Fancy A Pint - Tokyo

I've got a trip to Examville next week, I can hardly wait, it's looking like I'll go back there in August aswell.

(Zones 1-6 = London Zone 7 = Rest of Great Britain Zone 8 = Rest Of The Wurld)

Tokyo has no Soho but a Saga, the upcoming art district out by Tokyo Bay. It's pretty godforsaken. The place to meet would be Office, a bar right by exit 3 of Gaienmae tube (Ginza Line). If you're free tonight, come along to Cafe Aux Baccanales on Meiji Dori, just along from La Foret in Harajuku. I'm performing at 2am with Emi Necozawa.

Anyroad, Pete, Momus, I'd love to meet up for a pint in Tokyo sometime. Thursdays and Sundays are best for me. I look forward to fetishizing your otherness and speaking English with you ; p ! And would either of you care to visit the Shiseido cosmetic garden with me? It sounds heavenly, but do they allow men to try on the make-up?

I'm afraid I can't recommend a place because I hardly know any part of Tokyo. I drank a can of lemon water in one of the underground stations. I had pasta and wine at a serviceable trattoria across from Takamaya Department Store next to the train station at Shinjuku. I had a quick but satisfying meal of sushi served on conveyor belts at the central underground train station restaurant. That's about the extent of my eating and drinking experience in Tokyo.

Thursday afternoon is possible, but Saturday afternoon/evening would be better. I have an appointment on Thursday morning that could last until about 1pm. Then I plan to meet some friends for dinner and see a British production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" later on.

So, I guess no one wants to go to the Shiseido Cosmetic Garden with me. Boohoo. I will go by myself and scare away all the pretty breads with my ugly face and depressing talk. No, wait a minute, that's Kogepan's line.

http://www.super-deluxe.com/

Starts about 7pm, entrance is free (well, donation). More details:

www.demon.co.uk/momus/news.html

SuperDeluxe is an interesting bar to check out anyway. Be sure to check out both bathrooms -- whatever your gender -- because they double as art galleries. And it's a good excuse to go snooping. 'Ah, I was told the show in here was interesting.'

Too bad I already have a Mt. Fuji climb set for that date.

Playing in Yokohama?

neone?

neone?

― tpp, Friday, April 6, 2012 5:41 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there might be one? i have unshakeable faith i n ilxors being everywhere

me and lxy will be in town monday through sunday next week. it'd be fun to buy a local a drink or meet up w/another passer-through. we'll mostly be aoyama-ish

one more tokyo 5 am saturday bump

Hey, me and Madchen will be in town Sun-Fri too! Fancy a pint?

FANCY INDEED!!!

tuesday night 6 pm, say where

Perfect! No idea where -- apptly it's quite hard to find just-pint places, so maybe we should get some dinner too?

Dinner sounds great! This is a really fun turn of events.

We could meet in Ebisu: not the craziness of shinjuku or shibuya, still very central and on the circle line, lots of dinner options, used to gaijin.

The main congregating area is to the northwest of the station, a little plaza on komazawa-dori. We could take everyone's temperature and figure out what sounds good?

lxy is emailing you our phone numbers presently.

Sounds perfect - have just sent you ours as well

okay whew, we've arrived! checked in, procured salty snacks and tall beers. got your text, will be in touch!

This is rather belated, but it was great to meet you lxy and anky! Now back in London, enjoying a final jet lag recovery day (Stet is at work, ha ha). Hope the rest of your holiday was good and Onsen Birthday was a success.

I will be in Tokyo next Monday (14th) until Friday afternoon as well, if there's anyone still around? But I'm there for work and I still haven't gotten my full itinerary yet, so any planning will have to wait a bit.

aw, dear madchen, what a pleasure to meet you and stet. our trip to the mountain springs was terrific; your kyoto journey was good? my only regret is that we didn't have time to meet you a second time, for coffee at the excelsior caffe. we're home now, working, feeling craaaaazy.

Great to meet you, Madchen! That was really fun. Half way around the world and there are ilxors.

It took 11 years, threadstarter Pete, but ilxors finally had a pint in tokyo. so, thanks.

sorry to miss you, roz. have a great time in the silly big city

Aw, sorry to miss you guys too. Thanks, I'm sure I will!

Anyone up for it?

Funnily enough we were talking to friends yesterday who are planning a trip to Tokyo, and we told them about how we met up with lxy and anky! Sadly I can’t see us making it back to Japan any time soon :(

Yeah, I'm not even sure how many Xors are in town these days....

I'm happy to send you my info if your friends want a contact while they're here (random guy from messageboard, better than nothing, I guess...)

My wife and I are going in October! She needs help preparing a slip of paper in Japanese that clearly explains that she is allergic to all fruit and gluten so that she can make menu selections carefully, understanding the challenge in Japan to avoid soy sauce most notably, but her fruit allergy is more dangerous so it’s important to be comfortable with the recipes she’s considering at any given place.

Cool! October's a good time of year to visit... if you send me a dietary explanation, I'm happy to translate it for you...

Ha I wrote that so quickly that I didn't realize how much I was basically just blatantly asking for that here... sorry I think I was venting about her challenge and it came out as a not-so-subtle request to you. So I feel bad about that, but I appreciate that you're willing to

No worries, happy to help out... :)
...but yes, avoiding soy sauce is going to take some doing...

I’ve heard anecdotally that many USians experience allergies attributed to gluten and fruit which actually stem from farming chemicals used on them, and are surprised to find they can eat these things abroad. Not something to play the lottery with of course.

matttkkkkk is OTM. My egg allergy was somehow "cured" during my frequent Japan trips in the 90s/00s (maybe in unison to relocating to SF as well), now I spend a bit more and find that I rarely have issues with eggs any longer.

I'm talking full on raw egg over rice, or some raw yolky nabe, made me feel like Stallone in '76 tbh.

Have to go back to Tokyo soonish, def want to wait til the heat subsides. May not be FAP worthy unless you want to hang with my colleagues and/or family which I don't blame you for hard passing.

Yeah that's possible but not applicable to my wife's situation. Her fruit allergy is serious and is due to a shared DNA in trees that her body reacts to. The gluten allergy is less severe thankfully but still would be uncomfortable for an annoyingly long stretch if exposed (AKA if ingested).

Here's what she would need to convey clearly in Japanese:

"I am severely allergic to all fruit (except for limes and lemons which are fine) as well as chickpeas. If I accidentally consume fruit or chickpeas I will require urgent medical attention. I am also allergic to gluten, which includes the wheat in soy sauce. Can you please kindly help me understand which of your menu options are safe for me to enjoy? Thank you very much for your help and understanding!"

Tried to word that in a way where it acknowledges clearly that it is not a preference so as not to seem purposefully difficult/fussy, and also a willingness to first explore what is already safe on the menu as we're hearing chefs may not be keen to make modifications. What do you think?

Also since the gluten allergy is not life threatening (like the fruit) I mentioned it separately but also didn't want to make it sound like it is "OK" because really any amount consumed does create digestive inflammation that can last a couple of days and is no fun! If we made it sound trivial we worry some people might say "it's ok there's just a little" or "this is better quality wheat so you'll probably be OK" etc. since those are misconceptions.

Cool, I think that's quite well worded, I'll get on it over the weekend...
Does your ilxmail work?

its tough, is yuzu an exception or just those two citrus fruits, that might be worth pointing out if so

when friends with strict dietary requirements visit i usually go for yakiniku and yakitori (salt option for latter, avoiding any marination for the former) which im sure has already occurred to you and you don't want to eat that every meal for a week, or halal spots (usu indonesian, chinese, central asian, indian etc but sometimes making japanese food) that might have nearer to mind what goes in a dish or be generally restrictive

dylannn, are you in tokyo now?

yes that's right. i've been here since 2015

Cool, since late May for me...

Doesn't seem like we're going to get a full-on fap going, but maybe this can be the thread for folks who are planning a trip, or if there's a fun show coming up or whatever...

Mr Shasta, I think I'd feel a fifth wheel to join your family trip, but thanks for the invite... and likewise, if there's a good show happening while you're here, maybe we can cobble together a minifap or something....

I believe my ilxmail still works - thanks so much!

And yes dylannn yakitori is certainly something to fall back on, as is onigiri. We do have a lot of experience navigating so we will be vigilant, it just helps to make sure the restaurants clearly understand the challenge and stakes. Yuzu however is definitely not a safe option... the exception of limes and lemons is sort of miraculous, but we're definitely not aware of any others as most are a serious danger. Trial and error is not an option!

In Tokyo from the 3rd to the 8th, then Osaka, then Okinawa, very excited!

How annoyed are ppl in Japan by the torrent of tourists coming in?

after forty years into economic stagnation, rising cost of living, wages flat,
the weak yen making it impossible to travel out of japan
the weak yen bringing in tourism that still has not peaked (rather than the orderly, civilized chinese and koreans, who simply go to ginza / asakusa or other places equipped somewhat for tourism, noticeable now are the european, americans, australians diverted from bali or thailand, flipflops and khaki shorts, dragging suitcases and toting rucksacks, who show up in search of authentic experiences, which revolve around convenience stores [this can mean bawling come ons to passing women while drinking outside the family mart, stumping the indonesians that work the local lawson with slow, broken english or attempts at japanese, or preferably, i suppose, taking photographs of egg sandwiches)
are demeaning but not enough to push anyone over the edge (maybe in kyoto). why would they let uguisudani be taken over by tourists to the extent that delivery health girls and creeps are outnumbered by holidaymakers? i would gladly take another global pandemic.

<3

I am very paranoid over commiting faux pas but then I watch/read Japanese complaints about tourists and it's obvious asshole stuff like "they cut in line" which makes me think/hope I'll be ok

When I was 20 my mate and I had gutter burgers one night and immediately felt the scornful eyes of a whole nation. But besides that we kept things pretty normal and civilised and never felt any ill-will. Rather it was insane politeness wherever we went. Same goes for my trip last year.

dylannn as an Aus tourist from 10-15 years ago I am kinda dreading the shift in vibe when I go back to Osaka next month. Is it awful?

Maybe we could cobble together a minifap while DRF is in town....

the vibes in general have never been worse but the tourism part has to be put in context. these reports are regular now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm3OX_QuPTs, focusing on foreigners drinking on the street, for example. this highlights a more concrete violation of social order, one like harassing geisha or unsafe traffic behavior in front of sightseeing spots that might actually break a law or taking photographs of daycare children, which articulates a general crankiness and sense of being put upon by mass tourism, a sense that like many other things taking place in the country mass tourism is another shortsighted scheme run for the benefit of people that don't need more benefits, a sense that japanese people are getting a raw deal (the tourism stories are accompanied by others about how the japanese now drag bags of rice with them to hawaii since the yen makes everything too expensive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhcPDROLmc). what i mean is that nobody actually cares about foreigners street drinking (it is a great tradition here, after all) but it's something people can use to safely vent their frustration with the current social and political system, i might say, speaking in a grand way.

but we avoid here certain economic problems caused by tourism in european centers. the infrastructure to handle it is being developed. most visitors are sweet and curious people that are paranoid about transgressing at least basic rules of conduct. it's nice to see local businesses that struggled through the pandemic getting a boost. it's nice that my friends visit tokyo. a more varied sort of drinker outside of convenience stores is generally a good thing.

That's interesting for sure. I had heard Japan briefly overtook Bali as the number one holiday destination from Australia but I had assumed it was ski-heads going to Hokkaido and central Kyushu. I went to Tokyo and Aniai (Akita-ken) briefly in Feb-Mar last year and rarely saw any tourists that I can remember. Kyoto back in 2017 was overrun, I saw fusillades of cameras surrounding every maiko who stepped out the door, and visiting Kinkaku-ji was literally a single file procession with busloads of Chinese tourists.
Around Osaka I think we will be heading for walks in the mountains where possible - I know it's going to be brutal weather but my partner loves the great outdoors. She's also a major enthusiast for the food there so we will see how those balance out! I'm just there for culture and the lived experience, I could care less about getting hammered outside a konbini.

Maybe we could cobble together a minifap while DRF is in town....

Would love this! I'll also be in Osaka from the 8th to the 13th if anyone's around.

dyl, my recent visit to Honolulu was shockingly absent of the omnipresent throngs of J-tourists, it was really surreal... RIP JPY*

*from someone who spent the bulk of my time in JP when the USD was ~80-82 JPY, perhaps that harshness made that experience far more authentic L(笑)L

I think there was a conversation on another JP thread that remote suburbs (not quite inaka, deepish yet with deece rail access) are likely my bag from here on out... unless I can get approved for Conrad or equivalent which might happen if the yen keeps tanking.

(happy GW lol)

Cool!
Anyone up for a Tokyofap can shoot me a line via ilxmail or at tokyo✧✧✧.✧.mif✧✧✧@antic✧✧✧.n✧✧ and we'll set something up...

(that's a burner address, but it'll work for making contact...)

I was in Tokyo over the weekend and yes immigration was crazy full, the fun intensified by contradictory signs as to wether to use the paper form or the new QR code system, and yes all the usual places are busy but you don’t have to step very far outside of them to get away from the hordes. I was staying in Yotsuya and there were only a few other obvious tourists.

The westerners at Japan craft sake week in Roppongi Hills seemed mostly to be expats with maybe a few who got curious about the techno and stumbled after buying a gucci handbag or whatever.

Went to a festival at a sake brewery in Higashimurayama and I was the only western face. Had a blast chatting and drinking with the other drunkards. Headline band was the 切腹ピズトルズ, I’d never heard of them and I’d never seen a mosh pit in a brewery or anyone stage dive with a drum but apparently they are a thing and turn up at punk festivals in the US a bit.

Basically I think a lot of spaces remain intimidating or unknown to tourists, a few will actively shut people out but many will choose not to serve that market. Case I point is my favourite izakaya in Kagurazaka, not off the tourist trail at all but if you get past the obscure sign, odd genkan and sliding door arrangement you’ll find a very welcoming counter seat and a baffling smudgy menu on a whiteboard. Order some pickles, sashimi and a sake, ask what’s good today and you’re away. I had sea squirt at the weekend, which had texture and tasted of soy sauce, mirin and ginger and not of whatever unseasoned sea squirt tastes like.

Sounds like a fun weekend!
Kagurazaka is so chill... did you go to the centipede temple?

I think it's up to you whether you do the qr code or the paper, you just stand in different lines depending.

Ilxmsiled you slowsquatch