Tourindou is a charming wagashi, Japanese confectionary, shop and cafe on the quiet backstreets of Ueno. It’s a lovely spot to recharge after visiting the museums of Ueno, like the current Hello Kitty exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum (through Feb. 24, 2025). Founded in 1926 Tourindou sells traditional sweets including candied vegetables and fruit:…
Tag: Ueno
Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty is celebrating 50 years and there is an exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum. Basically it is an Instagram friendly show with a collection of Hello Kitty items produced over the years. If you love Kitty chan, then check it out. Be sure to go early, especially if you want to purchase items…
Ueno Yabu Soba
Natto soba and tamagoyaki at Yabu Soba. The 130-year old shop makes the buckwheat noodles from scratch in the first floor atelier. The soba had a rich texture. Loved it with grated mountain potato, natto, nori, shiso, and green onions. The tamagoyaki is made with cream. 🥰 Yabu Soba is near the boisterous Ameya Yokochō…
Washoku
Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine, was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ten years ago. To commemorate this there is a fabulous exhibit at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo in Ueno. The exhibit covers a wide variety of topics including seafood and sea vegetables, produce, regional cuisine, fermented foods, the history…
Isomaru Suisan 磯丸水産
A friend and I needed to grab a quick lunch before he jumped on the shinkansen to Kyoto. We popped into Isomaru Suisan near Ueno station and had colorful and fresh sashimi donburi. Donburi are large bowls filled with rice and toppings, a great one-bowl meal. He had a tuna and avocado bowl and I took a chirashizushi with…
Digging into an Ice Cold Kakigori
On summer visits to Japan as a child my favorite sweets were kakigori topped with milk. Only when I grew up did I realize that it wasn’t milk but it was sweetened condensed milk. No better way to cool down in the Tokyo heat than a bowl of shaved ice topped with a sweet syrup….
Kimchi Yokocho キムチ横丁 2/2
Marukin まるきん Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-19-1 台東区東上野2-19-1 Tel. 03-3832-4549 http://www.kimchi-marukin.com/ (Japanese) Daiichi Bussan 第一物産 Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-15-5 台東区東上野2-15-5 Tel. 03-3831-1323 http://www.d1b.jp/ (Japanese) Konan Foods コーナンフーズ Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-15-5 台東区東上野2-15-5 Tel. 03-3831-2017 no website The handful of shops here specialize in handmade kimchi, meats for cooking at home, and ingredients for cooking Korean food…
Kimchi Yokocho キムチ横丁 1/2
Kimchi Yokocho キムチ横丁 http://panda.starfleet.ac/~kaeru/kimuti/kimuti.html On the other side of the tracks is an area called Kimchi Yokocho. In an area of a few blocks is a concentration of shops and restaurants specializing in Korean food. There is a much larger area filled with Korean supermarkets, restaurants, and shops near Shinjuku near the Shin-Okubo station on…
Tokyo Cheap Eats – Oedo Kaitenzushi 大江戸回転寿し
As a fishmonger, Shinji is always craving sushi. There are many ranks of restaurants, even within the kaitenzushi (revolving sushi). Ooedo Kaitenzushi came highly recommended for its variety of fresh fish at a reasonable price. Ooedo has several locations throughout the city. This one is near Okachimashi, just south of Ueno station and near the…
Food Sake Tokyo 