Japan has recently opened up and Abby and I have been chomping at the bit to get back over there. The plan is to, hopefully, hit maximum Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in Tokyo then head South to the last main island, Kyushu and then onto the island chain of Okinawa. I worked for a Japanese company for 25 years, so I was a frequent visitor during 1980-2005, but this is only Abby’s second visit so we plan to make the most of it and it’ll be the first time down South for both of us.
This time in Tokyo we’re going to stay Eastside in the Nippori district, slightly North of Ueno, which itself is North of Tokyo’s main railway station. This is not the glamor of Ginza or Shibuya but, instead, an old school downtown, somewhat residential and slightly gritty, neighborhood, which is fine with us. The Japanese word for the feel of this type of place is “shitamachi” – That is understood as meaning “downtown” but actually means “lower city”and is associated with regular (Tokyo) Joe’s culture and life.
It’s handy to take the Kaiser Skyliner express train from Narita Airport directly to Nippori Station and be able to walk to our accommodation, Wagokoro, a modern take on a traditional inn.
OK, make sure you get a Suica card, or equivalent, to avoid Tokyo subway/train ticket hell: We’re also getting a Japan Rail pass, but waiting until we leave town to activate it as it’s not cheap and is time limited. The line to get your JR pass at Narita was insane so do it somewhere else later like Ueno Station. The Suica/Pasmo etc will allow you to tap on/off like a local. The kinetic frenzy of a large Japanese railway station forces you to pay attention and you have to work hard not to be a “baka gaijin” (stupid foreigner) and run into people as they flow in high velocity cross patterns.
Coming in late on long-haul into a new neighborhood for us, I managed to snag a reservation at a local izakaya (Japanese gastropub, for lack of a better word). Not to be negative, but getting your order in at a traditional Japanese restaurant with no English menu remains a challenge for us. Google Translate/Lens with its camera feature is a life saver but, when faced with traditional calligraphy and poetic interpretations, we had a right old time getting sorted: Props to the server for her patience. Don’t worry, there are innumerable other restaurant options which would be easier, but we wanted to do a local, foodie place with excellent, and reasonably priced, sake options. Niigata sake tasting, very fresh sea urchin roe, some nasty stuff we couldn’t eat, excellent cold soba, yummy sashimi, welcome to Japan. How’s your jet lag going? Quite bad actually. Day 1 in the books.
Off and running on day two we hit up Ueno, just down the road, and check out Ueno Park (Koen) a Tokyo classic. Everyone and their dog is there, along with many cherry (blossom) trees and a bunch of museums. Good to do this for the first time, but the hanami is just not top class, there’s better elsewhere in Tokyo, and in Portland for that matter! Heading South from Ueno we trek through the famous market street Ameyokocho with a destination of Okachimachi in mind to meet up with Abe-San, a long time friend from my work time at Shin Etsu Handotai. Ameyoko is a busy, colorful, old school, cheap and cheerful shopping and entertainment drag and a must see. Some of the eating and drinking places wouldn’t look out of place in Hanoi, fun but rough and ready and not what most first time visitors would be expecting. Ameyoko ends at Okachimachi where we meet Abe-San and hit up a nomiya (simple izakaya) under the railroad tracks, which is a classic shitamachi thing to do. Day drinking alert….However, Abe-San has some business to take care of later so Abby and I head up to Yasukini shrine in the Chiyoda district. 
We’re aware of the complicated history of the shrine, given its association with the dead of all the wars Japan has been involved with, but still wanted to see the place and it’s attendant sakura (cherry blossoms). Mixed feelings for sure, but any glorification of war criminals is hidden from the casual foreign tourist and the loss of family members is poignantly captured in chrysanthemum sculptures each sponsored by a family who lost kin in the conflicts.
Back to Okachimachi to meet-up with Abe-San for more izakaya and karaoke fun – Understand that karaoke is not as accessible as in the US, there are plenty of karaoke private boxes, but karaoke lounges/bars are hidden in a multi-level warren of bars of unknown clientele, intent and price. But Abe-San has a plan and it is implemented all too successfully. Tokyo is a handful, its only day 2, we are toasted and taxi back, to then stare at the ceiling in a drunken, jet-lagged daze. Yopporai! (We’re wasted). Until I figure out a better way to display them, all the relevant photos should be en masse below. Due to Covid I’m super rusty on WordPress so excuse the clunkiness.
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