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Japan Day 9: Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Kyoto!

Our ninth day in Japan was our last day in Tokyo. We started the morning by finishing up packing (and ate a couple of onigiri), before checking out and leaving our baggage with the front desk so we could do a couple more things in Tokyo before heading to Kyoto.

We met Rachael and her girls at their hotel, and headed to Kappabashi – the “cooking street”.


Kappabashi


Chef Statue in Kappabashi


Kakigori (shaved ice) machines


Mini brands for mochi


Rice cookers


An aisle in a cookware shop

Kappabashi is a street in Tokyo where many restaurants buy their supplies – cookware, dishes, signs, even the insanely realistic fake food that is often displayed in front of restaurants.


Stacks of pans


A street by Kappabashi


Ceramics

We bought a few things there – a plate [1], a set of coasters, a silicone doughnut mold, a ramen strainer, and a couple of ramen spoons.


Allison and Rachael looking at rice molds


Colorful baskets


Sushi stickers


A fake food store

We really wanted to buy some of the fake food (or maybe a keychain or magnet) but we were in a little bit of a rush.


Fake seafood


Fake sushi

Seriously, though, doesn’t that yakitori look like it should be sizzling, ready to eat?!)


Fake yakitori


Fake food keychains


Sign shop


Aisle in a cookware shop


A man carving wood


Alley near Kappabashi


A view of the Tokyo Skytree through a side alley


Golden statue


Another side street


Lots of dishes

We always say every day is a sushi day, but how about every minute? 😀


Sushi clock


A wall of knives


Knife shop


Chef statue outside a shop

After we walked down Kappabashi and back, we took a train to the Ginza area for lunch.


Tall clothing store in Ginza


A map in Ginza

… and promptly got lost.


Allison walking in Ginza


A restaurant in Ginza


Nikon Plaza in Ginza


Allison walking in Ginza


A street in Ginza

We were looking for a yakitori restaurant that one of Rachael’s friends had suggested. After a good bit of time wandering around Ginza and trying to ask for directions, we finally found it thanks to Son managing to locate it on his iPhone.


Torigin

The entrance to Torigin is in a small alleyway, which is part of why it’s so difficult to find from the larger streets.


Apartments in Ginza

The restaurant is in the basement of the building, so you go down a flight of stairs once you enter the front door.


Allison entering Torigin


Torigin menu

But once you’re there, you can smell the smoke of the yakitori being grilled. Delicious!


Yakitori

Son and I shared two plates of yakitori (and Rachael shared the same two plates with her girls).


Yakitori

There was a huge variety – from grilled peppers to these odd, ball-shaped eggs, meatballs to chicken livers.


Mostly-eaten yakitori

All of it, delicious.


Yakitori


Painting in Torigin


Torigin window display


New Torigin

(There’s also a shop right next door called New Torigin. We have no idea if it’s related to the one we went to, or if it’s even a yakitori place. Let us know if any of you ever go there!)


New Torigin


Apartments in Ginza

After we all ate, we got a taxi back to our hotel and said our goodbyes.


Bug giving Son a hug


Both girls giving Son a hug


Skylight in our hotel

We still had a little time before we had to head to Shinagawa station to catch the Shinkensen to Kyoto, so we hung out in the lobby of our hotel for a bit.


Allison in the lobby of our hotel


View of the floors from the lobby


View of the train tracks from the hotel


Beard Papa's

And then ran to Beard Papa’s to get supplies for the trip. It’s a terribly long trip from Tokyo to Kyoto. A whole three hours! So obviously, we needed cream puffs in order to survive a trip that long.


Allison buying cream puffs


Tokyo tower

Then we caught a taxi to Shinagawa station, ate a cream puff while we waited for our train, then it was off to Kyoto!


Speeding past rice paddies in the train


Zooming past small villages


View from the train


View of an empty platform from the train


View of a house from the train


View from the train

By the time we got there it was late in the evening and pouring rain, so we caught a taxi to the Kyoto Hyatt Regency Hotel and ate a couple of onigiri and a cream puff that we had left over from earlier that day, and passed out.

Stay tuned for our few days of Kyoto (and Osaka!) adventures, coming up soon!