Here we introduce a new shopping spot in Shinjuku, NewoMan by LUMINE.
The shopping complex opened late March 2016 just above JR Shinjuku station(south side).
The building includes also a large bus terminal and Tokyo tourist information center in addition to the shopping floors.
How to access to the bus terminal, please check ULR below.
https://www.highwaybus.com/html/gp/foreign/en/access/
Well as for food related information, especially the collection of food boutique INSIDE JR Shinjuku station is wonderful.
From JR train platforms, please follow the sign of "New South Exit" or "NEWoMan", remain inside the ticket gate(Eki-Naka area).
In the commercial area, from bakerly, onigiri(rice ball), fried food to both Japanese and Western sweets are available with excellent choices.
Our recommendations as they are rarely found in other locations are ...
Wa’s sandwich - providing volumy sanwiches with some Japanese flavor and ingredients
https://www.newoman.jp/shop/shop_details.php?id=86
Sushi-ya no Hanare - food courner by a sushi restaurant offering, for example, onigiri(rice ball) with uni (sea urchin) and rarely-found original recipe rice products.
Liquor Select 360 degree - even though the area is very small, the selection variation is vast.
The beer and sake collection covers across Japan.
It will be good to choose one as your night cap before going back to your accommodation.
M.LE BIHAN - French style bakerly
If you miss European(more exactly French) style breads, while traveling in Japan.
For more information about the French bakerly, Japanese site http://www.lebihan.jp/
The excellent quality of breads will satisfy you. Some Japanese original kind of bread is also available as below photo.
More and more food boutiques are available, so take enough time to explorer light meal and/or sweets!
Again, don't forget that they are INSIDE station ticket gate (Eki-Naka).
NeWoMan shopping complex floor plan is here.
This is our last post of Kawagoe introduction series, then, we introduce you that the last and (maybe) the largest shopping spot to discover local products for souvenir for Kawagoe town.
Koedo Kurari (小江戸 蔵里) is a large shopping and dining house focusing on local products of Kawagoe.
It is on the way between the old town district and two train stations.
It will be useful even when you forget purchasing some products in the old town or when you would like to take a break before leaving Kawagoe by train.
The building both exterior and interior looks like Kura (traditional style storage), even though the inside is modern space with a big gift shop, restaurant, cafe etc.
Espcially we recommend Kura Cafe existing in a corner of the shopping area.
The space looks good with wooden furniture in the mixture style of modern and traditional element.
As for menu, if you look for sweets, please try sweet potato pudding, made from the town's local specialty ingredient.
Alternatively, the cafe also provides lunch set meal or local brand beer (Koedo), green tea etc.
Please find our other posts about Kawagoe, if you have not visited them.
Kawagoe(川越), an old town easily accessible from Tokyo
Lunch spot in Kawagoe, Kasho Umon tea room
Shop name: Kura cafe at Koedo Kurari (小江戸 蔵里)
Address: 1-10-1 Shintomi-cho, Kawagoe city, Saitama
Official site (Japanese version only): http://www.machikawa.co.jp/
From some posts made on the last year, please let us add a couple of spots especially "for sweets lovers" to visit in Kawagoe.
Kameya Eisen is an established sweets maker with over a century long history in Kawagoe, Saitame prefecture(30 minutes train ride from Tokyo).
In the middle of main street of Kawagoe old town, the exterior looks nice, reflecting the history of the house.
On the ground floor, the sweets shop offers variety of their traditional delicacies, as we can imagine.
For food lovers, please do not leave without visiting the upper floor!
The second floor space is open as a small exhibition hall and it introduces us the history of sweet potato product with the maker. The exhibition tells us how much the product has been appreciated by people for a century and how it had been produced in ancient time.
One of the interesting displays is "excursion travel tickets" from Tokyo to Kawagoe.
In a series of tickets, one is for "a bucket of sweet potato" offered
as local specialty souvenir to tourists visiting Kawagoe!!
For more information about spots in Kawagoe, please visit other pages,
Kawagoe(川越), an old town easily accessible from Tokyo
Lunch spot in Kawagoe, Kasho Umon tea room
Spot name: Kameya Eisen
Address: 5-6 Saiwai-cho, Kawagoe City, Saitama
Open: 10h-17h
Official website (Japanese version only): http://www.kawagoe.com/kameyaeisen/information.html
We believe many of you leave from Japan by taking a flight from Narita airport.
If you have a few hours in Narita and wish to do shopping something more than airport boutiques before leaving, Aeon Mall Narita must be the best place.
It has units for major Japanese brands, shops such as Sanrio, Daiso(100yen shop), cosmetic DHC, FANCL, MUJI, they are available in the shopping mall.
In addition at the large supermarket, you can find some sweets and food products of course.
Japanese souvenir sweets
Even though you are not interested in shopping, the mall will be a good place as the last chance to enjoy tasting nice meals at reasonable prices. The food court offers ramen, seafood, takoyaki balls as well as McDonalds, 31 ice cream etc.
Omelette with rice from Pomme's curry
Fried chicken(karaage) from Kyushu Danji
If you need breakfast for next morning, drop by the high quality bakery Mont-thabor from Azabu Juban on the ground floor.
Shop name: Aeon Mall Narita
Website: http://narita-aeonmall.com/static/detail/translation-en
Shuttle bus available to/from Narita train station and Narita Airport
Access information http://narita-aeonmall.com.e.vd.hp.transer.com/static/detail/access-transport
Following our last post about the nice Udon noodle restaurant in Kyoto,
today we bring an interesting exhibition related local "noodle".
It's already on the middle of the exhibition period but it remains a month till the end of the exhibition, 25th October 2015. It must be a good news for food lovers coming to Tokyo soon or next month October 2015.
Surely you know Ramen and may be head about Udon or Soba traditional Japanese noodle. They are commonly available across Japan but at the same time, many local versions of noodle exist across Japan.
This interesting exhibition has selected each one unique noodle from all 47 prefectures in Japan.
Some of them are known even out of the origin prefecture but others are not well known even among Japanese people. It will be an interesting opportunty to discover unique and various types of noodle meal from different prefectures.
Here is a couple of examples of the 47 products.
Goshiki Somen (5 colors thin wheat noodle) from Ehime prefecture in Shikoku region
Normal somen is in white like the one far-left. Others are colored with some specific ingredients such as matcha green tea powder, plum, egg or black wheat.
Daimon Somen from Toyama prefecture in Hokuriku region
It looks like a normal type?
The uniqueness of the noodle is "length" over 1 meter.
It is instructed that we have to break the dried noodle cluster into two pieces before we put it into boild water. Otherwise we could have a problem to take it as it is too long to eat.
It requires hands of two people to make such long Daimon Somen.
So traditionally the noodle is made by a married couple as their home business in the region.
If you would, these noodles are available for sale but unfortunately not always stocks are available.
Some are produced only for limited numbers and are popular among the exhibition visitors.
Exhibition name: 47 Men(麺、noodle) MARKET
Period: until 25th October 2015
Open hour: 11h00-19h30(last entrance time)
Venue: d47 Museum, 8th floow Hikarie Shibuya
Address: 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Enftrance: free
Website (Japanese): http://www.hikarie8.com/d47museum/2015/07/47-market-47-.shtml
Some of you may be already familiar with the Japanese word "bento".
Bento represents "box meal" in Japanese, such as those we can find at a convenience store, what a mother makes as lunch for kids or what we prepare for a party outside.
For some people, bento box might be an item on the list to get in Japan. Or you can put it just now!
Today we feature a shop which is the best suitable for such people.
Japanese style lunch box are sold at department stores, variety goods stores etc across Japan.
But there was no shop specialized in just bento box before Bento&co came.
Bento&co is originally an online shop offering various bento box and related items for shipping abroad.
The company, run by a French man, now has an offline unit in central Kyoto.
It is located in the area between Kawaramachi and Kyoto Shiyakushomae(Kyoto City Hall) on Rokkaku dori(street), not far from Nishiki Ichiba where we introduced on the previous post.
It looks like this. Bento&co store is on the ground floor and the upper floor is their office.
In addition to wide choices of bento box and related goods, it offers some original-designed items as well.
For those who are not planning to visit Kyoto soon, don't worry! Even anywhere you are based, Bento&co has "online" shop as well.
The online shop is available in 3 languages, English, French and Japanese.
http://en.bentoandco.com/
Nice alrenative of a shop card
Check also our other posts mentioned about "bento" found in Japan as well as Paris!!
Makunouchi Bento (幕の内弁当) - at the National Theatre (国立劇場)
Ekiben(駅弁 station lunch box)
Bento(弁当)- launched for G8 Summit celebration
Bento arranged in Paris style, Nanashi - Paris
Shop name: Bento&co
Address: 117 Yaoya-cho, Rokkaku Dori FuyachoHigashi Iru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Official website link for the store in Kyoto: http://en.bentoandco.com/pages/bento-co-shop-in-kyoto
Did you know "Kamaboko"(かまぼこ)? It's Japanese traditional steamed fish cake. Even though you haven't know the name Kamaboko, you may have it as an ingredient or as a part of side dish.
Kamaboko usually has semicircle shape and in many cases it is served after sliced into thin pieces. Ordinary Kamaboko is in white color and some has pink color outer. Japanese people express celebration feeling with stripe pattern of white and pink made with sliced Kamaboko pieces. Some local versions exist with different shapes (such as ones looked like a leaf, fish) and colors.
Kamaboko is made from white meat of fish. After the fish meat is mushed, it is steamed in a mold. No record exists to know where and when Kamaboko was invented but in Japan at least it has 900 years history.
Suzuhiro (鈴廣) is one of major Kamaboko producers based in Odawara (小田原, next to Hakone). In 2015, it celebrates 150th anniversary of foundation. Today we are going to introduce interesting facilities to know more about Kamaboko in Suzuhiro's home-ground.
Kamaboko no Sato (かまぼこの里, the town of Kamaboko) is just a just a few minutes walk from Kazamatsuri(風祭) station on Hakone Tozan Train. It is in-between 2 major stations on Hakone Tozan Train, Odawara(小田原) which is accessible by Shinkansen from Tokyo and Hakone Umoto(箱根湯本) which is the gateway of Hakone sightseeing. So if you are interested in the fish processed food, it will be good to drop by the town of Kamaboko on the way to/from day trip of Hakone which is known for the viewspot of Mt. Fuji.
Kamaboko no Sato has some facilities to enjoy Kamaboko and Suzuhiro's other products in different ways from the flagship store, fish cake making experience, a restaurant and food market. Unfortunately basically all facility is provided with information in Japanese only but we introduce some facilities where international tourists can enjoy.
*Suzuhiro flagship store
First, at the flagship store in a Japanese traditional style building, make sure what looks like Kamaboko and how it is sold.
The brand name on the signboard is written from right to left.
The old writing style reminds us the long history of the Kamaboko producer.
We can find many variation of Kamaboko
that are not available at supermarkets in town.
*Kamaboko Museum
Although the explanation is in Japanese only, you will know how it is made from visual information such as pictures and actual producing activities.
At the center of the facility, the museum offers Kamaboko making experience program to tourists. It is visible for those who don't participate in the program.
This is "Chikuwa"(ちくわ) another type of fish cake.
Chikuwa has long straw like shape with a hole in center.
It is cooked by the museum staff after each participant made the shape of own Chikuwa.
*Buffet Restaurant
Making the most use of buffet restaurant, simply taste Kamaboko and other fish-made processed foods in different ways. You may discover new ways to enjoy those products. The Kamaboko producer knows the most ways to enjoy them.
Main product Kamaboko with
plum sauce, extra virgin olive oil or sesame & mustard sauce, as the simplest ways.
Otherwise served as "pinchos" with vegetable or mushroom.
Not only fish cake, local and seasonal fish menu offered.
Vegetable is not fish?! Yes!
but those fresh vegetable is grown with fertilizer "made from" fish born and skin left after Kamaboko making process.
Finally plates are filled mostly with fish-related food.
Don't miss also deep-fried fish cake, served just after cooked.
Now you will know variety of ways to enjoy Kamaboko, traditional fish cake in Japan!
Restaurant' name is "Erenna Gosso"(えれんなごっそ). Find this building and log on the site.
Lunch buffet starts from 11a.m. and is offered until 14:00(Last order time)
Price: Yen 1850 per person
Facility name: Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato
(鈴廣 かまぼこの里)
Restaurant name: Erenna Gosso
Address: 245 Kazamatsuri, Odawara-city, Kanagawa
Nearest station: Kazamatsuri (風祭) on Hakone Tozan Train
The site is directly connected from the station.
Official website (Japanese only): http://www.kamaboko.com/sato/shisetsu/
Some of you may visit Ueno Park in Japan. In the large Ueno Park, some major tourist attractions, such as Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science and Ueno Zoological Garden, are located.
Ueno Park will be a good spot to spend a half day by visiting one or two museums you are interested in. You will also be able to enjoy the nature showing different scenes by season, while moving around museums etc in the park.
Current season, on the beginning of December, we can find yellow leafs everywhere in the park.
Well, today we will introduce two recommendable cafes in Ueno around the train station.
Café name: Ueno Green Salon
The café is situated just at the entrance of Ueno Park near National Museum of Western Art. The casual canteen like café offers some cute “PANDA menu”, celebrating the most popular animal in Ueno Zoo in the park.
I wish I could try this “Panda Curry”
but my stomach did not allow that.
Alternative recommendation, café latte,
if you are not enough hungry to try the cute main dishes
like curry, Omuretsu(omelet & rice).
It has a plenty of,100, seats and it will be easier to find a table out of peak time, lunch time during weekend. It also has some tables on outside terrace which will be a nice option when the weather is in good condition.
Address: 7-47 Ueno Park, Taito-ku Tokyo
Nomono café is a part of Nomono shop in the building of JR Ueno train station. It is outside the gate near Central Exit and is accessible without a train ticket.
From outside you can find the grocery store. The café is behind the shop.
“Nomono”(のもの) is a food store operated by JR East railway company, offering local specialties and seasonal products in East Japan area.
As long as you order one drink or food at the café counter, you can also take food products available from Nomono grocery shop, from sweets, snack etc.
At the small café, lunch set, small salty plates and Japanese sake are provided. Some menu are changed by month and products from different prefectures are introduced.
It will be a good place to try some Japanese local food and sake or to take a short break before or after taking a train from the station.
What I selected for today is…. A piece of Panda hand-made rice cracker from Nomono shop and “Azuki” beans tea served by a pot.
If you arrive there on evening, sake tasting set (Kikizake set 利き酒セット) will be interesting. It costs Yen 500 for 3 different kinds of alcohol.
Address: Grand Concourse JR Ueno station Central Exit, 7-1-1 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
If you look for something associated with Panda, you will find more souvenir products or food at other stores or cafe. Like this!
Are you interested in cooking by yourself? how about cooking Japanese cuisine?
Even if you are not, Kappabashi must be interesting spot to visit and to discover Japanese daily life related cooking and dining.
Some of you, especially those who loves PARIS and gourmet, may know "Rue Montorgueil" on 1st and 2nd districts in Paris, where you can find various kitchen tools such as large pots, strainers, cooking utensils, dishes etc. The place is very exciting for food lovers.
Kappabashi Dougu-gai (kitchen tool street) can be considered Rue Montorgueil of Japanese version. You will find thousands, tons of various kitchen tools piked up and stacked up in over 100 stores in the area.
Such town is rare even in Japan and local people who do or will run restaurant(s) or food sale store(s) are likely to visit Kappabashi to buy equipment and materials necessary for their business. You will find the street and stores are filled with such people.
What is unique in Kappabashi and what we cann't find on Rue Montorgueil in Paris must be this type of products.
Amazing FAKE FOOD SAMPLE!!
Unfortunately it is rare to be found such samples at restaurants in central Tokyo, as that type of food presentation looks a bit obsolete nowadays. Here we are happy to find the towers of spaghetti that reminds us good old days.
Can you believe all of food found here is FAKE sample?
Also some products found in Kappabashi are good even for those who would not cook so much. Personally I found a key chain with a piece of fake sushi.
Place introduced: Kappabashi Dougu-gai (かっぱ橋/合羽橋 道具街)
Official website with some English information:
http://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/index.html
Nearest metro station: Tawaramachi on subway Ginza line
It’s more than a couple of weeks passed since we had an article last time. We still have a couple of reports for Hokkaido to end the series. These two are about ways to enjoy food at Sapporo-Chitose Airport, the largest gateway in Hokkaido from major cities in Japan as well as some cities out of Japan.
How can we expect this kind of amusement facility at airports?
Roy’s Chocolate World includes Museum, Factory and Shop, being located on the 3rd floor of “Connecting path” between Domestic and International terminals of Sapporo-Chitose Airport.
As some of you may know, Roy’s is one of the most famous chocolate producers in Hokkaido. It offers Chocolate World as a place deeply to know about chocolate, to find the latest production facilities (the real one is in the Airport ! ) then to bring some of them back to your home as souvenir of Hokkaido.
The welcoming entrance, made with fake chocolate,
makes us more exciting with Roy’s Chocolate World.
Let’s see from the museum part.
The Museum shows us the history of chocolate.
How it is made traditionally.
And many attractive chocolate package from the world.
You could find one you had in your childhood.
Conytrary, on the next part, Factory shows us the latest way to produce chocolate.
A real factory in the airport!! , being operated to make some chocolate
between 8h30 to 17h00.
You can find these chocolate products sold at the Shop next to the factory.
At the end of Roy’s Chocolate World tour, we reach to a boutique selling various Roy’s chocolate, including the most popular fresh chocolate.
That is the most normal part as a facility to be found at an airport. Some items are exclusive at this Roy’s Chocolate World shop.
One of the most significant product by Roy's is "Poteto chips with CHOCOLATE" whichi is also also available at this boutique.
We recommend that you take around 30 minutes to visit Roy’s Chocolate World from the Museum, the Factory and the Shop to go through all 3 parts.
It’s really fun to find such facility at airport. We want to come back even if we once visit.
Name of place to visit: Roy’s Chocolate World
Address: Connecting Path 3F, New Chitose Airport, Chitose, Hokkaido
Official Homepage: http://www.royce.com/contents/english_rcw/