Possibly a last hurrah, even a bangers and beer banzai, for what could well be the last barbecue of the year. Or at least the last one when the sun is still strong enough to comfortably warm all the surrounding concrete.
Barbecue banzai?
Food and Drink
Eating out in Tokyo
For even the most dedicated or over-indulgent of eaters, each of Tokyo’s numerous cities offer so many restaurants that a lifetime of dining out probably wouldn’t even begin to dent the sheer number of delicacies on offer. A staggering array of options that not only vary wildly in both cost and contents, but also in regards sophistication and surroundings. And needless to say this already vast selection is multiplied into unimaginable numbers when there’s even the merest of mentions of the whole metropolis.
Yet if one has only a minute or two to wolf down some food, or much worse no money, then eating out in Tokyo can take on a very different interpretation.
Tranquil time out #80
On a surprisingly warm day when one is feeling a little weary, what could be better than a well-earned rest and a wonderfully relaxing beer?
A not very merry Anpanman
With his rosy little cheeks and large smile, Anpanman (アンパンマン) is a firm favourite of many Japanese children — the sweet bean and bread-based character’s incredibly jolly countenance making him decidedly different from some of his main rivals, such as a certain expressionless cat for example, or that much-acclaimed but surely malevolent old mouse.
And yet even sweetness on several levels it seems still wasn’t enough to stop some callous kid unceremoniously dumping this Anpanman adorned cycle.
Leaving the poor little fella looking strangely forlorn — even lost.
Old tofu shop in Tokyo
With all its chain stores, massive shopping emporiums and incredible number of convenience stores, it’s arguably amazing to simply see small shops in Tokyo, let alone find some that are actually surviving. Yet survive they do, and in surprisingly healthy numbers, although how successfully many of them are soldiering on is something else altogether.
But either way, this fella, and quite possibly his father before him, has no doubt been making and selling tofu for more time than he’d care to remember. And fingers crossed he’ll be able to continue for many more years to come, but whether the business will be able to do so when he’s decided to call it a day, is considerably more debatable.
Comatose in a coffee shop
Finding a seat in a Tokyo coffee shop is not always easy; in fact, at certain times of the day, in seriously desirable spots, it’s practically impossible.
And it’s a situation that’s made even worse when customers are intent on nursing a tea for an eternity, or, in this particular case, clearly in need of a cup containing considerably more caffeine.
