Kaya on Brioche: Tokyo

Showing posts with label Tokyo. Show all posts

Riding the Shinkansen in Japan

Kaya on Brioche culture , Japan , Kyoto , Tokyo No comments :

My sister is not the best seat buddie on the Shinkansen. Last year we travelled together in Japan and rode the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. I envisioned a quiet, reflective time; I would read Murakami while catching glimpses of Mt Fuji from the window. I was able to do this when I returned alone a few months later, but with my sister I could hardly concentrate. Every five seconds I felt another nudge on my spine. She would not sit still, another picture had to be taken, another video had to be shot. I think she spent the majority of the three hour ride looking through her phone camera.

I have used both the 7 day and 28 day pass, and if you’re traveling a lot, you absolutely must buy one. It is quite a bit of money up front (purchased at a travel agency in cash) and you can only trade it in and book train seats once you arrive in Japan. This caused me a lot of stress on my second trip as I arrived in Tokyo at 9 am and needed to be in Hiroshima by nightfall. However, thankfully it is not at all hard to get a seat reservation, and even if you don’t, you can simply hop on the unreserved cars (often cars 1-3). The attendants at the ticket booth in the Narita JR office were extremely helpful and efficient. They don’t allow luggage into the office however. When I was traveling alone I left my luggage (my whole life as I was moving countries) outside the office and prayed it would still be there after the transaction. Because I was in Japan nothing was stolen (don’t try that elsewhere!).

The pass also works in JR trains within Tokyo! It is great if you need more flexibility because you can hop on any shinkansen or JR Tokyo train. When all my travel plans fell through the third day on my solo trip, I lost no money on transportation. If I had booked specific trains, I would have been out at least $600. Instead, with my pass, if I woke up and felt like going to Osaka, I went to Osaka and paid nothing. I looked up exact times on hyperdia under wifi, screen shot them, then followed the signs to the appropriate train and unreserved car carriages. The announcements were in English and Japanese with lettering above the door in case I didn’t catch them. There was also a luggage lock area between the cars.

Not always, but most of the time the expensive fare of the train pass will work in your favor. Even the trip to and from Kyoto in one week with my sister was worth it. Of course if you want other options, there are cheaper (and longer) ways to travel within Japan. But honestly you can’t beat that view or the experience… even if you have your sister badgering you the whole way.

Illustration by my sister, Lauren Monaco.

August in Review

Kaya on Brioche Chicago , Japan , Kyoto , Month in Review , Naoshima Island , Osaka , Tokyo , USA No comments :

I went back to my favorite city in the world. Ah Tokyo, the land of warm toilets and platform sandals.

1st row: Dotonbori River in Osaka // Benesse House Museum in Naoshima Island // Brooklyn Roasting Company in Osaka [Japan]
2nd row: Sagano Romantic Train in Kyoto // Omotesando area in Tokyo // Ebisu Yokocho in Tokyo [Japan]
3rd row: Shibuya area in Tokyo // downtown Chicago // Lake Michigan in Chicago [Japan / USA]

Book Browsing in Tokyo

Kaya on Brioche culture , Japan , Tokyo 1 comment :

This year Monocle rated Tokyo the most liveable city [video here]. More importantly, the magazine reported that there are 1,383 independent bookstores in Tokyo. There are 12 in Singapore.

I visited maybe the most famous of Tokyo’s bookstores, Daikanyama Tsutaya Books, which consists of several rooms of books, music, and movies surrounded by a courtyard. There’s also a Starbucks if you need a coffee fix. Most of the books are in Japanese, so I browsed the magazine section, which has every lifestyle, food, and travel magazine I could think of. The surrounding area has a lot of unique clothing, coffee, and boutique shops, and it’s easy to get happily lost roaming around. As I wandered in and outside the store, I passed many casually well-dressed Japanese, with their black beanies, loose pants, and Nikes, on their way perhaps to lunch with a friend or to pick up a book for their commute.

Sometimes you get that overwhelming feeling in a city: you wish you could have several lives to live, one in each city you love.

Koffee in Tokyo

Kaya on Brioche food & drink , Japan , Tokyo 1 comment :

In Tokyo around the Omotesando area, behind all the fancy big streets, there are tons of tiny winding alleyways with shops and homes. My sister and I spent quite some time wandering these small streets on our one day in Tokyo. It didn’t seem at all like we were in a big bustling city; the streets were quiet and stores small. In one alleyway, we found Omotesando Koffee, easily missed unless you find the small sign beside the little doorway covered in plants.

Inside we entered a courtyard, which led to a small open traditional room. A man stood behind the simple counter, taking orders and brewing coffee. Every single aspect was well designed, from the layout of the shop to the handling of the payment. While I was ordering I noticed a Japanese man in a business suit hunched over his notebook with an espresso to his side. He folded the shop’s business card (which was printed on a coffee filter) neatly into his journal and scribbled a few phrases in Japanese. I paid and, after murmuring thank you several times (really the only phrase I know in Japanese), I joined my sister in the adjoining small courtyard outside.

While we sipped our coffees, a man who seemed like a regular parked his bike outside (unlocked) and walked into the store. He enjoyed his coffee while chatting with the barista in Japanese. After a few minutes of friendly animated discussion, he biked away, continuing down the alleyway.

There are so many reasons why I love Tokyo and this coffee shop. A few have to do with the unlocked bikes, the elegant spaces, and the politeness and intentionality of every single transaction. And there’s something different about the coffee too.

First photo by Lauren. Second photo of Lauren by me.

February in Review

Kaya on Brioche Japan , Kyoto , Month in Review , Singapore , Tokyo 2 comments :

I had a visitor thismonth! I was so happy to see my sister and visit Japan for the first time with her. We spent about 36 hours in Tokyo, but it has become one of my favorite cities.

1st row: Paranakan shop, brunch with sister at PS. Cafe, Chinese New Year goodies from my Aunt [Singapore]
2nd row: coffee at Omotesando Koffee, Tokyo sunset, Shibuya side street view [Tokyo, Japan]
3rd row: trees and temples in Arashiyama, geishas in Gion, mountains in Kurama [Kyoto, Japan]

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