# Eating Out During Our Annual Japan Trip



## [email protected]

I'm committed to update every meal we have in Japan.... I'm posting this resolution because I need some morale boost to stick with this because usually we run out of time to do anything including updating our blogs etc.

There is always some "madness" right before our Japan trip - preparation for the trip is CRAZY....


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## SpikeC

Oh yum! This is going to be good! Don't fail us!!


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## Eamon Burke

Instagram!


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## markenki

Please do post! I love Japanese food! Even when I can only look at it.


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## [email protected]

oh yes, we have a smart phone in Japan this time.... I will make sure I'll take a lot of photos.


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## [email protected]

Still, I need moral support otherwise I would get lazy really quick...


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## Cutty Sharp

Will be interesting to see. 

Also, when you post can you tell us where the meal was? I don't mean the resto's name, unless that's important, but maybe the city & prefecture. Would just be interesting to know where the knife trail takes you. Plus, I've already been preparing my huge _JKI Japan Expedition 2012'_ map which I'll put on my wall and continuously update with your news, placing little flags around each destination. :razz:

I expect you and Jon to gain at least 5 kgs. How about before and after pictures? You two can compete to see who can gain the most.


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## JBroida

i think i have to take it easy with the food this year... loose 5kg, not gain. Its tough though because the food is so freaking good everywhere.


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## tweyland

I'll be following!!


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## Cutty Sharp

JBroida said:


> i think i have to take it easy with the food this year... loose 5kg, not gain. Its tough though because the food is so freaking good everywhere.



Yeah right - good luck! :spiteful:

And you'll certainly be invited to drink a lot over there too.

Even with the quality on hand, there are at least worse countries with heavier food that would be more a worry for your waistline. I'd say walk a lot during your trip and enjoy the food.


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## [email protected]

we usually go crazy with chocolate melon bread from convenience stores (and plantan in Sakai), but this year, since a lot of people will be "watching", we'll refrain from eating too much of melon bread.... 

Staying up all night with my family during the kamataki (firing of the wood kiln) is hard though... watching the kiln and trying to be awake means eating a lot of junk food.... 

i already have some restaurants in my mind.... 4 more nights to go!


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## Cutty Sharp

First thing I wanted last time was a bowl of good ramen. Next, visit to an izakaya. Thoughts of chocolate melon bread would never enter into the equation.

Another suggestion: live streaming trip-cam


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## DwarvenChef

I will be watching for all the great dishes you post  I really love pics with that "home meal" touch. Not that the elaborate plattings are cool to see and all, it's just all one sees nowdays and I'm drawn to simpler presentations these days


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## [email protected]

yes, I also love "home meal" type of dishes too  When traveling over few weeks, eating out can be also exhausting, so easy going, simple meals are always appreciated... Just 2 more nights of sleep, and we'll be departing!


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## [email protected]

Day 1: Arriving in Tokyo

okay, this sounds really lame, but i was literally too tired to eat  Jon of course picked up an obento - it looked really great! We got it from the basement of a nearby mall. In "&#12487;&#12497;&#22320;&#19979;(depa chika)", or the Japanese abbreviation for a basement of department mall, you can find a lot of small obento (or take out meal) shops.... Jon could have spent 3 hours, but I'm proud that I drag him out of there within 30 minutes!

Here's Jon's obento for dinner/late night snack.





Anyway, I just wanted you guys to know we are here in Japan


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## Johnny.B.Good

Glad you made it safe and sound.

Keep the updates coming Sara!


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## Eamon Burke

Yum.


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## markenki

Looks yummy. I love Japanese food!


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## JBroida

sara and i forgot to take pictures of our breakfast today, but god damn bread here is good. Cheese bread, ham and cheese bread, ham cheese and onion bread... 

I'll take pictures next time.

Anyways, one day in tokyo to get situated and then the real work starts


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## DwarvenChef

Bread huh  didn't you say you where going to avoid to much bread this time  LOL


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## hax9215

we usually go crazy with chocolate melon bread from convenience stores (and plantan in Sakai), but this year, since a lot of people will be "watching", we'll refrain from eating too much of melon bread.... 

Staying up all night with my family during the kamataki (firing of the wood kiln) is hard though... watching the kiln and trying to be awake means eating a lot of junk food.... 

i already have some restaurants in my mind.... 4 more nights to go!

Beautiful Miss sarah, I say this with the upmost sincerity; life is short, pain is long, and grab the melon bread while you can.

Hax the Cook CLEAVERS RULE!!!


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## JBroida

i think i'm doing an ok job at keeping things updated on facebook here http://www.facebook.com/JapaneseKnifeImports


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## DwarvenChef

No execution oders passing by, so ya looking good


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## [email protected]

sorry for not updating more often... here are some more photos - i took them with my cellphone, so forgive me for the poor quality  ! 

one of my favorite convenience stores - looking really fancy and actually do amazing job:





Yesterday was our traveling day, so we grabbed some bread in the morning:










Of course we "had to" eat lunch box from a train:


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## SameGuy

Which hotel were you at in Tokyo? We were enjoying our ginbura in the heart of Ginza Thursday through early Sunday before coming back home. We picked up morning baked goods from a fantastic bakery stand in Ginza-Itchome Metro station and we stopped in at Kimuraya around the corner, too! But we started out short stay with 6:00 am breakfast omakase at Daiwazushi in Tsukiji.


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## JBroida

we were near shinawaga... very convenient for the yamanote line


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## Cutty Sharp

SameGuy said:


> Which hotel were you at in Tokyo? We were enjoying our ginbura in the heart of Ginza Thursday through early Sunday before coming back home. We picked up morning baked goods from a fantastic bakery stand in Ginza-Itchome Metro station and we stopped in at Kimuraya around the corner, too! But we started out short stay with 6:00 am breakfast omakase at Daiwazushi in Tsukiji.



Hey, SameGuy - ahh, finally the Tokyo trip you were looking forward to. If Sara/Jon are posting photos (albeit of 'meron bread' ahem :tongue then you should be sure to as well, especially any blade-related. D'accord? You do it and in a month when I'll probably be in Kansai again, I will try too.



JBroida said:


> we were near shinawaga... very convenient for the yamanote line



Ah, Jon, I think you mean 'Shinagawa' - unless they've invented an entirely new name and place! :scratchhead:


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## SameGuy

I think all areas of Tokyo are conveniently served by the trains... Imagine what it would be like in LA (or here in Montreal, or Toronto) with a vast and efficient train/subway system covering the entire metro area the way it does in Tokyo.

Cutty, I'm already home. Too short, I know. But we had great seats at the Big Egg to see Chono and Abe's heroics as the Giants clinched the Central Division title on Friday night, and then we made our way to the Ry&#333;goku Kogukikan and saw Ozeki Harumafuji and Yokozuna Hakuho each take victories on Saturday afternoon, setting the stage for their epic Sunday showdown. It was outstanding entertainment, and a privilege to watch two artists of the ring in action on the penultimate day of the Autumn Bash&#333;. All in all, along with the fresh sushi to start it, it was a fantastic weekend trip!


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## SameGuy

PS: every time I came across any of the throngs of K-tourists, I subversively mumbled, "&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;&#48736; &#44053;&#45224; style!" to see if I could get a reaction. About three quarters smiled or even laughed out loud.


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## Cutty Sharp

SameGuy said:


> PS: every time I came across any of the throngs of K-tourists, I subversively mumbled, "&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;-&#50724;&#48736; &#44053;&#45224; style!" to see if I could get a reaction. About three quarters smiled or even laughed out loud.



Hehe good one! I even get the small kids to do the horse dance in class here. They don't think that's at all unusual. 

By the way, just in case you hadn't realised, much better to shout out '&#50724;&#48736; &#44053;&#45224; style!!!' to Korean tourists than 'Heeeeeyyyyyyyy, Sexy Ladeeee!!' Though to be perfectly honest, I haven't tried that either. Maybe will if '&#50724;&#48736; &#44053;&#45224; style' works.

Okay... we await your Tokyo photos, perhaps on a separate thread. Still amazed you'd fly there for a 'weekend trip' but I guess I would too.


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## JBroida

Cutty Sharp said:


> Hey, SameGuy - ahh, finally the Tokyo trip you were looking forward to. If Sara/Jon are posting photos (albeit of 'meron bread' ahem :tongue then you should be sure to as well, especially any blade-related. D'accord? You do it and in a month when I'll probably be in Kansai again, I will try too.
> 
> 
> 
> Ah, Jon, I think you mean 'Shinagawa' - unless they've invented an entirely new name and place! :scratchhead:



yup... shinagawa... was typing from my cell phone


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## SameGuy

Looking forward to many more of your (and Sara's) photos and stories! Bread is nice and all -- yes, the Japanese seem to have developed an incredible passion for the French baking tradition -- but I hope to see you featuring foods that are unusual to us in North America and Europe.

Keep'em coming!


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## [email protected]

well... I think eating out is finally getting to the point where I feel like I need to skip some meals... 

We had unadon today at lunch.... it was unhealthy and VERY tasty. high five for our business meetings with tasty meals.


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## Crothcipt

Lol Sara you look so happy to have some bread on the train.


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## Johnny.B.Good

Thanks for the updates Sara!


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## schanop

[email protected] said:


> We had unadon today at lunch.... it was unhealthy ...



Funny you mentioned that unadon was unhealthy


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## Cutty Sharp

schanop said:


> Funny you mentioned that unadon was unhealthy



Nah, not bad if you have some vegs with it. Certainly better than that choco-melon bread stuff.

I wonder what the kilo count is now. How many days in Japan so far and how many kilos gained?


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## JBroida

Cutty Sharp said:


> Nah, not bad if you have some vegs with it. Certainly better than that choco-melon bread stuff.
> 
> I wonder what the kilo count is now. How many days in Japan so far and how many kilos gained?



thanks to the heat/natsubate, i think we're doing ok


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## [email protected]

Cutty Sharp said:


> Nah, not bad if you have some vegs with it. Certainly better than that choco-melon bread stuff.
> 
> I wonder what the kilo count is now. How many days in Japan so far and how many kilos gained?



easily 50000 cal for sure. sad


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## Chefdog

Jon/Sara,
Facebook photos look awesome. Especially the grilled meat & seafood setup. Those shortribs (?) made my coffee and bagel seem so lackluster. Excuse my ingnorance of Japanese food, but what do you call that style of dining with the little tableside grill (assuming that's what it was...)?

Keep 'me coming, we're living vicariously through you.


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## JBroida

lets call it yakiniku


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## [email protected]

jon is taking a lot of photos of our serious dinner etc., so i decided it's my job to take random photos of our snacks...

Yukimi Daifuku - possibly the BEST mochi ice cream.






Little ice cream - Pino!





soup in bread - what do you call it?


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## Zwiefel

Bread bowl!


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## Cutty Sharp

[email protected] said:


> soup in bread - what do you call it?



Don't know - 'supu naka pan'? - but know the Japanese find it sugoi.


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## stereo.pete

I never imagined that there would be so many baked goods in Japan, especially breads.


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## Cutty Sharp

stereo.pete said:


> I never imagined that there would be so many baked goods in Japan, especially breads.



Probably has something to do with what appeals to Jon&Sara. 

I'll say this - they have a strong feeling for comfort foods there. A fairly mild winter in Tokyo feels a lot colder - in the chilly Japanese homes - than a colder winter in Canada, for example, and so ohhhhh the wonders of a hot bowl of ramen or heated sake, not to mention trips to the onsen. Bread and baked goods are certainly comfort stuff too. And now Sara is back home and maybe enjoying herself.


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## mhlee

stereo.pete said:


> I never imagined that there would be so many baked goods in Japan, especially breads.



Japan has fantastic breads and pastries and Japanese people love baked goods. Fruit tarts, profiteroles (IIRC, they're called "shu kureemu" or "choux cream"), cream pan, white bread or shoku-pan (the fluffiest, best tasting and textured white bread) . . . there are so many great baked goods there. 

Man. I need to go back . . . :sad0:


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## Ucmd

Jon, More pics please. My dream is a Japanese vaca.


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## JBroida

trying, but from today we got even busier... started at about 6am today and just finished now a little after 11pm. tomorrow we need to get up at 5am


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## [email protected]

sorry guys for not updating as often as i promised  !


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## [email protected]

here's some more update  

some simmered food - nimono





ekiben (meal box from a train/station)





possibly the best strawberry chocolate


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## Cutty Sharp

Oh, I'm surprised to see the green chili - even if it's not such a hot one - in the middle of this.



[email protected] said:


> ekiben (meal box from a train/station)


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## JBroida

shishito pepper


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## [email protected]

shishito is so tasty.....  !


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## [email protected]

Feeling really guilty for not updating for a while (I mean, for a very long time)....

here's some more photos!

Jon tried a lot of new sake, syocyu, imojyochu etc. this year.





Salad @ izakaya 










harumaki





osashimi





tororoimo okonomiyaki





avocado fry





tonkotsu ramen





tsukemen





gyoza





lunch in middle of nowhere 





desert inspired by halloween 





two in one ice cream





sweet potato pastry





why are we not updating more? well, it's all because of this massive kiln (Gesshin Gama)


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