llllllllllllllllllll wrote:
Tokyo recommendations? Will be there for about 5 days with 3-year old in tow, so looking for a sort of area that is probably not Times Square level insane but is still easy enough to get in and out of. Even the adjoining areas outside Tokyo are ok for the right place. Best option right now seems to be Shimokitazawa and then taking the train out for different excursions.
Have not been to Tokyo since 2018, but have traveled there several times, occasionally for a month-plus just in the city. Shimokita is ok. A little on the trendy, cutesy side, at least then. But pleasant enough.
Personally, I kinda like Nakano as an alternative place to stay. You're a little more central. But atmosphere-wise, it feels far away from the insane entertainment/business/sleaze/live-music-and-record-stores hub/tourism knot of Shinjuku, even though you're right next door. Hell, it might even be quieter than Shimokita, to be honest.
Nakano is pretty residential, w/a lot of small, mum'n'pop restaurants and cafes. It's a great neighborhood to come home to after a day of exploring, and the subway lines are convenient to most of central Tokyo and points east.
Koenji is a nice but central neighborhood too. A little hipper, more music venues and record stores than Nakano, but less traditional.
llllllllllllllllllll wrote:Good food, arts, bands when I can sneak away for a bit, record stores, other shopping or browsing, I guess… we know how this goes. Family friendly-ish, I guess,
Ok, kid-friendly, so I probably shouldn't share my favorite bars in Shinjuku. Or any fine-dining options or izakayas. Right? I'll keep it simple, cheap, and childproof.
In terms of food, please cross-reference the below, since it's been a while, things change, places fall off:
Oniyanma
Original branch only, in Gotanda. Handmade udon w/special flour. Fried fishcake topping here also rules. Very old school. Cash only, pay using the ticket-vending machine out front. Outstanding, particularly for breakfast or early lunch. Supercheap. And a child would love watching the noodles get made.
Niboshi Ramen Nagi
Shinjuku Golden Gai upstairs branch. The OG anchovy-broth ramen joint. Open insanely late. Noodles are wonderfully chewy. Not exactly unknown, but worth it, especially in the middle of the night. Not 100% sure you'd want to stuff a kid into the cramped quarters and up the flight of stairs, depends on your parenting style. Maybe? Buuuut... this is right in the Golden Gai, so you'll get to experience the dozens-of-tiny-little-bars charms of that area w/o dragging your child to an actual watering hole.
Tonkatsu Marugo
1 Chome-8-14 Sotokanda, Chiyoda. Best tonkatsu we tried in Tokyo, despite the unassuming appearance and locale.
Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten
1-5-4 Higashiazabu, Minato-ku. Well-known trad unagi (eel) restaurant, but worth every penny
Okajoki
5 Chome-59-3 Nakano. An izakaya, yes, but more of a real restaurant than a cramped bar. Specializes in grilled fish, some of which is cooked over hot charcoal at the center of an open kitchen (robatayaki), which is no doubt visually appealing for a kid.
Ohitsuzen Tanbo
1 Chome-41-9 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Low-key, deeply traditional spot off Yoyogi park w/particularly affordable set meals (lunch is a good deal) revolving around perfectly grilled or stewed fish and excellent rice from Niigata prefecture.
Records:
Disc Union is a Japanese chain, but it's classic and price and selection of used stuff can't be beat. There are many around town, but the five-story (or was it seven?) Shinjuku flagship and the Shibuya location are possibly the best.
Nat is the classic Shinjuku punk and hardcore shop.
Los Apson? for experimental and specifically Japanese stuff. Now located in Koenji. Very eccentric vibe, as well, though not as much fun as the long-gone original location in a Shinjuku apartment.
Record Shop Base in Koenji for more punk.
Last but not least, Neds is my favorite shop in Tokyo. Mostly noise, experimental, and some post-punk w/lots of cool, rare stuff. What makes it special is that it's a one-man show, hidden away in a residential apartment building, w/relatively erratic hours (evening-only and weekends, if I'm remembering it right). But it's something of a timewarp to 1990s Japan, when "hidden" shops like this were more common in the neighborhood.
Bands:
Shinjuku Loft is a classic venue w/a lot of history behind it. Very well-known, but worth checking who's playing.
SupernaturalDeluxe used to be SuperDeluxe in Roppongi. But some years ago, it moved out to Kamogawa in Chiba prefecture (the burbs). Nowadays, it's as much a cultural space as a place for bands to play. Way back when, it was a hub for stuff like Keiji Haino, various Boredoms projects, High Rise, etc. Could be worth a field trip if someone you dig is playing. Gigs seem to start early there now, so...
Have fun. I'll be in Japan in April, but down south, in Kyushu, eventually making my way to Osaka at the end of May. (Would love some recs for down that way myself, if anyone has 'em!)
