Smoke-Free-Baby-Friendly Izakaya

NOTE: This post was actually written in December 2016. I think I was waiting to edit some photos before hitting PUBLISH. However, seeing as this site has been gasping for breath on life support for the past 18 months, I decided I should get uploading. Having a kid and writing two novels can evidently keep…

Death by Chain-ten

[Originally written November 2017] I’m not too happy about Suit Select opening their sterile, salaryman uniform shops in my hood, but at least their main threat is aesthetic. They’re not really stealing business from anyone, except maybe Aoki, another ubiquitous purveyor of cheap, off-the-rack clothes for corporate drones. It’s the small, local businesses that I…

Losing Victory

July marked the end of an era in Asagaya,  at least for some joren (regular customers), with the closing of a great little sandwich shop. Victory Cafe closed its doors for good.  It was a spacious cafe with a large selection of sandwiches, which you could choose to have toasted in a sandwich press if…

Precious People-Watching Moments

Now I generally don’t like to promote corporations or chain stores, but I’ll make an exception in this case because of three key factors invaluable to travellers and wanderers–power, people and wi-fi. Anybody who’s spent 30 seconds in Japan is familiar with UCC–the ubiquitous canned coffee in vending machines throughout the nation. The U in UCC stands…

A Classical Cafe of Lynchian Appeal

Café Le Violon in Asagaya is a wonderfully queer little place tucked away in Asagaya’s north side. At least to me. I could see a segue in a David Lynch passing through here. But it’s the first classical music café I’ve been to. First appearing in the 1920’s and experiencing their heyday during the 1950’s–a time when…

Tokyo’s. Best. Coffee.

Unfortunately, Tokyo’s best coffee isn’t Koenji or Asagaya. But it is right next door in Nakano, so fortunately falls within the purview of this site under the “Neighbour Clause” (to occasionally include exceptional nouns within the other Suginami-ku neighbourhoods of Ogikubo and Nerima and the adjacent vicinage of Nakano). Anyways, if you enjoy great coffee and the…

Greasy Spoon

If you are looking for trendy or fancy or antiseptic, don’t go to Fuji Lunch (冨士ランチ). But if you want to step back in time for some good ole yoshoku (洋食)–ie: Western inspired Japanese cuisine that came about during the Meiji Restoration–head out Asagaya Station’s North Exit and hang a left down your second side street. There…

Battle of the Bentos I: Asagaya

The intention and spirit of this site is to bring the best bits and hidden gems of Koenji and Asagaya to the English-reading world. To write about the events and establishments that illuminate its culture and character, especially by featuring the unique, the secret and the exceptional. And to give some ideas about where to shop and eat. Therefore, while a…

Good Morning Okinawa!

Just over a year ago, one of my first posts was about my favourite neighbourhood bakery, Good Morning Asagaya. And earlier this year, I was quite disappointed to say “Good-bye Good Morning Asagaya” as they were closing their doors for good. Perhaps the 600,000 yen monthly rent was too much for a small bakery and four-table café to…

Real, Not Rare, Cheesecake

While you may face considerable challenges trying to procure a big dark pumpernickel round, there is no shortage of good bakeries in Japan. (Of course, there’s also no shortage of mediocre ones.) With a market more saturated than the fat in a stick of Hokkaido butter, it can help to differentiate yourself — even when that…

New Year’s Sushi

While most people in Japan head back to their hometowns to spend New Year’s with family dining on (osechi ryori / おせち料理), there are many who stick around the city. Similarly, most shops and restaurants are closed for the New Year holiday — but there are those that remain open as well. Fortunately for Koenjagayans, one…

New Year’s Soba … ‘Chya!

If you live (or have lived) in Japan, you are no doubt familiar with toshikoshi soba (年越し蕎麦 or New Year’s soba). If not, it is Japanese tradition to eat soba on the last of the year, letting go of the hardships endured, with the buckwheat plant representing strength and resiliency. The tradition started sometime during the 250 years…