Ueno

New day , new adventure. But before we get started we need to put some fuel in the car. I know exactly where to go for that.
This morning i’m going to Ueno district , only 3 stations away from my hotel , so for once I wont have many travel. Nice !

Welcome to Usagiya bakery !

Here you can buy their specialy. The Doriyaki , which is a two layers pancakes filled with red bean paste. This place is famous for them so I thought I need to try them out. It’s a 5 min walk from Nara Okimachi station.

You cann’t eat at the bakery so then you walk 1min to reach the Usagiya café. Time for breakfast !

Look at this. The texture of that Doriyaki was very fluffy. I really enjoyed the taste and texture. Red bean paste may sound strange but it worked pretty well actually. It’s not so sweet and it’s healthier than normal bakery item we have back home. The Matcha tea that came with it was also delicious.
This café had a “Hawai” vibe to it. The music was from there and some of the art inside also. Nice place to start your day in Ueno district 🙂

I found a lot of great places like this one using TripAdvisor and also by watching blogs. Planning your trip to Japan can allow you to have different options while travelling in the country. It allows you to forget about planification. You can enjoy your time here fully while using your previous researchs about great places / experiences to go to. As a result my journey here feels so smooth thanks to previous planification back home.

First place i’m going is the Ameyoko Market. A popular market where you find many food and shops. The vibe here was very different than other part of Tokyo. A popular and more laid back area.

I enjoyed strolling down the streets , everything was cheaper here too. Then I discovered a temple in the middle of it.

I also met Toru – san (the man at bottom left). A sweet Japanese guy. We started talking (in Japanese). He was saying that this was a Buddhist temple and that there is 4 majors division in Japanese Buddhism. Interesting. He then offered me to go to Ueno park for a Temple safari. I though okay let’s do that ! I did’nt had time to explore the Ameyoko market but let’s forget about that for now and let’s go with the flow.

Last year in Nepal I got offered the same thing by local people. I was asked money each time at the end of the “tour”. So I was a bit suspicious at first but this is Japan. A different country. This man had no intention to ask money he just wanted to show to a french guy the beauty of his own culture. He was so nice to be able to spend a few hours with a perfect stranger showing you the nice places .Even thought the language barrier was challenging we still managed to understand each other. Toru – san greato man !

Lets go to a temple and shrine safari at the nearby Ueno park.

In Japan the two major religion are Buddhism and Shintoism. You talk about temple in Bouddhism and shrine in Shintoism. Another difference , there is a Tori gate in shrine not in temple.

Toru san invited me to visit inside some temples. Japanese hospitality is something beautiful. He payed for everything we did even thought I wanted to pay myself.
We also went to a flower exhibition next to the Toshogu shrine.

The flowers were called Dalhia. This garden was full of them. it was season time to grow them.

Mmmh flower power. The simple things of life make you feel good.
Behing me the five story Pagoda.

And a last temple with Toru san.

Time to say goodbye to my good friend. Back to Ueno station to say Sayonara. Toru san lives 30 min away from Ueno in Saitama. He was going back home to his family.

Now i’m back to square one. The Ameyoko Market. A foody paradise where you can enjoy very cheap food in an original area. Ameyoko felt really authentic and warm. The market is located along the train railway which gives a very cool feel I found. Something different.

A small street just under the train railway.

The streets are fulls of Ramen restaurant and japanese pub , Izakaya.

This place felt true to me. Many Japanese people were gathering to enjoy food. A place I would recommand if you go to Tokyo.
All thoses restaurant make me feel hungry but being vegetarian can be challenging in traditional Japananese places like Ameyoko. The food culture in Japan uses largely fish and also meat as a base. Therefore it was not easy for me to find a place where I could eat. Then I thought Okay just try and see what happen. You might be suprised.

The Ramen guide for newbies.

Put your money in the machine. Select what you want. If you dont read Japanese like me just try to learn a few Kanji and Hiragana characters (certain places have some english texts to help you). I have choosed number 7 : Kinoko (mushroom) ramen.

Then you give the ticket to the counter. I had the choice between Soba or Udon. I went for Udon.

Mmmh looks yummy and so cheap. 400y for a whole bowl (3 euro).
Okay no fish and no meat wooo well done Greg ! Well ramen actually have a fish or meat broth that comes with it. This one was had fish broth but it’s okay. It’s good to be flexible too. Especially when you travel away from home. You can also find Seaweed broth called Konbu but not every shop will have that options. You can always ask.

Okay now back to Ueno with a new friend.
Matcha Cake.

Japanese cakes are very tasty and not very sweet compared to French cakes.
I didnt expected such good skills in cakes and bakeries items in Japan.

Ueno Park has a really cool vibes. People smile , drink , play music. This place is alive. You will find many museum , temples and cafés at Ueno park. Also many schools and universities around it. This place felt fresh. This park is not so much for enjoying fine gardens but rather to enjoy organic raw nature with friends or just by yourself.

And now time for my next destination.

The old district of Yanaka.

See you for the next one 🙂

Friend , Tomodachi ともだち