How Should We Eat Today?
By student Robin Kulp
My first week took some adjusting with regard to eating meals in Japan. Between lectures, field trips, and irregular sleep, I had quite the selection of snacks from the 24 hour Family Mart. I got used to eating rice with savory toppings at the continental breakfast, but I had visited very few Japanese restaurants. After wrapping up my first blog and test, and a weekend in Shibuya, I found myself getting into a balance of routine and exploration.
Time for me to organize with friends for an exciting week of dining!
Starting from Monday’s temporary class building, the Matsuo Basho Museum, I found a restaurant where you can buy udon from a kiosk before dining in. I enjoyed feeling like one of the “blue collar” workers stopping by and slurping it up. I went for dinner with a group to a neighborhood cafe. Aside from coffee, cafes tend to have western food that is both familiar and refined. They had no menu in English, which is fairly uncommon around Tokyo.
An attempt was made at conveyor belt sushi, but it turned out to be futile without a reservation. Instead, we ended up at a small shop with barstools and bowls of rice and seafood, which was exactly what I needed.
The next day we made it to the sushi place, where the group of 5 collected 60 sushi plates and one mango, after returning from Kamakura.
In Kamakura, where we saw the daibutsu Buddha statue, there was an ice cream shop displaying photos of their most famous visitor.
As a class, we visited a well-known restaurant with five courses and staff shouting in a friendly manner. Something I may have liked would be to sit with cushions at the low table.
My blog-writing fuel came in the form of takeaway from one subway stop away. Halal food sellers as well as other cultural cuisine are all around, catering to different populations in the area. I have discovered many places where I could easily go out to eat often. Some experiences have been fancier or novel. As a student based in a tiny hotel room, I’m happy to say I’ve eaten well in Japan this week.