A Japanese Wanderer, Tsukubu — Tasting the Poetic Beauty of Japan and Beyond

  Have you ever seen the ads on trains in Japan? One day, I got on a train and saw an ad that really caught my attention. It was about an Iwate local products fair on the 8th floor of Takashimaya Department Store in Nihonbashi. The Marukan restaurant, which I had wanted to visit for a long time,  was also featured in the fair! So, I decided to go the next day. There were many local products from Iwate, all gathered in one place. I quickly found the Marukan area and ordered  their famous half-size soft serve ice cream,  which locals eat using disposable chopsticks. Of course, I ate it with chopsticks too. It was incredibly delicious! I’ve decided to go back next time and try the full-size version!

  I want to introduce you to a wonderful place in Motomachi. Although it is in Japan, it feels like Paris, France. The café is called "Café de Lento." "Lento" means "slow" in Italian. Indeed, time flows slowly there, accompanied by French pop music. The café offers a beautiful atmosphere and delicious dishes. I had a salad and a glass of iced milk tea. I believe their salad, made with care and love, is the most beautiful in the world. The iced milk tea is made using "Marco Polo"   from the French tea brand Mariage Frères . This café is a precious place for me.

  Do you like cherry blossoms? It has been raining and cold, even though it is cherry blossom season in Tokyo. Since the rain stopped today, I went to Ueno Park to see the cherry blossoms. I bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks in Ueno Park and then walked  while enjoying the cherry blossoms. It was really busy with many foreign travelers . After seeing the cherry blossoms, I moved to Asakusa to enjoy tendon   at a traditional soba restaurant named Owariya . This shop is one of my favorite restaurants. Although it is a soba restaurant, their tendon is very popular  because of the two big shrimp and the rich sesame oil flavor. "Bread is better than the songs of birds," but for me,  tendon is better than cherry blossoms.

Even though Japan is supposed to have four seasons,  after winter, summer arrived right away. What on earth happened to spring? Anyway, it was too hot today. I couldn't wear the sweaters I had been wearing until yesterday. I hurriedly took out my summer clothes from the drawer. They said it was over 30 degrees today. I don’t like either winter or summer. Spring and autumn, please come back!

  I previously wrote about Sunaba, a soba restaurant in Nihonbashi Muromachi known for its beautiful garden. Today, I'd like to highlight another captivating aspect of Sunaba that caught my attention: the "noren." Do you know what a "noren" is? It's a traditional Japanese fabric divider hung at the entrance of restaurants and shops. Noren is a unique part of Japanese culture, serving as a cloth barrier between the entrance and the interior. Its origins can be traced back to the Yayoi period, and it officially acquired the name "noren" during the Kamakura period. In the Edo period, it evolved into a symbol of a shop's identity and brand, used to distinguish it from others. Sunaba's noren boasts a remarkably fresh green color. Until now, I hadn't paid much attention to the color green, but Sunaba's noren has truly captivated me. It revealed the noble beauty that green possesses.

  Have you ever eaten tempura soba? Nowadays, we can enjoy it all over Japan. Today, for the first time, I visited the restaurant where tempura soba originated. It is called Nihonbashi Muromachi Sunaba . The restaurant is located near JR Kanda Station,  just a 3-minute walk from its south exit. I was very surprised by the beautiful garden there. We can enjoy really delicious soba while admiring the stunning view. This restaurant has an atmosphere similar to that of a museum—I truly think so.