Sakura Saturday in Shakujikoen

Yoyogi, Ueno and Nakameguro's sakura may be beautiful, but the crowds that come with them are not. Sitting on a tiny, crowded bit of plastic sheet, getting bumped into by drunken students and eating karage is not really my style.

So, as has now become tradition, I go in search of parks a bit out of the way, to enjoy the pink blossoms in peace.

This year's destination was Shakujikoen, all the way out in Nerima. The area around the station was already charming, with lots of little stores providing handmade genmai onigiri and other tasty things.

Although not all the sakura were out in force yet (as being away from the center of Tokyo means that it is a bit chillier), it was an excellent choice. Near the park there are a series of yashiki (fancy smancy homes), made even more beautiful by the flowers blooming around them.

Shakujikoen includes some protected marsh area, and several small shrines. While it was obviously not empty, there was no lack of seating. Matcha-kun and I found a lovely tree near the lake, and listened to a decent amateur violinist play Ghibli songs.

I hope you got a chance to enjoy the sakura before the rain! Next up will be ajisai time!

Blossoms in the Chill

Plum trees bursting with color proudly announce that spring is (slowly) arriving to our fair city.

Right by my station there is a trio of very pink ume, which brighten up the landscape every March. They are so perfectly balanced that they almost look fake, and contrast beautifully with the light green stripes on the Toyoko line trains as they zip by.

I appreciate the ume blooming despite the cold winds, bringing the reminder that plum and sakura flavored goodies will soon crowd shelves and menus across Tokyo.

Not far from my house there is a secret bairin (plum orchard), which I wrote about for Deep Japan. Check it out from here.

A Saturday in the Shitamachi: Hakusan and Yanaka

A day of sun! Let the weather gods be praised for this break in the festival of downpours that is Japan's rainy season, which gave me a chance to go see the ajisai at Hakusan Shrine (with matching nails, no less!) Behold the glorious riot of pastel colours!

Thanks to the huge number of temples and shrines, most of the little streets of Bunkyo-ku seem to be redolent of incense, as well as gloriously quiet. As much as I enjoy the sparkling, oshare areas of Tokyo, hanging out in Yanesen seems to be truly good for the soul.

The kakigori at Himitsutou are really fabulous, since they do not use the common, awful sugary syrup. We tried the yogurt with amanatsu and the akashiso ones, and they were fantastic! Not too sweet, with the true flavours of the toppings coming through, and the ice is shaved with a hand-powered apparatus from the Showa era. I have officially changed my mind about kakigori.

Lunch was unfortunately both pricy and disappointing, and after wandering about a bit more we ended up at a matcha place right near the beginning of Yanaka Ginzan, semi-hidden by the stairs. The brown rice choux with sesame cream and matcha cream were impressive, and the matcha latte so strong that I may not sleep tonight!

Toyoko Line Love: Daikanyama and Nakameguro

Busy, busy, busy. The end of the end (?) of the fiscal year, along with friends and kouhai starting new jobs in Tokyo, means that even my weekends have to be carefully scheduled.

On a rainy Saturday I met Nuts-chan for a wander around Daikanyama, on the search for spring clothes and tasty food. She had more luck on the first count, but lunch was a double success. Hidden beside and somehow within an old traditional house, Bombay Bazaar has a strange Alice in Wonderland feel (perhaps enhanced by the vaguely Burtonesque bunny near the staiwell) and surprisingly cheap prices, despite the oshare location. 700 yen got us both a half-portion of the delicious, properly spicy curry and one of their famous blueberry okurayaki. I must admit, the unsweetened homemade blueberry filling was much better than anko!

Sunday, before my epic search for shoes (an enterprise never to be underestimated in any country) I met with Matcha-kun for a short date in Nakameguro, where he wanted to introduce me to a rather odd patisserie, Potager. All of their creations are vegetable based. We tried the burdock and grape tart (a tasty, earthy combination), the carrot and mango pudding (light and fluffy), a pumpkin chiffon cake (lovely and moist) and the Brussels sprout St. Honore' (hmmm... not quite). Indeed you can see the weird sprouty creation above.

(Yes, I am female and thus I take pictures of feet, and lovely feet they are indeed... plus I like the balance I got here)

After that feast of sweets (which however did not give that heavy, fluttery feeling one usually gets after having a lot of sugar) we meandered down the little shoutengai, and finally by the Meguro river, which is once again walkable, thanks to the end of sakura season. Personally, I think that the falling petals have a charm of their own, a carpet of of pink and white. Nakameguro really does have a lot going for it (which is why I have written about it so many times), and I have yet to even start on all the recycle-shops and second-hand stores hidden within the side streets. Another post perhaps?

Bye Bye Sakura

Buh-bye giant pink balls of aesthetically pleasing fluff, it was fun while it lasted! 

The first and last two pictures are of my new favourite temple, a strangely Mediterranean/Picasso-esque/Modernist little structure, hidden in the byways of Azabu. The temple itself is covered in a colourful mosaic, offset by the stark whitness of the walls and the pebbled path leading up to it. In the sunlight the general effect is of an almost blinding purity, tempered by the large sakura tree which shelters the nearby graveyard.

Amazing how even in the busiest parts of this metropolis, you can find a small oasis of peace.

A Sunday in Spring: Nishiogikubo and Kouenji

It seems odd to take pictures of sakura. Their frilly, tulle-like appearance and short blossoming time are supposed to remind us of the brevity of youth and life, and all that terribly wabi sabi stuff. Somehow taking a gazillion pictures of the pink fluffiness seems to defeat that purpose... but hey, I'm going to do so anyway!

In a bid to get away from the crowds of Nakameguro, Ueno and Shinjuku, I found out about a minor sakura covered park in Nishiogikubo, about 20 minutes away from the station. Due to a combination of moving around, bad weather and other issues, I have not had a decent hanami in over 4 years, and was looking forward to stretching out under a tree and enjoy the sun and pinkness of it all.

Who knew that Nishiogi would turn out to be my spiritual home? The area somehow manages to combine my favourite aspects of Shimokitazawa, the Ebisu-Daikanyama-Nakameguro triangle and Azabu, while still being laid-back, quiet and completely unpretentious. Rent and food are cheap (yes, I look at apartment prices wherever I go, its a genetic thing), and yet it is superclose to Shinjuku... in a couple years I may well move over there, after getting my fill of East Tokyo.

The walk to and from Zempukuji Park is lovely, as the area is filled with antique stores, family run businesses and houses with beautifully tended gardens. Despite arriving after noon, we got a spot right under a tree, next to the lake... anyone who has done hanami in a major city will understand how rare an occurence this is! The atmosphere was relaxed, but not rowdy, and there was even a bunch of musicians jamming nearby. The park is actually kind of odd, as it seems to be a smaller version of Inokashira Park, but much less crowded.

After hanami, browsing through a kimono store (more on that later) and exploring the opposite side of the station, it was definitely time for dinner, a few stops over in Kouenji. My hanami companion heard about Sempre Pizza by chance, and thank any-deity-present he did! The glorious spread below (Quattro Formaggi and Sicilian pizzas, and an order of zeppoline) was 1010 yen. All of it. Yes, there is a god. The pizzas start at 280 yen, and are all well-below 1000yen. Seriously, if you are in the area, go. Leave space for dessert, as wandering down the colorfully cramped streets there are tons of choices for other cheap nibbles.

And finally: NEW KIMONO! Which is not only in my size, silk and well-priced, but most importantly, not black or grey! Hurrah!

Waiting for the blossoms

Yesterday evening I was running through the night in Komagome with the House House Harriers, on the search for chalk arrows and blooming sakura. The wind was no longer biting, and the smell of ume, sakura and the flowers hidden within private gardens made me want to dance.

Today I ran under the bright, warm sun of my lunch hour, blue sky above and sakura petals swirling around my ankles. How can one not feel happy about life when the weather is being so kind?

The sakura have yet to bloom fully, but the obsession with spring and flowers has already started. On a warm Saturday afternoon, a friend and I wandered over to Futagotamagawa, which has become a rather posh and polished area over the past couple years. Browsing through Takashimaya (pretending we can actually afford their prices) we came across a giant floral piece, complete with bunnies.

Matcha-kun, obviously also thinking florally, was the kind purveyor of the lovely bouquet above (along with sakura kasutera!), a belated White Day present. As he will soon be switching jobs, he seems very concerned about the fact that his income will decrease... and my opinion about the matter. "Thats cool" apparently was not the reaction he was expecting! I have a feeling a lot of guys wrap up their ideas of self-worth with their salary... that would definitely not work for me, hehe.

Finally, spring foods are starting to show up. I have not written much about food or restaurants recently because I have been either going to old favorites, or been disappointed (c'est la vie). However, thanks to the lovely Miss Carly, I found out about Kagetsu's spring-only vegetarian ramen and gyoza. Delicious and light (eating both only racks up about 600 calories), it did not leave that somewhat heavy feeling you can get after eating ramen. The spirulina-infused noodles were perfectly chewy, complimenting the tangy broth, and the gyoza superb... I may have to go back for another couple plates of them!

 I hope everyone is enjoying the arrival of warmer days, and looking forward to hanami :)