The Best Food We Ate in Tokyo in 72 Hours
Thomas Obungen and Maria Burke’s Top 6 picks from three short days in Japan.
tokyo
Upstairs Hawai‘i Pairs Two of Japan’s Best Under One Roof
It’s the only spot to get Sushi Sho’s glistening bara chirashi bowl and back it up with Hachibei’s jidori chicken and a hefty sake list.
Luxe Japanese Beef Elevates Yakiniku Grilling at Kaka‘ako’s Han no Daidokoro
The Korean-Japanese restaurant from Shibuya flies in fresh Japanese wagyu and Oregon washu beef.
Pizza in a bowl: Tokyo's pizza ramen
Pizza soba. The words floated across the television long enough for me to grab the remote and turn up the volume. As a self-proclaimed Tokyo-phile, my NGN/NHK cable package is a key resource when it comes to identifying food targets for the annual…
Sear-Your-Own Wagyu Beef Katsu Is My Go-To Meal in Japan
Others crave sushi and ramen. I head for Gyukatsu Motomura
Something new: KatsuMidori Sushi Tokyo
By Thomas Obungen and Dale Yasunaga You may have heard about the deal that can be had at KatsuMidori Sushi Tokyo, the latest uber-popular Japanese chain to open on Oahu. Foodies are abuzz about the $5 otoro (fatty tuna) nigiri,…
Tokyo: One last look … until next time
I know, this blog post is pretty delayed, sorry! I had to finish my Japan adventures before I could start on my new one. Run! Godzilla overlooking Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. The rooms looking at his face are sold out. I…
Tokyo day trip: The Hakushu distillery
You know it’s a nice day in Tokyo when you can see Mt. Fuji. The view from Hotel Metropolitan Ikebukuro. We had originally planned to visit the Yamazaki whisky distillery in Osaka, but found that it would be closed in…
Aloha Tokyo! The Cup Noodles Museum
It sounds kind of touristy, but you might have fun at the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama if you have the time. Many of my friends have been through this attraction, and it is actually pretty interesting if you look…
Aloha Tokyo! Exploring Nakano Broadway and revisiting Narukiyo
Tokyo fanatics who geek out on the vast amount of comics, games, anime and more should head out to Nakano Broadway, a whole mall with collectible stuff from old-school classics to the current popular characters. Deb Aoki always tells me…
Party pics: Harajuku Tokyo Street Fashion
Tokyo street fashion has arrived in Honolulu! Last night, Honolulu Museum of Art debuted its Harajuku Tokyo Street Fashion exhibit with an opening party, featuring appearances by Japanese boutique Tokyo Bopper and Tokyo street fashion star Minori demonstrating the art…
How to spend your first night in Tokyo
I’m back on the road again, and yes, back in Japan, but I try to get a different experience every time I return to any destination. It’s always an adventure with my classmate, manga/anime blogger Deb Aoki, so be sure…
Otaku in Japan: Capcom Bar
Sadly, I don’t play video games as much as before. It’s a strange formula: The older I get, the less I play. Why can’t I get younger and play more? I’m lucky if I can sneak in a session of…
Otaku in Japan: Ramen Jiro
I love ramen. I could eat ramen every day. I did for a while, until it took a toll on my wallet and my stomach. Skinny guy with a beer belly was not the look I was going for. So…
Otaku in Japan: Ninja Akasaka Cafe
I would never suspect a ninja stronghold within modern-day Tokyo, but that’s what the art of ninjutsu is all about: deception and misdirection. Being a lifelong fan of Japanese culture, I finally fulfilled my dream of traveling to the Land…
Aloha Tokyo! Final day in Japan … for now
I had one final day in Japan before heading home, so met up with my friend, Hawaii ex-pat Deanne Matsushima. She, like many of my Hawaii friends, used to live in an area called Asagaya. It is an older, established…
Aloha Tokyo! Exploring Harajuku, Omotesando and Nakano
My last day in Tokyo before heading out was a full day of hanging out with friends from Hawaii as well as Japan. The entourage (below) was a group that started with Hawaii folks and my friend Deanne Matsushita, who…
Cheap fun eats in Tokyo
Tokyo can be expensive, but there are many cheap, filling restaurants that are popular with the city’s denizens. I saw some great spots on this trip, but didn’t have enough time to go in. There was the ramen shop right…
Aloha Tokyo! Visiting Hachiko and the 47 ronin
One of the first things people do when they visit Tokyo is head to Shibuya station, where the famous statue of Hachiko the dog has stood for the last 67 years. Throughout Japan, Hachiko’s dedication to his master Hidesaburo Ueno —…
Aloha Tokyo! Quick trip through the Big Mikan
Whoosh! I’m back in Tokyo for a few days, and everyone is asking why I’m only here for a short time. Well, it is actually a perfect alignment of different things that brought me here. I’m actually headed to France…
Tokyo: Touring TBS and other cool spots
The last two days of my trip were pretty mellow, but still very interesting. My friend Yasuo Ogawa introduced me to NHK Meteorologist Sayaka Mori, and asked her to give me a tour of the station. As luck would have…
Tokyo: the insanity of Namja Town
With Ritsuko (left) and Naomi at Kyushu Jangara Ramen. If you have the time, one way to really experience the extreme quirkiness of modern Japanese culture is to visit Namja Town in Sunshine City. We had to go there because…
Tokyo: Akihabara and Narukiyo
I gotta say, Japanese culture — especially in Tokyo — is over the top on so many fronts. You’ll find a lot of hysterically bizarre sights, objects, and activities for people of every age, and some of these things don’t…
Tokyo: Takarazuka and Andy’s Shin Hinomoto
It was jarring to come back from the serene surroundings of Obuse and Niigata to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. When the train doors opened at Tokyo Station, it was like being yanked back to reality with all the…
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