Archive for the ‘Discover Old Downtown Tokyo’ Category

“Kawaii” World of Japanese Penny Candies 1

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

To start with, this Japanese Yen being super strong is crazy and I hope you won’t give up visiting Japan because of it,  for you still can have fun in Tokyo without high expense. Today I’m going to introduce you a way to have fun with 500Yen- Buying “Kawaii” penny candies!

Here is what we bought for around 500Yen. “Dagashi”or petty candies are always loved by Japanese kids and are often sold at tiny“Dagashiya” (petty candy shop) on the small corners. Kinshicho area is deeply related with the production and distribution of the petty candies. The area used to be one of the major wholesale districts of Dagashi, where they distributed candies to the each small store on the street. Today small numbers of these wholesale stores remain, but we still see several wholesale stores and manufacturers in Kinshicho district.

$$$Kids Wants to be a Cool Adult Too$$$

Fake beer powder(it makes fuzzy “beer.”) a neat box of blueberry flavored cigarette,  bottles of soda and strawberry flavored “whisky”, 100million yen bills, chocolate “gold bars” and sexy “kiss” gummy!! The gold bar even has a stamp of the Swiss bank showing the genuineness. How much will you need to acquire all of those fabulous bling-blings!? with 300 Yen.

☆☆☆The Art of Miniature☆☆☆


Making fine miniatures is one of Japanese people’s great talent and even in the penny candies you can see the meticulous work.These are only examples of  japanese meticulous art of miniature, which you can buy with 10~30Yen. Miniature custard pudding,miniature yogurt cups( They do contain yogurt flavored cream)miniature  coffee drink, grape fruit juice and orange juice (These packages contain  confetti candies of each flavor!) Miniature delivery track and miniature trains (contain chocolate confetti)  miniature cans of coke and soda(containing tiny candies of each flavor!), miniature ramen and miniature bento-box making kit. (Bento box kit was 200Yen)

***Miscellaneous***

Left: Soybean flour candy. Right: Brown sugar cake. Looks less fancy but actually tastes more better than other stuff.

A fortune telling mini chocolate sheet. Behind the each chocolate balls tells about everything that matters for 10 years old, such as home works, allowance, friends, love, and parents, with ◎ 〇△×

 

Umai-bo(dellicious bars) is one of the most popular dagashi snack and also easy to find at many  convenience stores and supermarkets. Umai-bo  is not only for  kids, but  adults can  enjoy it with beer.  Umai-bo has 13~14 flavors, such as cheese, curry, takoyaki, corn soup, mayonnaise, chocolate and so on. This most famous snack was invented by Yaokin company, located in Sumida ward.

Fruit flavored tiny chewy candies. Love the sherbet colors! We are going to introduce the very cool miniature making kit in the next report so please keep checking our blog!

 

 

Explore “Tokyo Sky Tree”

Friday, August 26th, 2011

The Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting, restaurants and observation tower under construction in Sumida-ku, Japan. It will be the second tallest tower after Burj Khalifa in Dubai upon finished. The tower has now reached its total height of 634 meter by March 2011 but construction still undergoing and it would not open until March 2012. The height of 634 is selected because the figures 6(mu), 3(sa), 4(shi), “Musashi” represented the old name of the place where Tokyo Sky Tree stands now.

Photo taken right down of Sky Tree

Tokyo Sky Tree

Bridge to the Tokyo Sky Tree

There are a lot of points around Tokyo Sky Tree for taking photos. Hence, it would be great if you could bring a map showing photo points. However, you don’t have to worry even if you don’t have one. You may see a lot of signboards around Tokyo Sky Tree showing the map, photo points, restaurant guide and other information.

Information nearby Tokyo Sky Tree can be found on this map

If you find it hard to take a two shot photo with this giant structure. Don’t worry. Try to find a stand with mirror like this around there. By using the reflection of the mirror, you can put yourself and the tower in a photo easily.

A great idea by the owner of the shop using the reflection of mirror.

Beside from taking photo of the tower from different angles. Food lovers may try to explore some special “Towered” foods like Tower Don, Tower bread, Tower Ice Cream and etc around the area.

Giant Shrimp Tempuras rice bowl..Does it looks like Toyko Sky Tree??

Giant Danish pastry tower with two different taste...

★Eat the Tower★ Part 1

Friday, August 26th, 2011

In Oshiage area awaiting for the completion of the Tokyo Sky Tree, local restaurants are serving special menus related to the new Tower. Today we are going to introduce Kamimura(そば処 かみむら) where you can eat “Tower Don” (JPY1800)

Traditional Japanese Restaurant

On the Kamimura’s specialty “Tower don”, the tower made of 3 shrimp tempuras rise above the rice. When the “Tower” is brought to your table, you’d better take a picture quickly, before the tower falls apart. Once you’ve done with the picture, let’s eat the freshly-fried Tower away. Enjoy large, crispy shrimp tempuras and vegetable fritters with rice. (If you feel like a tower is too much for you, of course you can share it with someone.) At Kamimura, you can enjoy friendly and lively atmosphere of good old soba restaurant. Various Soba noodles, Udon noodles and other small dishes are available besides “Tower Don”

Three giant shrimp Tempuras on the don..^^

Follow on this instruction to learn the right way to enjoy 'Tower Don'

Location:Narihira 1-18-13,Sumida-ku, Tokyo  (Nearby Tokyo Sky Tree)

Business hour 11:00~21:00

We might introduce more Tokyo Sky Tree related menus! Keep checking our blog

2011 September Grand Sumo Tournament

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

2011 Grand Sumo Tournament will be held from

Sun. Sept. 11th, 2011 – Sun. Sept. 25th, 2011 at

Ryogoku Kokugikan – Tokyo

Check the official website for tickets…

http://ent-sumo.pia.jp/en/sumo09.php

Tickets sales Begin August 6 (Saturday) at 10:00

Notice: Kokugikan Box Office sales tickets from 6th August at 9:00.

Notice: Ticket Oosumo English sales tickets from 8th August at 12:00.

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【Home cooking】Yellowtail Teriyaki

Friday, August 12th, 2011
Today, I am going to teach you on how to cook Yellowtail Teriyaki, a famous dish in Japan home cooking.Teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japan cuisine in which food are broiled or girlled in sweet soy sauce marinade(Tare).You can also combine  the  Teriyaki sauce with any kind  of fishes or meats you like.You will love it for sure.^^

Yellowtail Teriyaki

 

Ingredients:

Yellowtail         3slices

Cooking oil

Sauce(Tare):

Soy sauce                    4tablespoons

Mirin                             4tablespoons

Wine                              4tablespoons

Sugar                            4tablespoons

Method:

1.Mix  all the seasoning  for Tare and put them away to be used later.

2.Put some cooking oil in the frying pan which has heated up.

3.Put in the Yellowtail , grill both side of the fish until browned.

4.Pour in the Tare which was prepared and simmer them down for about 7~8 minutes.

5.Garnish the dishes with any kind of vegetables you like.

6.Completion of  the Yellowtail Teriyaki

Discover the off-beat tourists destination Kappabashi 【合羽橋・かっぱ橋】

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Maybe you have already been to Asakusa,the famous tourist destination in Tokyo. However, have you been to Kappabashi(かっぱ橋or 合羽橋) avenue, a large kitchen ware shopping street locating nearby it? Kappabashi is where you can buy all the equipments to open your own restaurant. Well, even if you don’t have a plan to open a restaurant, its still fun place to visit, especially if you are interested in cooking. Knives, frying pans, plates, unique cooking utensils and etc…

Statue of Kappa

You will see a lot of shops selling kitchen wares along Kappabashi-dori

Beside that,you probably can find everythings that makes cooking and eating more joyous. Nice Bento boxes, small gadgets to make flower shaped rice balls or star shaped boiled eggs (they are about several hundred yens), or chopsticks will be good souvenir.

Fancy Lunch box in the shape of Japan's traditional animation character Momotaro

Colourful lunch box in the shape of Japanese rice dumpling,Onigiri

Also you will be amused to see unique products such as a gigantic cooking pot available which can cook rice for the total amount of 500 people, Takoyaki machine, and Chinese character hot stamps (this is usually used for stamp on Japanese egg-rolls. Well why don’t you try it on your pancake?)

A cooking pot that can cook 500 portions of rice or 1000 portions of soup..

Various kind of hot stamps available at here....Can't find what you want??Don't worry..go into the shop to customize one

You can’t miss several stores specializing in “Plastic Display Food”. Surely your appetite will be aroused with shiny sushi, toasty croissants, and luscious ice-cream sundae just about to melt…all made of plastics. These products are usually used at restaurants to show what they have. But of course, you can buy one just for fun.

Various kinds of Plastic Display Foods can be found at here..All of them looks so real

Definitely fantastic as an souvenir

The one I like the most would be this...A clock that made of Sushi...Not fresh sushi of course

Ah, while walking around the area, probably you will run into bizarre figure of human-shaped green creature with a beak…That’s “Kappa”, the symbol of the district.

No one had ever seen a Kappa, but they believe this is how it looks like

Cucumber is Kappa's favorites food

Try to find out all of the Kappa when you are here

Check Kappabashi Official Website for more information

Vegetarian Restaurant【It’s Vegetable】 @Kinshi-cho,Tokyo

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

☆Good news for Vegetarian☆

A lot of people telling me that it is really difficult to find a Vegetarian Restaurant in Tokyo. After long time of searching,we finally found one nearby Kinshi-cho station.It will just take you a few minutes walk to there.I am sure that vegetarian will like here 【It’s Vegetable】 for sure.

They serving Taiwanese Buddhist Vegetarian cuisine ,which means all of their foods are made without using any meats,fish,dairies and also garlic or onions.Buffet style lunch are served between  11:45a.m.~14:20p.m. with the price of ¥580(S)¥850(M)¥1000(L). They do offer A La Carte service too. Kindly check their Facebook pace for more information.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-Vegetable/194634940551498

Sumida River Fireworks Festival 27 August 2011

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Sumida River Fireworks Festival


Date:Sat,27 August 2011

※    The festival will be postponed to Sun,28 August 2011 in case of rain.

Time:7:05p.m.~8:30p.m.

Place:Sumida Rivers

Kindly refer to the official website for more informations.

http://sumidagawa-hanabi.com/index_eg.html

Charm of Jinrikisha (Kurumaya 1/3)

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Jinrikisha (rickshaw) was a traditional taxi of Japan and started its service in Nihonbashi, Tokyo since 1871 (Meiji era) until the beginning of the Showa era (1926-1989). 
The jinrikisha as general traffic and the transportation means is no longer available in Japan, while it is getting popular nowadays among the people visiting downtown Tokyo, particularly ASAKUSA, and attracting them in sightseeing historical spots and more.
People who rid in a jinrikisha (rickshaw) describe the impression such as the freshness that can be seen by a glance being higher than the usual one with eyes on foot. The scenery flows at the goodness of riding comfort and person’s speed. ASAKUSA prospered in Edo era(1603-1869) by the oldest sightseeing spot in Tokyo as only downtown of Tokyo. 500,000 tourist s or more a year visit from not only Japan but also every country in the world, and become an eminent tourist spot all over the world.

 

Charm of ASAKUSA (Kurumaya 2/3)

Monday, February 21st, 2011

It is Mr.Ishizuka, who is one of rickshaw men in the car shop KURUMAYA, saying that “Hopefully the Jinrikisha (rickshaw) is able to represent the culture of historical Japan just the same as Ninja (professional spy) and Samurai (warriors specializing in the martial arts)”. Their jinrikisha (rickshaw) operating by KURUMAYA offers extremely nice riding comfort like not becoming the thing compared with the automobile, and take you to various fan spots. Their rickshaw man in well trained as a tour guid as well for one month or more and you can exsperience offbeat downtown adventure in ASAKUSA!! Because of the high popularity, if you take a jinrikisha(rickshaw), it can be organized efficiently like 30-40 minutes tour to cover it. Don’t worry even about the person garbage at crowded time like the season of the New Year and summer holiday etc.  

The Senso-ji Temple famous for the Nitenmon gate that is one of important cultural properties in Japan, the Sanja festival of Asakusa Shrine, Asian raccoon street that fulfills various wishes when worships it, and Sumida park with 1100 cherry blossoms tree etc.  You can hear the inside story doesn’t get on from the guide book about special stores of the shop curtain (Noren) and Hollywood star’s favorite face oil blotting paper.  The course includes SKY TREE COURSE (12,680 yen for two people for 70 minutes) to goes to the Tokyo sky tree that will rise highest tower in the world and in a recommendation course ASAKUSA COURESE (9,000 yen per one person for 60 minutes and 15,000 yen for two people) which covers whole ASAKUSA area, and EASY COURESE (5,000 yen per one person for 30 minutes and 8,000 yen for two people).  Other courses for 80 minutes and 150 minutes are also available.  

Name / Price Recommend (Osusume) Course:60min,
one person 9,000yen, two person 15,000.yen
Course Bentendo/Toki no Kane -> Asakusa Jinja -> Senso-ji ->Sumida Park  ->Kaminarimon->Asakusa Engei hall->Hanayasiki -> Denboin dori -> AsakusaKoukaido/Star’s place
Name / Price Otegaru West (Half way West) Course:30min,
one person 5,000yen, two person 8,000yen
Course Orange dori -> Tanuki dori -> Rock dori -> Asakusa Engei hall -> Rock Kaiwai -> Hana Yashiki -> Denpoin dori ->AsakusaKoukaido/Star’s place)
Name / Price Manzoku (Pleasure) Course:80min,
one person 13,000yen, two person 21,000yen
Course Bentendo -> Asakusa-jinja-> Senso-ji -> Matsuchiyama Shoten -> Imado-jinja -> Sumida Park -> Rock Shitamachi -> AsakusaKoukaido/Star’s place 
Name / Price Odaijin (Millionaire) Course:150min, one person 23,000yen two person 38,000yen
Course Asakusa-jinja -> Senso-ji -> Matsuchiyama Shoten -> Imado-jinja -> Hashiba-fudoson -> Ishihama-jinja ->Yoshiwara-jinja -> Ootorii-jinja ->Yasaki-jinja

 For reservation or inquiry, please contact http://jinrikishahanbai.main.jp/ (Japanese only) or send an e-mail at service@goodies-japan.co.jp (in English).  We can offer special rates.