herpsky

is it ban'ya in tokyo station? having trouble finding ban.  or Motsuyaki ban ?

 

it's the latter. it's motsuyaki ban in yutenji. it's right by S/Double by Stussy. 

 

There are some interesting spots near Yutenji.

-Gohongi intersection with Jazzy Sports, Takoyaki stand, "new streamers", and some other stores whose names I don't recall

-Digawel

-Varde 77, arms, feets, and misc. vintage stores

Is the transit book easily found in local bookshop?

 

it's kinda old so maybe no.

 

Some spots from the book: 

 

ã€å±…酒屋・和食ï¼17店】ã†ã¡ç”°ï¼ã•ã„ãï¼èµ¤é¬¼ï¼é’家ï¼ç‚‰ã°ãŸå±‹ï¼å’Œï¼å¹¹æ±ï¼æ´»é­šãƒ»ä¸²ç„¼ã ã»ã‚“ã¾è¬å±‹ ãŠã‹ã’ã•ã‚“ï¼ã¨ã‚“ãï¼ã‚ã—屋ï¼è—¤å…«ï¼ãªã‚‹ãよï¼ã¾ã‚“ã¾ã‚„ï¼é®¨å‡¦ 喜楽ï¼ã‹ã‚‰ã„ã‚‚ã®é‡Œï¼åƒãµã˜ã€ç„¼ã肉・ホルモン・é¶æ–™ç†ï¼10店】ゆã†ã˜ï¼åº­ã¤é¶ï¼å°é‡Žç”°å•†åº—ï¼ãƒ©ãƒ ã‚¸ãƒ³ã‚®ã‚¹ã‚«ãƒ³ç¾Šã€…ï¼ã‚‚ã¤ã‚„ã ã°ã‚“ï¼ç™½é‡‘ 酉玉 別館ï¼é³¥ç«¹ï¼å††å±±åº—ï¼Beef Kitchenï¼é³¥ã—ãï¼ãƒ›ãƒ«ãƒ¢ãƒ³ç¨²ç”°ã€ã‚«ãƒ¬ãƒ¼ãƒ»ä¸­è¯ãƒ»ã‚¨ã‚¹ãƒ‹ãƒƒã‚¯ï¼ˆ9店）】般°若ï¼ã‚¿ã‚¤ã‚«ãƒªãƒ¼ãƒ”キヌーï¼Chinese Restaur

 

I'd say 90% of the spots listed are good. They are like classic spots that really stood the test of time. They all focus on quality. No frills. No artisanal BS. It's like as local as it can get. May not necessarily be tourist friendly — i think these are meant to be visited with a japanese.

 

Some spots that the author and I totally agree on:

Pikinu

Aoya (you need a membership or referral but lunch is free for all)

Motsuyaki ban

Narukiyo

Onoda shoten

 

I think the presmise of the book was that the guy wanted to list reasonable OG B-class restaurants that are

1) good for entertaining foreign visitors

2) well known among the Tokyo OGs with good cost:performance ratio.

 

The guy who wrote the book is a former creative director of Beams. He now runs lowercase (it's some big name cool-guy branding / consulting agency).

 

Ban is a pretty rad spot. It's super oldschool izakaya style. The originator of "lemon sour".

It's a weird mix of local 60-year-somethings, steeziest dudes who work coolguy jobs, and skaters.

i have the olive one from 2015fw. i bought it from a department store in tokyo. usually, some of those places give u a farrin discount. it's a good deal if you combine it with tax-free.

Any place in Transit Tokyo Gohan book is good. Fuck the internet.

Heading to tokyo next week, i need a affordable hotel near shibuya. Any recommendations?

Then off to labyrinth festival for a couple days of camping. 

Cannot wait.

 

Anyone want to meet up?

 

Couple good music events ill be in attendance - ben klock on weds 9.21 , and shackelton live on thurs 9.22

what does affordable mean? Tokyo is like super cheap compared to those yuppie infested places like SF and NY

chill days sound like a good idea for sure. seem to be some cool hoods along chuo line not mentioned in superguide that id like to wander around for a few days.

 

on the latter note, how hard would it be to meet girls in tokyo as a 24 y/o azn dude?

i go out with a new girl about once a week or other week around here without having to really go outta my way.

 

most ppl's first guess is that im japanese, but that wouldnt fly in japan when they realize i only know basic phrases. maybe get a kpop cut before i go and aim for the koreaboos?

god bless the korean wave.

 

nah

 

-edit-

nanpa is p easy. i just came to realize that tokyo is one of the very few cities where single girls travel solo on foot. 

 

just get tinder plus and swipe for them koreaboos in advance. 

 

non japanese asian folks get 0 love in jpn — you know, just like asian males in north america haivng 0 extrinsic social value

 

then again, i had a couple of nights when some girls at the clubs wanted me to introduce the korean boys i was hanging out with. basically, YMMV.

i might pass. 749+tax for a 128? my 6 still works ok.

 

but then again, there's like no rational thinking

 

i can justify a 700 dollar goretex jacket you wear 2x a week to be OK but a 700 dollar phone you look at 3+ hours a day NOT OK

20L looks good but it looks pretty ridiculous if you are over 6ft 

djrajio and i both have 22Ls

Odaiba HLNA skygarden

Shin yokohama skatepark

Komazawa Olympic Park - recently renovated

Nike

Setagaya Koen skatepark

Tamachi water pump skatepark

 

Nike is really diffucult. I've never skated Nike but the guys who are always skating in there are like pro-level. 

 

The first three parks are probably the biggest ones in / around Tokyo. Komazawa is chill — Tony Hawk came to skate with the locals before. Lots of amazing places to eat around Komazawa. 

 

HLNA is probably the most instagram worthy. Good views. Food and skateshop on site.

 

For other ones I missed:

 

http://sk8parks.net/kanto/toukyouto/

i still regret not buying that wackomaria photobook at spbs

 

 

Record shops:

1) Jet Set

2) Disk Union

3) Jazzy Sports

4) Escalator (Now called Big Love?

5) Manhattan

6) Bootstreet

7) Waltz

Yoyogi and Tomigaya are where it's at. The stretch of road that extends from Shibuya to the area by Fuglen is probably THE place to be right now. 

I was just thinking about food with good cost:performance ratio. 

 

I think Oreno series (do not recommend going alone – must split) e.g. oreno spanish and oreno French, are really good. 

 

Ramen is always good but I just feel like people shouldn't waste their precious time /  meal. Like someone said above, you should reserve it as a late night snack. The ramen street in Tokyo station has a curated selection of ramen spots that have kind of stood the test of time. I always enjoy going to classic places like Afuri i.e. not necessarily hyped with long lines. 

 Yeah, I think places like Hototogisu are good but probably not worth your time. Some of the best ramen I've had were from rotating popups at the Ramen Museum in Yokohama. I've had a few from Kumamoto and western regions that were out-of-this-world good. 

 

Some places in Japan get skewed publicity / popularity from instagram and blogs. It's usually hyped by the same people — "opinionated" Asian women from the west coast who have conquored all of the oh-so-famous restaurants with their hubbies.

Blacows, Tsukiji, Jiro, and so on. 

 

If you want realy fancy afternoon tea that doesn't break the bank, the one at Aman Hotel is good. 

 

Japanese food is good. No question about it. Japanese absolutely excel at their interpretation of foreign cuisine e.g. French, Chinese, and etc. 

 

Citrus is one of my favorite izakayas. No KAGs. No OLs. No salary men. Good food. Affordable. Food served on Tadao Yokoo plates. Only 10 reviews on Tabelog? Why? B/c noone knows about it.

There's a few craft bars that specialize in domestics. They are always interesting. It's more for the experience, I would say. 

 

I liked beer pub ishii. It seems like most of the well known ones are on the eastern side of the city. 

 

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131105/13155609/

 

Generally speaking, half a pint of a domestic microbrew is like 600; full pint is like 1000. Places like craftheads will charge more bc they are all imported from overseas. Then again, American prices are approaching there. 

 

The beer pricing in PDX is out of control cheap. That doesn't really help you I guess.

Review on luxe blank white tees:

 

■ファッションギークã¸ã®é“ 白Tç·¨ 

・vol.1 Hanes Red Tag
・vol.2 FRUIT OF THE LOOM
・vol.3 UNIQLO
・vol.4 RED KAP
・vol.5 PRADA
・vol.6 anvil
・vol.7 ç„¡å°è‰¯å“
・vol.8 Hanes Blue Tag
・vol.9 SUNSPEL
・vol.10 Champion
・vol.11 Supreme × Hanes
・vol.12 FilMelange
・vol.13 Healthknit
・vol.14 JIL SANDER
・vol.15 Hanes BEEFY
・vol.16 ANATOMICA
・vol.17 GILDAN
・vol.18 COMME des GARÇONS SHIRT
・vol.19 ACNE STUDIOS
・vol.20 HEAVY WEIGHT COLLECTIONS
・vol.21 United Athle
・vol.22 Hanes Gold Tag
・vol.23 VALENTINO
・vol.24 Carhartt
・vol.25 COTTON STAFF

 

Vol 26. VISVIM

I'm gonna be in town at the end of this month. Thinking of getting lunch alone before my friends get into town. 

 

I'm looking to spend <$60-80. What's the best option for:

 

1) California-inspired food e.g. chez paniz (I went to Zuni when I was in town years ago — I really liked it)

 

2) Asian food - preferably non-sushi Japanese but doesn't have to be Japanese?

 

Of course, I'm open to other suggestions. I prefer casual places (as in like, I don't have to wear a jacket - jeans and shirt). 

Anyone going to labyrinth festival this year?

 

Im heading out for a week in tokyo + labyrinth. Staying in cerulean tower. Any good neighborhood spots to check out near cerulean?

 

Going for a inspo trip, so any pro tips on food, shopping, art, weird shit only in tokyo, bars, ect... would be most welcome.

 

Would i be able to find a porter tanker waist bag fairly easily in town for less than on amazon for 220$?

 

A regular tanker is like 125USD if purchased in Japan. HP one is a different story. That amazon link looks sketchy af. That's probably some mainland fake. 

 

Way too many spots to name. As usual, specific questions are welcome. 

Unlike most US cities including Portland, there are way too many "must-hit" places to name.

 

Also, it depends on whether you have been to Japan and want a general overview of the city or a super niche underground / strictly-for-locals type places. 

 

Some specific questions that will be helpful

 

1) Food - westernized Japanese, hypebeast restaurants, traditional japanese — what are you interested in? Anything "good" is not a real answer. Also, what's your budget? 

 

Like, if you said you want really good food, I'm just gonna recommend spots like Narisawa

 

2) Drinks - wanna have mexican beer and chill with skaters? artisanal cocktails? exclusive microbrews? you want to impress girls? get hammered with a bunch of old dudes for <10 USD? 

 

3) Stores - what type of style are you into? Selfedge denim daddy? Tech ninja? Mainland richboi? Surf luxe? Luxe athletic? Goth ninja? 

 

4) Records and music - what music are you into? you want records or cds? 

 

5) clubs - chill or floor bangers? view of the city or no windows? 

 

6) misc shopping - anything you are looking to pick up? DJ equipment? wanna try out that $3,000 earbuds that you've only seen on the internet? you want a lifesize rilakkuma doll? you want the best cake you're ever gonna have in your life? 

 

You name it, we have it. The US is like, you name it, it's on the internet.

there's no shitty part, per se. adachi-ku (ward) — I'd consider lower class but there's no clear rich-and-poor zoning that's seen everywhere in the US. 

 

i knew some people were staying in Itabashi and etc. It's fine. It's kind of far out. That's all. 

what are the skate shops you speak of? would like to check em out. 

 

 

ya'll need to take note on herp's suggestions. always spot on

 

http://bumbrich.biz

My top stores rn

1) En route

2) Mortar

3) A+S

4) DSM

5) UA and Sons

6) Vendor

Another tip:

You don't have to have the japan rail pass to have unlimited rides. 

 

I think there are several useful options 

 

1) JR unlimited - 750 yen a day

2) Tokyu unlimited - 660 

3) Tokyo metro unlimited - 600 yen a day

4) Tokyo metro / Toei Chikatetsu combined unlimited - 1000 yen

5) Tokyo metro / Toei / JR combined unlimited incl. buses - 1590 yen

6) Triangle ticket - This is probably the #1; Unlimited between futakotamagawa, Jiyugaoka, and shibuya. All the shopping hotspots are covered by this one ticket alone. 

Does anyone have ideas on the spots on Chuosen e.g. asagaya. 

That's like one part of Tokyo I know nothing about.

 

Tokyo "weird" spot guide

http://www.another-tokyo.com

 

Silly

silly.amebahypes.com 

 

Silly has guides on the latest, weirdest, coolest spots that haven't been blown up by anyone

I think I learned about WALTZ (analog music, walkman, and vintage magazine store) and Ohka the Best Days (street-inspired, craft beer gyoza restaurant) on Silly.

want to go to japan in feb 2017

 

2 weeks airbnb or hotel in tokyo? is it feasible to just do a day trip to osaka and come back to tokyo?

I'd say airbnb if you can. Hotels are cool but you might get tired of it. 

I really don't know much about the airbnb scene in Tokyo. It sounds like the affordable ones are in really shitty places. 

 

Nowadays, foreigners just buy up the fancy properties for the sole purpose of doing airbnb so I feel like the pricing might be out of control. There used to be a bunch of properties you could stay for 6500 to 8500 yen in the most central parts of Tokyo but this was like 4 or 5 years ago. 

I subscribe to this Tokyo cool spot mailing list (it's not free). I'll start reposting their restaurant guides.  

 

Kyushu food in Azabu Juban

麻布 ã‚ã¿åŸŽ

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130702/13193516/