Steve & Lynne’s Japan Diary…

[SourPower]

@Steve Killer photos! Hope you have the best time. I recommend checking out Rocky Top in Ginza if you are a fan of traditional bluegrass music, super cool spot!

[Lynne]

You won’t get perfect pictures from me.
Just black and white memories printed out on a Kodak Memo Shot, haphazardly stuck down, and poorly annotated in a post-cocktail scrawl.
Day 1 - we took it easy, mooching around Ginza.

[Lynne]

@SourPower sounds great - we’ll report back!

[Lynne]

@Tyler send us any favourite places and we’ll try and go!

[will6er]

@Lynne This is literally the best thing ever.

[Steve]

First day finished by a nightcap at Ginza Music Bar, a cool little bar, with a DJ playing Marvin Gaye etc

[ROman]

@Steve @Lynne Great pictures and stories. Thank you.

[Lynne]

Today’s itinerary:
Shiodime to Iidabashi. Breakfast at Canal Cafe est. 1918, walk through Kagurazaka backstreets to Yayoi Kusama Museum (my highlight of the trip). Lunch at Kagurazaka Saryo, train to Kichijoji, Jota Handweaving Studio, mooch around Kichijoji shops/cafes, dinner at Iseya Yakitori, drinks in Harmonica Alley. If we have any energy left, finish with a nightcap at Rocky Top, Ginza.
Let’s see how it goes?

[Tago Mago]

@Steve quite a step up from 7-Eleven

[Giles]

Loving this thread, thank you @Steve and @Lynne

[louisbosco]

amazing stuff. keep em coming

[don_pipone]

Great stuff! This makes want to go to Japan so badly

[Steve]

@Tago-Mago never gonna have a bad word said against 7-eleven, Lawson etc - where in the world can you find not just an egg sandwich - but a TRIPLE egg sandwich!!!

[Steve]

Really hard to capture with a photo the hustle and bustle of Harmonica Yokocho - lots of narrow, dark, lantern lit alleyways, with even more small bars, almost every corner the smell of yakitori cooking and all packed with locals, music and chatter…

[Lynne]

Day 2 done…apart from Rocky Top, but we did go to Shimbashi railway arches instead (no pics, but a vibe worth feeling).

[Chap]

@Steve said in Steve & Lynne in Japan...:

Really hard to capture with a photo the hustle and bustle of Harmonica Yokocho - lots of narrow, dark, lantern lit alleyways, with even more small bars, almost every corner the smell of yakitori cooking and all packed with locals, music and chatter…

My kind of Japan

[Chap]

@Steve said in Steve & Lynne in Japan...:

@Tago-Mago never gonna have a bad word said against 7-eleven, Lawson etc - where in the world can you find not just an egg sandwich - but a TRIPLE egg sandwich!!!

My son could easily just live on combini stuff

[Steve]

Bit of a foodie day today - gyozas for lunch in Jingumae, followed by a feast of Udons, sushi, grilled pork, fried corn (and more) this evening at Tsuru Ton Tan in Ginza - both places @Alex has shown me before, that I can now share with @Lynne

[Lynne]

Day 3. Today began in Akihabara for cameras, games and electronics. Then onto Harajuku, to Porter’s for the Tomoshi Yasuda exhibition. Stopping on the way at Snow Peak, who’ve released some active wear garments that have been indigo dyed and should fade and wear like jeans. And, next door, we stopped at a brilliant little gyoza place for lunch. Great little art exhibition at Porters. Found a new bag I really liked and some fabulous Yoshida bags, indigo dyed locally. (Along with weaving, that’s another workshop I’d like to squeeze in )

We were meant to do a vinyl trawl in the evening, but were too pooped and decided to do that another day.

So, a “shortcut” through Takeshita Street to the train station followed. Once known for fashion it’s sadly now mostly micro pigs, otters, huskies and strawberry-themed cafe chaos.

Back to the calm of Ginza for a final tech shopping session, rooftop drinks at The Mint watching the city light up, then dinner at TsuruTonTan where we massively over-ordered udon noodle dishes and sides.

We finally wobbled back to the hotel and flicked between Emma Raducanu, showing some form again, and Lewis Hamilton, back in the saddle ️ A good night for the Brits.