite quickly, which is a shame. If you ever go, I recommend not just seeing Ghibli but also taking a walk in Inokashira Park, where Ghibli is located.

Inokashira Park is a well-maintained park about 1.5 km long and is one of Tokyo's most famous. We didn't have enough time to see it all, but even at a glance, the lush woods and lake looked beautiful together. Who knows? You might even see Totoro waiting for the bus with you on a rainy day.