Oh. Wait. At Tokyo Midtown this summer, they are! On the lawn that hosts those amazing winter illuminations, they’ve constructed a wide wooden veranda enclosing a “rock garden,” complete with clouds of mist and a fireworks-themed lightshow. And the best part is, you can sit and dangle your feet for as long as you like,Continue reading “If Only Japanese Rock Gardens Were Filled With Cooling Mist & Illuminations…”
Category Archives: Bars, Cafés & Restaurants
How About A Nice Cup Of Civet Poop Coffee?
The kopi luwat civet poops coffee. Or, to be more precise, it climbs to the top of coffee trees, eats the ripest beans, digests the fruity bits around the seed and, er, leaves the rest for industrious pooper-scoopers to turn into the world’s weirdest brew. Of course, once I spied a weird old-fashioned coffee bar near Shinjuku station withContinue reading “How About A Nice Cup Of Civet Poop Coffee?”
Haunted Prison Restaurant? Yes, Please!
Do you even have to ask? Of course Tokyo has a restaurant where you get locked into a cell and made to drink cocktails with eyeballs in them! Every group gets their own private cell, and each seating features a monster show with live cast members roaming the prison. Food is fairly decent, with well-executed prison-themed names andContinue reading “Haunted Prison Restaurant? Yes, Please!”
Catch Your Own Noodles
Next time you hoist a brew over the sad story of the one that got away, nobody is going to believe it was a NOODLE. But if you want to snag a tasty bite of nagashi sōmen, that’s just what might happen when you try to scoop the slippery little dudes up with your chopsticksContinue reading “Catch Your Own Noodles”
A Day In The Life: What’s It Like To Be A Host?
Join veteran host Sakura-san as he teaches his new recruit “Yua-kun” the ropes! First, a run-down of a typical day in Yua’s life: 11:00 a.m.: Wake up* Noon: Go to the hair salon to get his tresses waxed, teased, arranged and sprayed. 1:00 p.m.: Go home and relax until it’s time to go to workContinue reading “A Day In The Life: What’s It Like To Be A Host?”
Tokyo Steampunk!
Alice In Wonderland X Jules Verne! Gothic Lolita X Victorian Mourning! Manga X Edwardian Gentleman! In the land where costume is king (and often queen, even if you’re not a woman!), steampunk does not disappoint. The Tokyo Steampunk Society has adopted a time travel motif, which allows anybody who already cosplays to reimagine themselves inContinue reading “Tokyo Steampunk!”
Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant
I have to admit, until last week I’d never been to a restaurant where my waitress brought me an egg, set it on fire and turned it into a chicken. Apparently, when the waitress is a ninja, this is no big deal. A minor exertion, in fact, after conjuring up a drawbridge so we couldContinue reading “Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant”
The Jellyfish & Shark Bar
Now you don’t have to trek to the aquarium in Ikebukuro to see your favorite wiggly and bite-y creatures of the deep – right next to Ebisu station is Medusa, where you can sip the beverage of your choice while being mesmerized by the glow! Additional entertainment may be had by perusing the Standard LiqueursContinue reading “The Jellyfish & Shark Bar”
Getting Carded, Japanese Style
The average Japanese teenager may have it rough when it comes to taking entrance exams that will determine his whole future, but he never has to spend hours in front of the mirror, practicing intoning the words, ” rum and coke” in a deep voice and desperately trying to look 21. All the underage drinkerContinue reading “Getting Carded, Japanese Style”
Live Music for Eight
Remember how I was talking about shoebox-sized businesses here in Tokyo? Well, around the corner from Eat A Peach in Shimokitazawa is the Apollo Jazz Bar. As you walk by on the narrow street outside, the sound of pro musicians jamming wafts up the steps from this basement grotto, calling you in like the Pied Piper.Continue reading “Live Music for Eight”
Cola Beer and Other Cocktail Delights
Saw these advertised outside an izakaya in Ikebukuro last weekend. For your happy hour entertainment: RED EYE: Beer + tomato juice SHANDY GAFF: Beer + ginger ale DOUBLE BERRY: Beer + cassis + cranberry PEACH HEART: Beer + shō-chū + white peach ROYAL YEBISU: Beer + royal jelly + lemon honey DOUBLE BLACK: Dark beer +Continue reading “Cola Beer and Other Cocktail Delights”
Gateway to Kitty Nirvana
In a country where many people live in places too small for pets, cat cafés are a booming business. For about $10 an hour, anyone (over the age of 12) can sip a latte and pet herds of cats for as long as their wallets hold out or until their allergies kick in. The mostContinue reading “Gateway to Kitty Nirvana”
Speedboat Sushi
Conveyor belt sushi joints are a fast food fixture in Japan, but I’d never been to one that delivered the special orders on a red speedboat before. This place near my Japanese school in Takanobaba has a system: each setting is outfitted with its own touchscreen, and you can choose up to four plates at aContinue reading “Speedboat Sushi”
The Vinegar Cafe
Vinegar is not my favorite thing. Not even close. So I was kind of lukewarm on the idea of going to a café where the house specialty was drinks based on fruit vinegar. How could I have been so wrong? The drinks were so delicious, I’ve been back to Marusan several times since, just toContinue reading “The Vinegar Cafe”
Midnight Mess
Saturday night I went to the monthly Goth party at Club Marz and met up with famed author/journalist/TV host La Carmina, who was filming a segment for NHK Tokyo Kawaii TV. The fabulous outfits and makeup of everybody there – especially La Carmina and Yukiro – are always a visual treat. And the entertainment didContinue reading “Midnight Mess”
Canine Dining At The Dog Café!
After cavorting at the Dog Petit Resort Joker, Yoko and I took Fuki and Sala to their favorite Odaiba lunch spot: the Puppies Café. Every table comes equipped with a water dish for the dogs and a canine menu. While we ate indifferent “American style” salads, dogs all around us were dining on gourmet steakContinue reading “Canine Dining At The Dog Café!”
The Most Expensive Bonito Guts I Ever Ate
In case you didn’t immediately recognize the gourmet tidbits in the lovely dishes above, the one on the left is “Shrimp and udo plants dressed with salted and fermented bonito guts” and the one in the center is “Hairy crab and butterbur dressed with egg yolk and vinegar.” This was the auspicious first course inContinue reading “The Most Expensive Bonito Guts I Ever Ate”
Only In Japan 