Edosky, yo! (that's "bro-lingo" for Edo)

As you can tell by the title of this post, things will get trendy, catchy, and dappled with a good dose of cultural glitches.

But first, when it rains in Tokyo, one must begin the day with the finest coffee available. And we found exactly that, at a small roastery with room for only four people to sit.

Hulya was still on the hunt for certain beauty products exclusive to Japan. So we returned to the infamous skyscraper of conspicuous consumption: Don Quixote. At least this time, it was a more manageable location in Ginza. But I still despised the extravagant displays and crazed music blasting from the ceilings. Despite the abrasive nature of the business model, I did get excited myself when I discovered the saké section hidden in the way back….and the supplements aisle!

After Hulya’s Xmas shopping spree was over, we had a quick lunch at 711 (the food is surprisingly wholesome, affordable, and of greater quality than you would ever imagine)

Then we went back to do some computer work in our room, where I like to watch the local temple and cemetery from our 10th-floor window. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. gives one an appetite, so for lunch, we returned to the Tsijiki Outer market for the calorie-rich wagyu beef….with uni (sea urchin) on top!

To help digest the food, we meandered toward Asakusa, an old town in Tokyo, to see the shrines, temples, and pull some good fortunes.

We walked until our feet and backs were aching—then kept walking more, towards the Electronic District. But we got sidetracked by a street festival and soon after found the most amazing duck ramen shop tucked underneath a JR overpass.


Finally arriving at the modestly crazed scene of Akihabara, I strategically placed Mind Hunter stickers everywhere, then went looking for my favorite anime series on DVD but the multilevel anime/porn shops were too perplexing and so gave up.

(Apart from my character, Hertog Young, make sure to take a closer look at some of the other stickers here, too.)

After 9 miles of walking, we called it quits for the day.

Our third day in Nippon started as usual: Hulya got a healthy Bento Box, and I got my flat of six different mochi!

Haha, just kidding! Hulya actually ate more mochi than me that day, which was a first because I love mochi so much that we had to develop these three important Mochi Rules. Rule 1: Eat immediately while fresh! Rule 2: Do not eat more than two mochi in one sitting! Rule 3: Any day-old mochis can be eaten without Hulya’s consent, while at the same time disregarding rules 1 and 2. With our bellies full, we said goodbye to Tokyo and jumped on a train to Hakone, which is about two hours south and tucked away in the mountains, where hot springs abound! Along the way, I caught sight of something awe-inspiring….it was Mount Fuji!!!!!

Its pure grandeur is impossible to describe. But the scale is completely stunning, and I wish I had a better photo. Alas, the 12,467-foot monolith of beauty will be there next time we return.

Once in Hakone, we wandered around and enjoyed some specialty food items. But these grilled rice balls (despite looking delicious) were the first thing we’d had in Japan, and we both wished we hadn’t bought them. However, the black sulphur eggs of Hakone were genuine and fantastic!

Next, we packed ourselves into a bus full of tourist sardines and visited a beautiful but overrated Shinto shrine next to a lake. The best part of the excessive bus rides today was the amazing mountain vistas and the unique patches of greenery from various new species of trees we’ve never seen. That and the komerobi (the way the light filters through the canopy) made it all worthwhile. So after a long day of travelling, we made it to our onsen and dipped into the hot spring.

The end of our day was a dazzling eight-course meal. I reserved this room at the onsen because of some positive reviews I’d read about the host and her cooking. But this homemade food was like a 5-star restaurant. It was prepared and presented with such a delicate touch.

It seems to me that Japanese food is much like its people: sophisticated yet simple. Refined…but with plenty of genuine flair! Sayonara for now, space cowboy!

*For a hypnotic experience, check out this Bullet Train video I made. I also include a fantatic glimpse of Mount Fuji as we passed it: https://youtu.be/th2MI11Fs4A