Eating Like a Local

WARNING -- THIS ENTRY IS A WEE BIT LENGTHY Japan is made up of over 6000 islands, is roughly the size of California and has a population of 127 million people -- which works out to 337 people per square kilometer, or 1 person for every 3 square meters! A mind-boggling statistic and hard to imagine! But as soon as you step into a metro or train station the sheer volume of people is overwhelming and you have to wonder where they all go at night!

We were very fortunate to have booked bed-and-breakfast style accommodation somewhat removed from the high-density areas of the city, in a peaceful neighbourhood across from a high school. Here the locals go quietly about their daily business. The nearest metro station is a 5 minute walk and one of the busiest stations is about 20 minutes away. Perfect for us!

On our first foray into the city we took the subway to a nearby station to walk through the neighbourhood of Yanaka and Ueno Park. Yanaka is one of Tokyo's few old neighbourhoods to have survived major earthquakes and the firebombs of World War II, It is still largely residential, with narrow lanes, small houses, and a few unique museums and traditional shops tucked here and there. Because there are no major attractions or department stores, the atmosphere is markedly calm - there are no crowds and there's very little traffic. A trip to Yanaka is like a visit to a small town, where the pace of life is slow and the people have time for one another We began at a beautiful 500 year old temple, then wandered through one of Tokyo's largest cemeteries with over 7000 tombstones belonging to famous public figures, artists, and writers, Following a designated walking route, we passed more ancient temples and pagodas, then followed a pedestrian-only shopping street with tiny crafts shops and restaurants.

Graveyard stroll

At the end of the tour was the beautiful Nezu temple, surrounded by ancient cedars and manicured azalea bushes. The temple itself was striking but it was the grounds around it that were impressive. Pathways framed by red "toriis" or wooden arched gated lined walkways above a large pond. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful and we could understand why many would seek refuge here from the frantic pace of life. We then headed to Ueno Station to find a lunch spot (a "don" bowl--meat and rice, fast and cheap).

Beautiful grounds of Nezu Temple

The goal for the rest of the afternoon was to explore Ueno Park, one of the largest park in greater Tokyo. It contains a lake for boating, a zoo, and a famous temple. More importantly it has a number of major museums lining its boundaries. After a few hours exploring the park and wandering the cherry blossom tree-lined pathways, we visited the Tokyo National Museum. It was an excellent facility filled with exquisite Asian art old and new. After all the walking we needed a break so we returned to the B&B for a power nap (jet lag still a factor), then decided to check out a yakitori restaurant close to the hotel.

This restaurant had very little signage to mark its existence but we could see a few Japanese people inside at the counter. So we boldly walked in and ordered the set menu of 5 yakitori (meat skewers). The first was chicken breast chunks lightly seared but completely RAW inside. Salmonella screamed in my head and I just couldn't put those chunks of pink meat in my mouth. I requested more cooking time, which surprised the cook (I guessed this was not a normal request) but he kindly obliged. The next 2 skewers were mystery meat, until we reread the menu. Oh no!---chicken gizzards and liver. What were we thinking! But hey--we're in Japan and this is what Japanese eat...so we bravely put a piece of each into our mouths. I actually didn't mind the liver and Kevin was OK with the gizzards (I gave my gizzards to Kevin). The fourth skewer was described on the menu as "chicken things" so we weren't sure, but I think it was actually thigh and breast meat. For our last skewer we got something recognizable--quail eggs (yummy!)!

We washed this feast down with beer and topped the experience off with some warm sake. Later the owner came by to take our money and we had a short conversation. She was so impressed that we were travelling as mother and son that she gave me a tiny origami frog! our first example of the welcoming attitude and kindness of the Japanese people.