東京 • 大阪
Tokyo • Osaka
I’d been to Tokyo years ago, on one of my first “big” trips.
This time, I spent less time in the city, partly because I’d seen so much of it already, but mostly because I wanted to explore the rest of the country - and there was a lot to see.
I wandered around town, walked down one-way alleyways when possible, to go beyond the neon lights and elevated highways.
Japan Blogs.
Tokyo Travel Stories.
Tokyo at night. Traffic surprisingly light.
A French touch in my colour palette.
Tokyo is full of second-hand bookstores.
Me Against the Music.
Eel at Hozenji Yamakazu (地焼うなぎ 法善寺山かづ) in Namba, Osaka.
Over-the-top decor and upside-down dolls at Umeda Okonomiyaki Izakaya Fuwatoro お好み焼きが美味いだけの居酒屋 ふわとろ. A small, very lively restaurant that offers very large okonomiyaki made using soy flour instead of wheat or rice. Gluten free. A late-night snack that turned into a full second dinner.
Kei cars. Colourful cars. Hustlers.
Personalised cars.
Cat temples and neon lights.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum in Tokyo might be small, but the compact nature of it contrasts with the artist's large sculptures that fill every room.
Not second-hand, but a distinct 90s flair in Osaka's kitchen utensils district, housed in a covered market area.
Urban garage.
Dinner at Su, gluten free Kushiage in Ginza. A variety of dishes, most of them deep-fried, in an intimate setting. Just 6 seats a night, reservation only.
On a calm side street in Ginza, Su is an intimate kushiage restaurant that specialises in gluten-free deep-fried skewers. With a focus on seasonal and local ingredients and attention to dietary restrictions, using rice flour and rice oil for frying, this small restaurant with only 6 seats is the perfect choice to try a Japanese staple if you’re gluten-intolerant or coeliac.