Ginza Grubbin

All right, so my first moments in Ginza didn’t thrill- but hey I just needed to get warmed up a little! There happened to be lots of food for me to taste, and as usual I got right to it.

Most malls and department stores in Tokyo have a food court on the bottom two floors or sometimes one on the bottom and one on the top. If there are in fact two, one is more food court and one is like an extra deluxe version of a whole foods deli and bakery, but each little stand is a separate specialized vendor. One high-end department store, Matzuya had the perfect area for me to browse and sample, candied fruits, splendid little cakes and soft sponge like cookies.  And if you don’t have a sweet tooth, not to worry these treats are not as sugared out as their American counterparts.

 

$260 bucks for two perfect melons, insert joke here.

Green Tea Mouse cake from Sola

Yup, for $38 you too can taste the white strawberry 

While the bourgeois gets all the glory in this neighborhood, all that glitters as it turns out isn’t gold. Take yourself away from all the sparkle and into the dark shadows and well you may end up finding a true gem.

This can't be right...

One such oasis was Yurakucho ally, literally hidden under the train tracks lies a small strip of bustling hole in the walls each filled with salary men in suits getting their grub and drink on.  Anyone going for a visit that has a little patience to find the place, will be glad they did! The super friendly and funky wait staff contrasted the uniformed patrons.  They also did their best to help our non-Japanese speaking asses order some food, and I mean what asshole wouldn’t love the cute little kitty drinking beer as the restaurants logo? The food was simple and yummy and this was the first spot I had the fortune to taste the mythical Asahi Black, ooooo ahhhhh.

top left: fermented barley, mushroom and miso top right: dehydrated, rehydrated fish bottom left: garlic and clams in boiling oil bottom right: various chicken skewers and Asahi black

Yura-cuchi.  No, you are.

Freakin Good -get in my belly!

Other alleys, more sensibly lit I’ll be it also turned up some tasty morels. Oh course these dining experiences are always a full on game of charades where I point frantically at other customers food, say things like “no beef” and “how much” in English to no end and finally just sigh and say “more biru, arigato.,” deeply ashamed of my complete lack of Japanese language skills.  The most useful thing you can learn to say in these scenarios is “I’ll have whatever you recommend,” the Japanese are sensible enough they aren’t gonna bring you the whole cow and you will usually end up with something pretty yummy that there is no way in hell you could have ordered even with your phrase book.

Whole fish in sweet soy broth

Tempura served in broth bowl

Sushi was one thing that I was shocked to find out was not on every street corner and is generally even pricier than it is in the US. There were entire areas that didn’t appear to have much in the way of it at all. Over all the food was different than I had anticipated, with a much greater variety of things than we get to try here, including surprising items like varieties on what we would consider a Chinese fried rice or deep fried mashed potato’s (drool).

Luckily I can't ask what it is. 

The Tsukiji Nippon Fish Market is a spot, as much as part of it has become a tourist attraction it is still a functioning wholesale market and worth the 6 am visit. The sushi there literally couldn’t be fresher and you will end up paying about half of what you would at a reputable sushi place else where in Tokyo (still about $50 a head). It’s not just the price but also the place, the little details around you. The sushi is room temperature, the variety of fish and critters available is fun and the uni, makes you think what ever they are serving us here has got to be spoiled. The actual market (as opposed to where you eat the sushi) is really cool to wander around in, taking in all the fish for sale, along with all the other traditional products seafood and otherwise based. You can find lots of goodies here including fresh made mochi and red bean bars as well as cool ceramics and house wares.

Yamazaki Sushi-top right, the wild cards: abalone and mantis shrimp

Now if you are feeling anti-social you can always pick something up from a vending machine or even eat in a restaurant with fellow hermits, ordering from a kiosk and only slightly nodding when a human drops of your preselected, prepaid item to your seat.  And remember, when in doubt “O-susume,” you might not get what you were looking for exactly but you will get to try something new!

Grand Entrance on the Ginza

Wine on the plane, for free, what a great fucking idea, makes for an easy landing. Rolling all of my luggage out of the subway stop and down the Tokyo streets towards my Airbnb studio, there was no notable indication I was anywhere special. No beautiful people, not many people at all in fact, and no beautiful buildings either. 

Where was the ornate beauty at every bend? The crazy oddities? Thoughts started rushing through my head to all my preconceived notions of Japan, of all the stories I had heard... none of which to my slight disappointment, in those first moments, seemed to be true.

Challenging those notions is of course part of the joy of traveling, that way you update the checklist with more accurate ones. The moment we arrived at the apartment, I almost breathed a sigh of relief. My then boyfriend who is six feet was literally the same height as the doors. In fact, I later realized he was the single tallest person, I saw at the end of a two-week period, period. Here we go I thought, this is more like it!

Walking in the place was tinny, tiny. The bathroom, including the shower was a 3x3 cell. Being 5’2 basically nothing is ever too small for me but my knees hit the door while seated on the toilet! And the shower was so narrow I only fit sideways, back or front to the wall without hitting the curtain. At that point I was starting to feel that joyous feeling of obviously being somewhere different.

Barley a pot to piss in

Don't hit your head boo!

In the light of day we came to realize that we were actually only about four blocks from the vibrant heart of the Ginza district. Hello shopping! I guess I could compare this to 5^th Avenue in NYC but then that would still be small comparatively. Streets were lined with white lights, and skyscraping malls for days, all very tastefully decorated.  

The scale of just this one neighborhood in terms of impressive skyscrapers and bustling areas had me repeatedly thinking that anyone visiting San Frnacisco from Tokyo must just think its so freaking quaint and adorable. Our city ended up looking like a adorable little village next to the empressive Ginza. And, well, that was just the tip of the iceberg…

Bustling by Bike

While in Singapore I had no car and I was lucky enough to stay with some friends in a beautiful big house. Those very same friends- happened to have a few bikes just lying around with no one to ride them.  So, I did what any thoughtful person would do; I hopped my butt on one of those lonely bikes and got busy a-peddlin’!

Thanks Carmen and Paul for the accomodations 

One really chill place to bike is East Coast Park. This is a multipurpose water front trail that meanders along the beach, circling around half of the island. I only took it fifteen miles or so. There are plenty of spots to rent bikes there but biking is not the only activity to be had here. Roller blading is definitely alive and well in these parts, and my inner 90’s child was very pleased to see the sport florishing. Stopping for a beer at an outdoor hawker center I took in the surrounding Singaporean people, the sun, and the smell of the salt water. This is a relaxing place to ride for any level of rider due to the flat path and lack of motor vehicles.

I also spent some time wandering through different neighborhoods, and the variety of temples is impressive. Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Muslim places of worship are scattered with in arms reach of each other. This variety, naturally matches the people of Singapore in diversity. The majority is ethnic Chinese and minority Anglo (I would estimate about 5%- high for an Asian country), with a whole spectrum in between. It was very cool to be in a mix, which I had not seen before. and although a different mix, definitely one rivaling the bay area. 

Buddhist

Tao

Muslim 

Token white girl

Hindu

Another leisurely ride I took, was through the manicured path outside the Marina Bay Golf Course. It is paved with flowers and ferns and an occasional monitor lizard and it goes up one side of marina bay. As you cross over a small bridge before the bay breaks out to the ocean you arrive in the Gardens by the Bay. 

The "boat" on top of the MBS

This side of the bay is the part of Singapore you see in all the photos, and not for no reason it’s got a lot going on! Those rad dome like buildings house different botanical gardens, and the grounds have several museums all ornately designed. But if you prefer to shop and eat don’t worry there is plenty for you as well. A visually stimulating and refreshing ride for sure, but if you want to really get refreshed you need to look up.

At the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino is a massive boat like structure that connects the three towers. Down one side of the “boat” is a fantastic infinity pool (you have to be a hotel guest to go in) and the other half is a restaurant, club and lounge. At the Ku De Ta the drinks are tasty and the view is fantastic. Down below you can see the whole city including the famous Merlion, the “floating” soccer field and all the cargo ships out at sea. Careful though, after a few cocktail that ride home might seem too relaxed!