Sister Visit

I'm terribly late writing about this, but a couple months ago my sister came out to visit (for the fourth time!) for her spring break. It was her shortest trip by far, but still lots of fun.

We discovered that the Yokohama Ramen museum now has two shops that offer gluten free ramen, so we made a point of going out there to binge on ramen. (She enjoyed both, but says that Muku Zweite is better than Komurasaki if you have to choose one or the other.)

In other food adventures we went to Enoshima, an island a little over an hour from Tokyo, and during a picnic a hawk stole her entire lunch! Luckily we were able to find more gluten free food (and ice cream) relatively quickly.

The cherry blossoms were supposed to be opening during her visit, but they were very slow this year. We got a few sightings in, but nothing nearing peak blooms. In spite of that we still did lots of other fun things like seeing a Yayoi Kusama show, finding a baby mango (the size of an egg) at a gift fruit store, and just generally enjoying each other's company.

Gluten Free Ramen

The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum - so much more crowded than a few years ago!

Mini Mango!

The Yayoi Kusama Show

She's so werid, but I LOVE her

Sister Love

Travel themed chu-hais

Where To Find Vegetarian Ramen in Tokyo

A couple of months ago I had a vegetarian friend visiting. It wasn't her first visit to Japan, but this time I was determined to find some ramen for her. Finding vegetarian food isn't that easy in Japan, and more than likely it will be vegan or else vegetarian but including fish broth.

However, without too much work I found two different places to get vegetarian and/or vegan ramen.

The first place we went was T's Tantan inside the ticket gates of Tokyo station. Everything in the restaurant is vegan which is particularly nice when a person is often having to select the only vegetarian option on a menu. 

She had the seasonal autumn ramen and I had a tantan noodles and curry set. Both were good, though as a meat eater I definitely like regular tantan noodles more. My friend raved about hers - particularly the broth - and thought it was much better than any vegetarian ramen she'd had in the US. As a note, I got the set with curry because I wanted her to have a chance to try Japanese curry, but this was much more Thai in style - coconut milk based, which is not Japanese at all.

The second place we went was Afuri, which is a trendy ramen chain with multiple locations in Tokyo. If you watch the show Girls on HBO there is a scene of Shoshana eating there. Afuri is known for its yuzu flavored broths, and I just happened to notice that they have a vegan option on their menu. This is a great place to take a group, if not everyone is looking for vegan or vegetarian food. A bonus here is that if you're a vegetarian you can add a soft boiled egg to your ramen (my favorite part!) which you won't find at a vegan restaurant. As a note, the vegan ramen comes with noodles made out of vegetables because their regular noodles use egg, but you can pay to upgrade to regular noodles (which I highly recommend) if you're vegetarian and not vegan.

My friend enjoyed both, but said she's choose T's Tantan as her first choice because of the greater choice and the uniqueness of of the broth. But either way you can't go wrong.

T's Tantan in Tokyo Station

Tantan noodles and curry set at T's Tantan

Seasonal Autumn Ramen at T's Tantan

Vegan Ramen at Afuri - So Gorgeous!

T's Tantan

Hours: 7:00-11:00 7 days a week

Phone: 03-3218-8040

Location: JR Tokyo Station, on Keiyo Street

Map

Afuri

Locations Include: Roppongi, Ebisu, Azabu Juban, Naka Meguro, Harajuku, Sangenjaya, Shinjuku and Yokohama

Sayanoyudokoro Onsen

Sayanoyudokoro Onsen is a fantastic onsen on the outskirts of Tokyo. When my friend Sarah came to visit she wanted to be sure to visit one, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to try a new place.

This is now probably my favorite in the Tokyo area. It was about a forty-five minute train ride, but totally worth the time. From the station it's less than a ten minute walk, and passes a pretty park with a lake. The price is very reasonable at 1,100 yen on weekends and 870 on weekdays for adults, with an additional 310 for towel rental. At check in you'll be given a wristband that your charges will be billed to - you can buy drinks from the vending machines, toiletries, etc. with it. And at the end there are machines that scan your wristband and allow you to pay.

They have the most outdoor baths of any onsen I've been to, with several individual ones (that always make me imagine I'm soaking in a sake jug), several larger baths, benches to only soak your feet, and a very shallow area where you lie on heated stone - SO relaxing. We were in heaven. Indoors there are several different tubs with jets to massage you shoulders/back/etc, an ice cold bath, and stone seats where you still with water streaming down your back.

They also have a wet and a dry sauna. The wet sauna entrance is outdoors, and wow was it steamy! When you enter there is a basket of salt, and you can scoop up a handful of to exfoliate your skin. Each seat has a little hose to rinse away the remaining salt when you're done. The dry sauna entrance is indoors, next to the ice bath.

One of the things I liked so much about this onsen was how much it felt like a part of the community. It was busy, but not overly crowded, with everyone from little girls (and a few young boys) to old women. And as I write this I realize that doesn't sound any different from any of the others I've ever been to - but it was. It felt like a well-loved, authentic part of the neighborhood.

If you're looking for an onsen around Tokyo I highly recommend this one! I couldn't take any pictures inside, but this website and tripadvisor have lots of good photos.

The nearby park

Read about other Onsens
Spa EAS in Yokohama
Utsukushinoyu in Tokyo
Tokyu Hotel in Shimoda

Sayanoyudokoro Onsen
Hours: 10:00 am -1:00 am
Phone: 03-5936-3826
Location: 3-41-1 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
Map

Kamakura Day Trip

Kamakura is my favorite place to take a day trip from Tokyo. It's not too far away, but it's the perfect change of pace. Whether you're looking for history, nature, or just a break from the tall buildings, Kamakura has it all.

We've taken all of our visitors this year to Kamakura, and while I don't think I could actually get sick of the place, I've definitely spent more than my fair share of time there over the last few months.

A new discovery this year is Hokokuji, also known as the bamboo temple. The temple itself is quite small, but what makes it so special is the bamboo grove behind it. In my opinion it's smaller, but just as nice as the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Particularly if you go on a weekday or in the morning, it's less crowded. I'd never heard of this temple before this spring when a Japanese friend recommended it. It's not in the guidebook I have, and it's too far to walk, but it's a quick bus ride away. Just take bus 23, 24, or 26 to the Jomyoji stop.

My all time favorite part of Kamakura is Hasedera, a temple a few train stops away in Hase. The temple is dedicated to women who have experienced miscarriages, abortions, or still births, and is also visited by women who are trying to conceive or hoping for healthy pregnancies. The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful from the pond at the entrance, to the temple itself, to the hill beyond the the temple which is covered in hydrangeas in spring, and offers a view of the coastline. On the walk up to the temple you will pass hundreds upon thousands of jizo, small statues that have been left by women who have lost children. It's beautiful and sobering at the same time. One note, if you come in June during hydrangea season, it may take upwards of an hour to see the hydrangea covered hill, but you'll have no trouble with the lower grounds, the cave, and the temples.

These are my two highest recommendations, the absolutely can't miss parts of Kamakura. But even on a day trip there should be time to visit more places. I also recommend Hachimangu, a shrine on the way back from Hokokuji, and the shopping streets on the way back from Hachimangu to Kamakura station. In Hase, the Giant Buddah is only a few minutes walk from Hasedera. If the crowds are getting to you, I also recommend Engakuji, a zen temple that is less visited and more relaxing, in Kita-Kamakura.

Jizo Statues at Hasedera

The pond at Hasedera

Hydrangeas (and crowds) at Hasedera

Kakmakura Coastline

Hokokuji

Hokokuji's Bamboo Grove

Hokokuji

Tea in the Hokokuji Teahouse

Festival Decorations at Hachimangu

Hokokuji
Hours: 9:00-4:00, closed Dec 29 - Jan 3
Admission: 200 yen, 700 yen for admission + tea
Map

Hasedera
Hours: 8:00-5:30 (5:00 Oct-Feb)
Admission: 300 yen
Map

Gluten Free Restaurants in Tokyo

We've had so many visitors this summer! It's completely thrown off my blogging, but I've been having a wonderful summer (despite the bleak tone of my last post.) Our most recent guest was my sister, and every time she visits I worry about accidentally gluten-ing her. She gets severe joint pain from eating gluten, so I always want to be even more careful when she's visiting because I would hate to ruin a vacation. Avoiding gluten in Japan isn't always easy, but it's totally doable.

I wrote a post a couple years ago about gluten-free snacks that are easy to find in convenience stores. But now I've also got several restaurant recommendations for gluten-free eating. 

http://glutenfree-restaurant.com/ is also a great resource.

Little Bird Gluten Free Cafe

Little Bird, inYoyogi, is the place to get gluten-free Japanese food. They serve both gluten free-gyoza (dumplings) and gluten-free ramen, both of which are delicious. When the ramen first arrived I was worried. It looked like they'd just thrown gluten-free spaghetti into ramen broth, but when I tasted it I couldn't tell the noodles were gluten-free, and my sister said they were the best she'd ever had. I suspect the noodles are house made and used in the other pasta dishes they offer.

Franze & Evans London

This is a new place in Omotesando which offers a selection of salads, quiche, sandwiches and baked goods. I was stunned to see that they had at least three gluten-free desserts on their menu, and between a third and a half of the salad options were gluten-free as well. This would also be a great place for vegetarians. If you go, the pavlova is outstanding!

Criss Cross

Criss Cross is a cafe in Omotesando that serves delicious salads and sandwiches. They bake their own bread and offer gluten-free bread for an additional 200 yen. Criss Cross is just one restaurant in the Tyson's restaurant empire, and it seems like all their restaurants offer gluten-free bread. These are the only restaurants I've seen in Japan that offer this option.

Rice Terrace in Kamakura

Rice Terrace is an adorable cafe off the beaten path in Kamakura. You have to walk down a winding path through a garden to reach it, but it's totally worth it. Most of the people we saw there were having afternoon tea, but we wanted lunch. Both the pizza and the hamburger were good, though the pizza was much more filling. This is a great option on a day trip to Kamakura.

Happy Eating!

Little Bird Gluten Free Cafe
Hours: 11:00-10:30, closed Wednesdays
Phone: 03-3460-8282
Address: 1-1-20 Uehara, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 3rd Floor
Map

Franze & Evans London
Hours: M-F 9:00-9:00, Sat 10:00-9:00, Sun & Holidays 10:00-8:00
Phone: 03-5413-3926
Address: 4-9-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Map

Criss Cross
Hours: 8:00-9:00
Phone: 03-6434-1266
Address: 5-7-29 Minami-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Map

Tysons Restaurants

Rice Terrace
Hours: 11:00-10:00, reservations required after 6:00, closed Mondays and 3rd Thursday of the month
Phone: 0467-38-6697
Address: 2-7-12 Yuigahama, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa
Map

Summer Days

It's been hot lately, but that hasn't kept from getting out and about. Sometimes when the heat is too much I just hole up inside, but this year I'm trying to embrace it. So far it's been working, but let's see how that attitude lasts in August.

Lately we've been trying to make a point of going new places on the weekend, be it hiking or just exploring little neighborhoods in unfamiliar parts of Tokyo.

John's brother and his wife are out visiting now. Yesterday we went out to Kamakura and then continued along the coast to a hot spring. While we were out there we saw one of the best views of Mt. Fuji I've ever had.

My newest furoshiki - I love the panda with sunglasses

A rainy shopping street in Nakano

Green tea at a bamboo temple

View of Mt. Fuji from Inamuragasaki

Father's Day Visit

John's dad has been out here visiting for the past week, conveniently falling over Father's Day. I can't believe how quickly his visit has come and gone (I think I say this every time) but it really was wonderful.

We've visited lots of temples and shrines where we were even able to see two weddings, and about a million blooming iris and hydrangeas. We also went to an afternoon baseball game, had dinner with Shiori, their exchange student from years past, got in some World War II history, and ate tons of delicious Japanese food.

In less than three weeks we'll have more visitors, and my sister just bought a ticket to come out too, so the fun is just going to continue all summer.

I love the red and white bowls at this ramen shop

The Imperial Palace is full of iris in June

The perfect Father's Day

Every time they get a run, the Yakult Swallows fans do a dance with umbrellas

Golden Week and a Visitor

It's hard to believe that we're already a week into May. Golden week has come an gone, and so has John's mother's visit.

We had such a great time with her. It's always fun to show off our favorite places and introduce people to Japanese food and culture. One of the highlights of her trip was meeting up with an exchange student she hosted six years ago. Shiori was only 13 when she came to the US, and now she is a beautiful self-assured college student! We went to her hometown and had a beautiful lunch at the restaurant where she has a part time job.

When we mentioned that we were going to Kamakura, one of the ancient capitals of Japan about an hour from Tokyo, Shiori recommended a temple that I'd never heard of - Hokoku-ji, which might just be my new favorite. It's a beautiful zen temple with a bamboo grove, a little tea house, and caves carved into a mountain - totally deserving of it's own blog post. I really think it rivals the beauty of Kyoto.

We fit so much into just a week, I think we're all still recovering from it. But I'm so glad we had the opportunity!

Gorgeous Japanese Lunch

Hokoku-ji in Kamakura

Afternoon Tea at The Mandarin Oriental

Our favorite yakitori place

Nighttime in Shinkjuku

Winter Update

I can hardly contain my excitement. In two days John and I are going on vacation. It's going to be WARM where we're headed. And on top of that, John's mom just got a plane ticket to come visit us this spring!

On Monday morning we woke up to a blanket of snow, which was initially beautiful. But unfortunately then it rained heavily for several hours creating a much less appealing blanket of slush. At least it was still fun to wake up to. We haven't had any more snow since, but it has been so cold this week! I am so so so looking forward to being somewhere warm for a week. With all the excitement of Raku's baby it's been hard to remember we're off to Bangkok and then Melbourne so soon. It's going to be amazing.

I'm also really looking forward to John's mom visiting. It's going to be so fun to show her around. It's probably really obvious, but we have gotten SO much better at planning for and hosting guests the longer we've lived here. 

Snowy Monday Morning

Star Wars Furoshiki

Utsukushi no Yu Onsen in Takaido

While Ellie was visiting back in June we went to an onsen I'd never visited before. We chose Utsukushi no Yu because Ellie wanted to be sure to go to one that had outdoor baths.

Utsukushi no Yu is a little bit of a trek from central Tokyo, but the facilities and proximity to the station are great. Admission is 900 yen for adults and 700 yen for children on weekdays. On weekends the price is 300 yen higher but you also get access to their swimming pool. There is an additional charge for towel rentals.

On the women's side there are three indoor baths, one with water jet massage stations, and three outdoor baths as well. From the outside baths you can also access the sauna. I obviously couldn't take pictures inside the onsen, but you can see pictures on their website. We went on a rainy day and I was worried that might mean the outdoor baths were closed, but that wasn't the case. It was actually really pretty to be outside in a rocky pool of hot water with a gentle rain falling.

If you visit Utsukushi no Yu it's about a three minute walk from the station. (Conveniently with a Mr. Donut in-between. Ellie and I definitely stopped for donuts on our way home.) There's no English signage for the onsen, but there is a sign for NAF Wellness Club. Turn into the entrance, ignore the lockers that are immediately visible and walk up the stairs, at the top you'll see the doors to Utsukushi no Yu. Once inside you'll need to leave your shoes in a shoe locker immediately to the right. Lockers cost a 100 yen refundable deposit.

Once you've dropped off your shoes you buy admission and towel rental tickets from a vending machine, which you then take to the counter. The vending machine is only in Japanese, but even if you can't read Japanese you can figure it out. (I've labeled a picture below) The orange buttons in the upper left are for admission. This is where knowing the admission price comes in handy - you can just match the price to the ticket you should buy. The purple buttons are for towel rentals - 110 yen for a bath towel (レンタルバスタオル）and 60 yen for a face towel（レンタルフェイスタオル.) I recommend both towels, the bath towel for drying off afterwards, and the face towel for modesty while walking around.

After you've purchased your tickets, take them to the front desk. They'll take the key to your shoe locker and give you a key for a locker in the locker room as well as issuing your towels. Then it's time to get naked! Remember it's important to scrub down thoroughly before getting in the water, and that while you can carry your modesty towel around with you it needs to stay on your head or at the side of the pools while you're in the water, it's not supposed to be submerged. If you're looking for a full guide on how to use an onsen I highly recommend this video - I made sure Ellie watched it in preparation. 

I thought Ellie was so brave to try an onsen! I wasn't nearly that brave when I was 17. I'm not sure if I've said this before, but as incredibly self-conscious as I can be about my body there is something really wonderful and healing about hanging out with a bunch of other naked people. Even as a curvy foreigner, by the end of the experience I always feel like bodies are just these great tools that let us live our lives instead of objects (often of disappointment) by which we should judge our self worth. So, if you're even considering going to an onsen - do it! It's an amazing experience.

The front of Utsukushi no Yu

The entrance to the onsen is up these stairs

Drop your shoes off here

Buy your admission tickets here. Enjoy!

Utsukushi no Yu Onsen

Hours: 9:30 am - Midnight

Phone: 03-3334-0008

Location: 2-3-45 Takaido-nishi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo

Map

Looking for Other Onsen?

Spa EAS in Yokohama

Happy Fourth of July!

I've been so absent over here! Just as I suspected, John's sister arrived and I got completely wrapped up in all the things we were doing. I've spent this whole week trying to get myself back to my regular routine, but I'm only now making it back to the blog.

It's hard to believe it's already July. (Happy Independence Day!) The weather has been very mild so far this summer. I'm sure the heat will come in time, but so far it's been much cooler than last year. This week we've been having loads of rain, but even though Ellie's visit also fell during rainy season we had exceptionally good weather during those weeks.

John and I had such a great time showing Ellie all of our favorite things about Japan, and exploring some new things that she was interested in as well. Some of the highlights included going to a bunny and hedgehog cafe, Disneyland, visiting a restaurant from one of Ellie's favorite manga and a cafe themed after an anime, going to Studio Ghibli, and picnicking on the banks of the Tama River. John and Ellie were also able to take a weekend trip to Kyoto thanks to an incredibly generous gift. We've never had a visitor stay as long as she did, and it was amazing how much we were able to do in the time she was here.

I could ramble on forever about everything we did, but for once I'll let the pictures do the talking. (But not for long. This week I'm definitely going to write all about the trip John and I took to Vietnam and Cambodia, and I'm sure I'll ramble plenty then.)