Japan 2019 Day 12 - Steak, Asakusa, Skytree!

Mar 9, 2019 8 min read

My parents’ last day in Japan. Ikuzo!

…Previously, Ueno after fish

Asakusa

🅱eautiful weather to start the weekend~

Oh
Hey

It’s Pikachu!

Asakusa is chill.

Ginza

Seiko House Ginza

Ginza, one of the most expensive districts in Tokyo, filled with all the biggest brands.
But we’re here not to shop, we’re here to eat wagyu beef! I failed in Kobe since I was feeling ill that day but I haven’t given up! I even found a restaurant that seemed widely recommended.

Hmm, I have a vague memory of an anime being set here but I can’t remember which 🤔

And…the restaurant is fully booked, h-haha. Now to awkwardly wait for the lift to come back…
(iirc the restaurant was called Ginza Steak)

UHH ok let’s see if there’s anything else in the area. Can’t remember which site I used to search for restaurants but it was one of these two: https://tabelog.com/, https://gurunavi.com/
Their profile page listed English speaking staff so I called ahead using my mum’s phone to confirm they had space before we walked all the way again.

When would you like to place your reservation?
Um… now?
Ah… I see. Can I take a name?
Lemon…
Lemon?

Side note:
Yo what the heck. They have much better/cheaper Japan sims when you buy in Hong Kong.

A few major roads around Tokyo close on the weekends for pedestrians. Ginza was the first in Tokyo to start doing this back in the 1970s. Another one is Akiba which I’ll visit tomorrow.

Paris Yugao

Paris Yugao

Huh, this place also does French cuisine on top of teppanyaki.
It’s kinda concerning when restaurants do so many things at once. Plus, it’s completely empty inside. Hopefully it’s not a tourist trap, I was in a rush and didn’t check any reviews…

The decor certainly looks fancy though, and the staff have been professional so far.

Or rather, are these guys going to be ok? You’d think there’d be some customers during lunchtime on a weekend. The rent in this area must be astronomical. Well, they survived the 2020 pandemic so I guess they get all their business in the evenings.

Cleaning’s on point, unlike a certain Kobe teppanyaki place popular among tourists (Steak Land).

The teppanyaki side of the restaurant is split up into private rooms which is nice.
We had our own waiter hang around all meal to translate the chef for us. She was dang impressive, introducing each dish to my parents in Mandarin and then to me in English.

I chose the most expensive set meal.
When you visit these kind of places you might as well go all the way, right?

Some pickled sides to whet the appetite. I forgot what they were exactly but it was nice 👍

Some kind of soup I forgot, looks like pea? It was nice! 👍

Salmon and roe with dressing 👍

A clam? 👍

Onto the main event.

A5 wagyu beef. Oishiiiii 👍
Served with just seasoning or wasabi to let nothing else get in the way of the meat’s flavor.
This kind of meat is so fatty that a few bites is surprisingly filling.

I love these grilled garlic chips.

There’s more.

Salted fish and fried rice. It was alright.

Dessert! It’s like something outta Masterchef 👍

It just keeps coming.

Check out this sugar ladle.

Authentic French toilet?

The most extra toilet I’ve ever seen.

Wew, that was an experience. Even as we were leaving, all the staff lined up to see us off and our chef personally helped me put my coat back on. This is almost too much service.

The damage.

Oof, there are definitely cheaper places if you just want to try some nice beef.
Would still recommend Yugao though 👍

Elegance!

*sugois*

Nissan Crossing showroom

Fast lookin’ car. Not much boot space though.

Passed by this place on the way to the station and if it’s free, we’re poppin’ in.
There’s a cafe here where you can get latte art of your all your favorite Nissan™ cars.

Expensive lookin’ car.

The way the lighting shines off the paint makes it look like it’s CG.

Thought they were rocket boosters but they’re just lights.

Tokyo sure is a city.

Bellies full, now for 1 last bit of sight-seeing before my parents’ flight.

Asakusa

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center

Asakusa Culture Tourism Center, photo by Kakidai

I missed this place in my previous trips but the tourism center outside the Sensoji gates actually has a surprising amount going for it. It has all sorts of facilities, in addition to the usual tourism info desk, like a phone charging station, nursing rooms, a cafe and more.

I recommend visiting just for the free observation deck looking over the Sensoji temple.
This is shortest observation deck I’ve been on yet it has the best view.

S K Y T R E E and a peek of the golden ~~poop~~ flame.

There’s an exhibition space too. Today it was featuring bonsai trees.

That is indeed a miniature tree.

Cute!

Senso-ji Temple

Wew, do not come here on a weekend.

Thomas has seen enough.

Rokodo wanted one of these. I didn’t buy it here because it seemed overpriced and I thought I’d easily come across another one in Donki or something. I never did. S-Sorry…

🎐🎐🎐🎐🎐

Pretty kimonos everywhere.

My mum ran around getting selfies with everybody. Extrovert power…

🍵

We got a fish on a stick. It was alright.

Wrong neighborhood muthafuker.

🌸🌸🌸

Dang, these apples are huge.

Dang, these carrots are huge.

have good manners!
👍good
nice❤

I fucking love my station.

Skytree

S K Y T R E E !

Cute. We’d go in but this place is pretty much always fully booked.

Tokyo Solamachi mall

My wifes.

Cat.exe has stopped responding.

The predator has become the prey.

🤓🤓🤓

Hey, this is in Japan too.

Not even the Japanese version but the American one lol.

Kitties

Pokemon Center

It’s Pikachu!

he sit

I love Minecraft.

❌ Sleeping
>Wrong! These Pokemon are deceased.

Watching you poop.

Sus

Pikachus are going to be an endangered species at this rate.

Horrifying, when will Pokemon cruelty end?

For once the sign says photography is okay! 👌

🤓📸

Drone course.

Virtual drone course.

Wild fujo spotted.

Chair socks. Neat.

Dusting slippers. Neat.

Soba. Food court food / 10

I’d never be comfortable saving my spot like this in the UK.

🧂🍋🍯

Expensive fancy strawberries.

Time for my parents to leave. They had seen everything.
I feel like this grandpa really shouldn’t be driving anymore. He wasn’t quite all there.

And I’m alone again…

Minami-Senju

Yo…
On the way to the hotel, I was walking behind this guy who was straight up not having a good time.
He was slouched forwards, his earphones hanging out his pocket dragging along the floor, and he would regularly flip out, swinging fists at the air, screaming into the sky.
My headcannon is a newly broken heart 😔

New Koyo Hostel

Hello, old friend…
Probably my last time staying with these guys. They’ve been great but I’m starting to get a little too old for this, especially now that I know what staying in a proper hotel is like.
I’m at the point in my life where I’d rather pay a little more to stay in a closer location, in a comfier room, and with my own bathroom.

I left my big suitcase in New Koyo’s storage before touring the other cities and now I finally get access to it again. Really, I should’ve brought this along with me in the first place.
I didn’t think there would be much to buy outside Tokyo but then I filled up my small suitcase fast with souvenirs and felt really space conscious for the remaining days.
Plus, I left my hoodie behind which I really wish I had brought with me instead of my big coat. Japan is still really chilly outside but all the shops/restaurants have their heating turned way up. My coat ended up being overkill and I was constantly sweating 🥵

Akihabara

M’s Pop Life

Alright, 10pm, anything still open?

Time to pick up that lube that Rokodo wanted.
There’s a ¥5400 minimum purchase needed now to qualify for tax free 🙁

AKIBA_INFO. tourism office

Everything else in Akiba is already closed. Why’d I even come out here?
I never learn my lesson, I should be going to bed on time for once…next trip, I promise…