japan :: tokyo :: general

[conqueror]

finding it kinda difficult to figure out where to eat most nights; i dunno, i'm cool with having coffee or lunch solo but going to a restaurant by myself in the evening feels a little strange to me (esp since my japanese is garbage).

Edited October 9, 2014 by conqueror

[herpsky]

no it doesn't. in fact, japan (or tokyo) is the only place left on earth that is understanding of that #diealone solo life.

i don't know how i feel about going to a proper sit down place but any restaurant with a counter, which most spots have, no one gives a shit.

[herpsky]

you need to embrace the solitude. feelin like you have to do shit with other pipo is such a western / wypipo concept

[Method]

agreed, its an aspect of japan I've always enjoyed when traveling there. i actually enjoy quiet meals on my own sometimes inside a  restaurant, but in the states you just end up ordering take-out and eating at home alone. 

[Trouble]

I ate at Matsuya every night for about 2 weeks exactly for this reason, it was a comfortable environment where everyone understood that everyone else is just trying to get some food in their stomach

 

I'm not too big of a food person so it was perfect (and cheap) for me

[SSchadenfreude]

nothing wrong with sitting/eatin alone.  infact u can talk to girls pretty easily ridin dolo esp. if u a beikokujin dude.  cafe and cheap bar good 4 this 2.  u a homo-bruh lookin for 4 bromosexual time?  if so, u prolly know better than alota us where 2 go.

[herpsky]

there's a lotta cruisey places out there 

[conqueror]

ugh, i think i've somehow caught feelings for this girl which is pretty weird since i usually take ages to 'fall' for someone. no homo. this is my first time back since 2009 so a few other side notes from what i've experienced over the last week:

 

-got my photo taken by tune yesterday even though i was wearing nothing special whatsoever.

-seems like literally every single 'fashion' dude is wearing pump furys or vans slip ons.

-nepenthes is a dope space, but i dunno, i was a little disappointed with what little stock they had. they also had about 5 (?!) dudes working when i visited which is insane, it seems like alot of the boutique stores here are way overstaffed.

-ragtag is awesome and surprisingly had quite a few cool pieces, but unfortunately mostly in small sizes which is what i expected (i'm 6'1).

-drank lots of coffee, i think the drip brew at cream of the crop in kiyosumishirakawa has been my favourite so far. the barista is super friendly.

-saw oval play on friday night but most nights i don't have much to do except walk around; its amazing how lonely you feel even though there is often a sea of people surrounding you. i know this has been pointed out ad naseum by countless others who have visited but you forget about how surreal it is when you're not in japan...i've still never experienced that kind of feeling in another city.

-the hara museum of contemporary art is beautiful (pause), but i still found it a little underwhelming.

-shibuya seems to have 50x the amount of white tourists in comparison to when i was last in tokyo.

-i always said koenji was my 'favourite' place, but i think it might be nakameguro now.

-lots of boston terrier owners around.

 

off to kansai early tomorrow morning for 8 days, then back in tokyo for 6. i'd love to return for good but i know i would probably have no (real) future here. still, i'm gonna miss it and there's no way i'll wait another half-decade to visit again.

Edited October 12, 2014 by conqueror

[SSchadenfreude]

i am expert of nakame.  herp can vouch.

[pompadork]

I've never found anything at Ragtag and Koenji isn't 'for me'. Was there like 5 days ago looking for shoes and everything is like size 7 mens so nope. Also an over-abundance of like ralph lauren and hilfiger 90s windbreakers. 

 

Nakameguro is my favourite as well but I need to find more things to do there. I only ever go to like 1ldk and .,...,.,,research and yaeca apartments then don't know what else to do. Food recs. pls. 

[1M]

 

-i always said koenji was my 'favourite' place, but i think it might be nakameguro now.

 

mad hype there, but still my fav

[s.a.j.s]

Nagi golden gai niboshi ramen seriously has hit the top of my list. It's a hole in the wall literally but seriously 10/10 slurp

[herpsky]

La kagura is apparently super hot rn

[herpsky]

Nagi is a chain. It's good when u drunk but passable otherwise

[mrip]

Nagi is a chain. It's good when u drunk but passable otherwise

you said you liked it when we went there.

i love that niboshi

[herpsky]

you said you liked it when we went there.

i love that niboshi

bc i was drunk and was like 2am. the nagi in shibuya sucked serious balls when i had it sober.

[Mr.Sander]

What do you guys think about KIEI Tokyo? They also stand as a showroom for Japanese designer to present them to buyers are they any good? 

 

Any thoughts on them (reputation, efficiency, ...)?

[s.a.j.s]

Well yeah, their tonkotsu sucks ass in shibuya compared to what you can get elsewhere. However their Niboshi in Kabukicho is pretty epic IMO

[pompadork]

fethers goffa x is good. 

[frasier oiseau]

Nakameguro is my favourite as well but I need to find more things to do there. I only ever go to like 1ldk and .,...,.,,research and yaeca apartments then don't know what else to do

 

What's the deal with Yaeca anyway? There seems to be a ton of buzz around them but it just seems insanely boring. Are the textiles particularly good, or are people just easily impressed by snap buttons on shirts?

[pompadork]

The quality is pretty good but I don't know if the textiles are that superior to anything else (paging djraj) 

 

I like it for looks / fit but I don't think it's anything that special. I guess there are a number of smallish Japanese brands that do similar and Yaeca just happens to be one of the more popular ones hence the buzz. It is 'boring' but if that's what you're into then it's good. 

[herpsky]

Well yeah, their tonkotsu sucks ass in shibuya compared to what you can get elsewhere. However their Niboshi in Kabukicho is pretty epic IMO

wtf u talking about? there are two locations in shibuya. i went to the niboshi one in shibuya and it sucked ASS

[herpsky]

The quality is pretty good but I don't know if the textiles are that superior to anything else (paging djraj) 

 

I like it for looks / fit but I don't think it's anything that special. I guess there are a number of smallish Japanese brands that do similar and Yaeca just happens to be one of the more popular ones hence the buzz. It is 'boring' but if that's what you're into then it's good. 

i'd take W+h over yaeca. the cut is weird af. really overpriced lame basics.

[conqueror]

alot of yaeca stuff is nice, but as herp mentioned most of the prices are just absurd for what they are.

[pompadork]

Yaeca fits my underdeveloped body better than W+H.

 

I went to that 'new'ish kikunobu tokyo location the other day. Pretty nice I guess. All the employees were wearing those Gucci monk strap shoes. 

[herpsky]

alot of yaeca stuff is nice, but as herp mentioned most of the prices are just absurd for what they are.

then again, i never (or quit) wear japanese designer clothes. i just buy normcore lux grandfather / highfashion jcrew. 

that city boy style u kno

Edited October 17, 2014 by herpsky

[herpsky]

i just buy european lame basic$$$$ and american mall brands.

[12iP]

was in tokyo back in august. what was up with the popularity of ted lol

[herpsky]

marketing.

[ken shinoda]

Been a while since I visit here, but I might be stopping by to Tokyo this Nov/Dec since I'd be in Busan, thought I'd touch base.

Anybody'd be in Tokyo?