When you travel in a new country you always want to see many things in very little time. Sometimes its just going to fast and you dont get to really appreciate the country for what it is truely. A bit like ticking some boxes and moving on to the next thing. But quality is more important. That’s what I realised after today.
After all the agitation of the previous days I wanted to have an easy day in a relaxed area of Tokyo. And I think I have find exactly what suited my mood.
After a very long sleep I head off to Nakameguro.
The meguro river.
Nakameguro is made of two lanes along the meguro river. Its a very trendy and cosy area of Tokyo. Bohemian style. You’ll find a lot of concept stores , nice cafÊs and vintage cloothing. All in a very chilled atmosphere. To me it felt like a mixture of Amsterdam and “Le Marais” in Paris. It is very unique place that I really enjoyed.
There is shops were you can buy clooth and vinyls while drinking a coffee with cakes. A place were the cool kids of Tokyo hang out. The “cool rich kids”.
Travelling is also about trying new stuff. I got caught up by a store that was making delicious pudding.
Let me present you “Mahakala’s Happy Pudding”. A shop were you can try different pudding flavor with a drink. It exist since 2010 and seems to be popular among Tokyoites.
I went for the recommendation of the Barista : the Pumpkin pudding. I have to say it was really good. Texture was perfect ,slighty creamy yet solid . The taste was slightly sweet with an after taste of caramel and Pumpkin (it reminded me “Creme brulÊe” a bit). A hearty treat that I really enjoyed. And best of all I enjoyed it in good compagny !
I met this two sweet Japaneses in front of the shop , they actually recommanded me to try it so I did that. Even thought they had little English (like my Japanese) we had a lot of fun. Emotions goes beyond word. Slowly but surely i’m improving my Japanese. Sugoi !
I felt that this part of Tokyo was much more wealthy than others places I have visited so far. An indicator to me was the presences of dogs here. In Tokyo a m2 cost a lot of money. So seing people with dogs means that they have more m2 in their home. Nakamaguro felt like that. It felt open , relaxed and artistic. Like being in a cool village.
I then headed off toward the Saigoyama park .
Where a Chihuahua shooting was taking place. I’m not lying about the dogs you see.
Small dogs I know but still dogs đ
The park was the limit to another super trendy neighborhood : Daikanyama.
Many really cool houses and buildings there. A paradise for architecture lovers. You could feel that this was one of the most expensive place to live. Big cars and dogs everywhere , wooo !
The Aoyama technical school building. Pretty cool hey ?
Looked like a robotic cockroach.
After a sweet day it was time for a lunch. And I have find a good place for that .
The “Bookcafe days ” ,a mixture of cafÊ , library and art exhibition.
The owner was lovely ,a must go place.
Some Healthy cuisine here. Simple but yummy (veggie options). Thumbs up for the dressing in the salad made off Japanese mustard and soy sauce. And the chocolate cake was heavenly good !
What a good place to really get to know Japaneses. Away from the busy and touristy sites you’ll find authentic places where you can really connect with the locals. Your curiosity will be reward by unforgetable moment that money will never buy.
Happy times with new friends đ
At first Japanese might feel reserved but I realise today that the more you open up the more they will open up. And this often led to a magical fusion where two cultures meet together. I’m finding similarities between French and Japanese culture. I really feel home here strangely enought.
Okay now heading at Shibuya ! A super busy district famous for his world known “crossing”. It was pouring rain so I didnt stay in the streets. Make sure you go to Starbuck coffee to enjoy the show. It’s actually free if you want it to be free. Just grab a seat and enjoy.
Red light ..
Green light !
A very busy area for sure. It felt a bit like Shinjuku but less underground. I didnt stay because of the rain plus I was going to another place.
Tokyo Station !
You’ll never think about going to a station to have your dinner but this is what I did. Tokyo Station has so much nice restaurants to eat on the go.
If you think about Japanese food you think of Sushi , Sashimi and … RAMEN !
Ramen is a institution in Japan. But if you dont eat meat or fish it can be really tricky to find one you can actually eat.
T’ss Tan Tan done that . Now there is one place in Tokyo with only vegan ramen.
It was BLISS. For a first timer it was so good. This one had a peanut butter broth. I highly recommend this place , vegan or not.
Tokyo is a multi facet city. Going off the beaten path will often reward you with treasures that no guide books will talk about. And this is also where you’ll actually meet local people.
Thanks you Japan !
Stay curious people đ
Some love
Delicious , Oshi įžåŗãã
free.cloud 
Leave a comment