Monthly Archive October 2016

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ByBert Wishart
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Oct 17, 2016

Tokyo’s Most Unusual Restaurants

robotFed up of the usual, humdrum dinners out? Do izakayas bore you to tears? Do sushi restaurants have you tearing at your hair? Do the countless Italian and French restaurants of the capital lull you into a sleepiness that would make Rip van Winkle blush?

If so, then you need to find something with a difference, something that has a little creativity. With that in mind, check out some of the more interesting, unique and downright unusual restaurants that Tokyo has to offer.

Robot Restaurant

I hope you aren’t hungry, because the diners aren’t here for the food. With little more than conbini bentos and canned beer on the menu at exorbitant prices, this isn’t so much a dining experience, but more a sensory explosion. Your 7,000 JPY gets you a cabaret show of insane proportions, with dancing, scantily clad women battling robots (pictured) – neon tanks, and giant cyborgs. Get your glow-sticks out and get involved. It’s certainly a night to remember.

Zauo

Is the freshness of the fish on your plate a constant concern? It need not be at Zauo. Simply dangle your rod and bait into the moat below your table and wait for the fishies to bite. Once you’ve landed your fish, with the crowd going wild, it’ll be grilled to perfection and served to you directly.

Alcatraz ER

Do you find prison theme restaurants a little tame? Do you crave a little extra blood in your terror? Alcatraz ER is a prison restaurant with a difference, in that it takes it to a terrifying-prison-hospital level. Yes, that may not be the most P.C. of things, but you may have to check your sensibilities at the door at this restaurant with blood streaked walls and creepy waitresses that serve… lets call it a suggestively carved sausage, and cocktails in life-sized mannequin heads.

Capcom Bar

This is a must visit restaurant if you are a lover of Capcom video games such as Biohazard, Phoenix Wright or Monster Hunter. With game related paraphernalia adorning the walls, there are themed foods, and the waiters will, at least once during your meal, perform a short skit related to the the game/food you have ordered.

Maidreamin’s Digitized Cafe and Dining Bar

Maid cafes? Pah! In Tokyo they are ten-a-penny. Maidreamin’s Digitized Cafe and Dining Bar, however, brings something of a Sci-Fi twist to the tried and tested recipe. Looking just like a real-life video game, there are trampolines, interactive displays and coloured cubes hanging from the ceiling that change colour and emit sounds when the maids hit them.

Ninja Akasaka

It is said that the best waiters are those that you don’t even notice are there. The same could be said for ninjas, and at Ninja Akasaka those two roles are one and the same. With magic shows and ninja tricks being performed as you eat, perhaps the greatest temptation is to not pick up your shuriken-shaped food and throw it at your dining partner.

Vampire Cafe

Right now, ’tis the season to get spooky, and it of course goes without saying that Vampires and halloween go together like ripe young flesh and fangs. Vampire Cafe is the flagship restaurant of Diamond Dining company (famed also for Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant based on the Lewis Carroll stories and Criston Cafe based on, well, Jesus Christ) and has been going for 15 years. This longevity is perhaps down to great attention to detail – the carpets are patterned with red blood cells – and an innovative menu including delights such as desserts presented in a chocolate coffin.

LUXIS Aqua Restaurant and Bar, Shibuya

When a restaurant combines the words ‘luxury’ and ‘oasis’ in its name, you expect big things. Fortunately, on that front, LUXIS Aqua Restaurant and Bar doesn’t disappoint. Dimly lit by sparkling chandeliers, sitting in huge comfy chairs, this is somewhere to dine in sumptuousness. But the luxuriousness aside, the greatest draw is the immense floor-to-ceiling aquarium – schools of fish, sea turtles and, apparently, sharks. Find yourself an evil side kick an BINGO! You’re in Bond villain territory.

Mark Guthrie

Image: flickr.com – Tokyo Robot Restaurant by Danny Choo – CC 2.0 – Modified

ByBert Wishart
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Oct 17, 2016

Nagoya’s Best International Cuisine – Part 2

In his great comedic play Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare calls music the food of love. Now, I’m not in the habit of  contradicting the bard, however for me the food of love is, well, food. There is nothing better for the heart and the soul than having a wide selection of grub to get stuck into and for me, to paraphrase another great British literary William, variety is the spice of life.

Of course Nagoya doesn’t quite have the international culinary diversity of London, New York, or even Tokyo. However, if you know where to look you can find some really excellent international restaurants. And luckily for you, we at Japan Info Swap know precisely where to look.

Mongolian – Mongol Shinkiro

mongolIf there is one thing that the Monglians knew – other than brutal domination – it’s food, so much so that in Japan Jingisukan (Genghis Khan) is pretty much the standard name for barbecued lamb. There are a few decent places around Nagoya, but it’s only at Sakae’s Mongol Shinkiro that you dine in a room styled like a yurt whilst wearing traditional Mongolian dress. Cosplay + lamb = a good night out.

Italian – Seconda Bambina

bambinaItalian restaurants are ten-a-penny in Nagoya, but this is, in my opinion, by far the best. With pizzas to rival Solo and Cesare in Osu, a pretty decent wine menu, and an ever changing specials selection, Seconda Bambina (part of the Bambinba chain) is as close to a genuine Italian restaurant as you are likely to find. It has a lively yet intimate atmosphere, and it’s a really enjoyable night out. In fact, it is such a favourite of mine that it is where I recently proposed to my girlfriend. She said ‘yes’, by the way.

Moroccan – Casablanca

moroccanCasablanca claims to be “Nagoya’s one and only authentic Moroccan restaurant”, and as I do not know of another one, it is hard to dispute those claims. What I will say is that the food is as close to that I had when visiting Marrakech a few years back, with the tagines being particularly good. The riad styled restaurant also has belly dance shows in which a fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate?) few can take part.

Indian – Sagarmatha Momo House

screen-shot-2016-10-14-at-10-11-18On first sights Sagarmatha Momo House doesn’t look like much – just a counter and a few tables, your average ‘Indian’ restaurant run by Nepalis. But its actually the best Indian food I’ve had in the city. Whopping great big naans, a wide range of curries, and the best samosas I’ve had since leaving Birmingham, England seven years ago. On top of that the staff are more than accomodationg, particularly if you are in a large group.

American – The 59s Sports Bar and Diner

59-sThere are a few well known American restaurants around Nagoya: TGI Fridays and Shooters in particular. But whether it is due to the clinical nature of the former, or overkill of the latter (I dread to think how many nights I’ve ended up there) for an American diner I prefer The 59s. The food is top notch, they have a huge screen on which to watch big sporting events, and their bar is stocked with tonnes of international beers. Most importantly, however, the atmosphere is always buzzing!

Mark Guthrie

Image: http://blog.esot.jp/?eid=123 – Screengrab – modified
Image: https://tabelog.com/imgview/original?id=r2242154866227 – Screengrab – modified
Image: http://www.casa-nagoya.com/ – Screengrab – modified
Image: https://nagmag.jp/the-59s-the-doubled-up-burger/ – Screengrab – modified
Image: www.jin-system.net/sagarmatha – Screengrab – modified

ByBert Wishart
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Oct 14, 2016

Toy Shopping in Tokyo

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As October slips into November, though the weather is still yet to step into its wintry chill, it is once again time to begin thinking about Christmas presents for the kids. While you can still order G.I. Joes and Barbies from online stores back home you may find that your child’s tastes in toys have changed during their time in Japan. Finding toys and games to suit their new tastes may be difficult, so we have come up with a short list of toy stores in and around Tokyo that should fulfill your needs.

 Toys R Us

Of course everyone knows the old American favorite, Toys R Us, and the Japanese variety is also an immense store stocked to the rafters of every kind of toy you can think of.

Toys R Us, Babies R Us Odaiba store

Address: Aqua City Odaiba, 1 Chome-7-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0091 (map link)
Tel: 03-5564-5011

Toys R Us, Babies R Us Ikebukuro Sunshine City shop

Address: Sunshine City Alpha B1, Ikekuro 1-3-1-1 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo-to 170-0013  (map link)
Tel: 03-3983-5400

Website: toysrus.co.jp

Kiddyland – Harajuku

There are 80 Kiddyland stores around the country, but the perhaps the jewel in their crown is their flagship store in Harajuku. With five stories of fun and games the Harajuku branch of Kiddyland, in the area for over 60 years (though with a slight location change), is perhaps the quintisential toy shop in Japan. It sells everything you would expect with the latest exclusive Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma products found nowhere else. They also occasionally hold special events, particularly around Christmas and Halloween.

Address: 6-1-9 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 (map link)
Website: www.kiddyland.co.jp/en
Tel: 03-3409-3431
Opening times: Monday~Friday: 11:00-21:00, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday: 10:30-21:00

Hakuhinkan – Ginza

Perhaps the largest of all Tokyo’s toyshops, Hakuhinkan is something of a central nerve of Japanese kawaii eccentricity. Were a bomb to go off you can imagine that 25% of the country’s cuteness and craziness would be lost. As the headquarters for the Licca-chan Club, Japan’s very own Barbie, it is worth a visit for the cultural introduction into this world alone, not to mention the two floors of restaurants and the 8th story theatre.

Address: 8-8-11, ginza, chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8132 (map link)
Website: www.hakuhinkan.co.jp/index.html
Tel: 03-3571-8007
Opening times: 11:00-20:00

Yamashiroya – Ueno

Yamashiroya is six floors absolutely jam packed with toys, novelties, figures, model kits, character goods, plushies and games as well as a multitude of anime and Japanese toy brands. The store is so chock-a-block with toys there isn’t a whole lot of room to squeeze round the isles – not ideal if you have young children in a push chair – but it is a whole lot of fun.

Address: 6 Chome-14-6 Ueno, Taito, Tokyo 110-0005 (map link)
Website: www.e-yamashiroya.com
Tel: 03-3831-2320
Opening times: 10:00-21:30

Tokyu Hands – Ikebukuro and Shibuya

Tokyu hands is a wonderful catch all department store in which you can find all manner of active stuff for kids. Whether it be handicrafts, facepaints or bikes, you can find it in Tokyu Hands. There are a few dotted around the city including one in the main Tokyo Station, so check the website for details of your nearest store. The stores in Ikebukuro and Shibuya are best known for toys.

Ikebukuro

Address: 1-28-10 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 170-0013 (map link)
Website: ikebukuro.tokyu-hands.co.jp
Tel: 03-3980-6111
Opening times: 10:00-21:00

Shibuya

Address: JapanTimes Square 12-18 Udagawachō, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-to 150-0042 (map link)
Website: www.shibuya.tokyu-hands.co.jp
Tel: 03-5489-5111
Opening times: 10:00-20:30

Tokyo Character Street – Ginza

A trip to a Japanese toy store would not be complete without picking up one of the many characters that populate our television screens. As such Tokyo Character Street in Ginza is perhaps the ultimate place to shop for TV struck kids. Located on the basement floor of the First Avenue Tokyo Station, Tokyo Character Street is an underground avenue of stores run by 15 TV companies, shop after shop of character after character. Whether it is Doaraemon dolls, cuddly Hello Kitty or Domo-kun and Doraemon dongles to hang from your Snoopy cell phone cover, here you can find it all.

Address: First Avenue, Level B1, Tokyo Station
1 Chome-9 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to 100-0005 (map link)
Website: www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/street/character
Opening times:10:00-20:30

Toys Terao – Asakusa

Those play peddling behemoths are all well and good, but what about seeing a bit of history? Toys Terao’s prime location of Nakamise-dori in front of sensoji temple has enabled the family running this tiny store to continue business for 5 generations and nearly 130 years. The small shop is such a toy selling institution that it was profiled recently in The Japan Times.

Address: 1-37-1 Asakusa, Taito -ku (map link)
Website: www.toysterao.com
Tel: 03-3841-0147
Opening times: 9:00-19:00

By Mark Guthrie

This post is provided for information purposes only and is not intended as an endorsement by Japan Info Swap or the H&R Group K.K..

Image: flickr.com “My family” by Andrew Mitchell (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) – Modified

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