Streets of Shinjuku!

Japanese food is such a culinary expereince. Jay and I had the opportunity to have dinner at a noodle house. Here we sampled a savory pork broth with ramen noodles, leeks, garlic, and spinach. With bellies full of ramen, we made our way to the notorious Shinjuku area. This is the area where Bill Murray, Lost in Translation, gets his first, jet-lagged glimpses of Tokyo. We weren't surprised to see bright, neon lights crackle with such high energy. Shinjuku is divided into two sides by the massive subway station. The east side is spontateous choas, where you wonder with your neck craining up and down. The colorful, but sleezy attractions here are Kabukicho and Golden Gai areas.

Kabukicho is Tokyo's notorious red light district. I'll let your imagination run with what happens in this part of the neighborhood. The Golden Gai area consisted of a ramshackle block with closet-sized bars. Here watch out for the steep stair ways, you may bruise your shin. This city appears to be overwheming, but we are falling in love with the exploding neon lights.

Heat and humidity have been a constant theme here, in Tokyo. However, we found sanctuary at a natural setting in the heart of Roppongi. Here we found the perfect spot to retreat from the constant struggles of day to day life. Tokyo Mid-town Garden is a realm where one can appreciate the natural art gallery of the lush green trees. Here there is a perfect spot to bring dogs, a fountain spewing with ice, cold water. The Hichnokicho Park has beautiful flora with a flowing rock pond. This is pure "Japanese beauty."

Another great culinary experience in Tokyo. We had the luxury of having dinner with Mike Herman and Chris. Lotus root, bunashimeji mushrooms, sweet potato, and Kobe beef were the main counterparts of this cuisine. However, the most interesting dish was the "throw anything from the refrigerator in." This dish originated after the war when people searched and used anything as a means of food. Therefore, whatever ingredients available was fried into a shape much like that of a pizza and drizzled with soy sauce. Our particular dish had potato, lettuce, scallops, and squid. This was fun and quite tasty. Bar hopping is utterly amusing, especially when every bar you enter is empty. The 06/03 bar is where we ended up at. Here classic rock was played boisterously on Bose speakers. And don't forget the small, Japanese man dancing in the corner to every song played. Man, you gotta love Tokyo!

Interview, Interviews, another motif of Tokyo.