Tokyo Food

Ramen and in this case Ichiran Ramen. Famous among foreigners. There was a queue formed to pay for the food. Overall it is tasty without sensing MSG. It should be made by boiling pigs bone for a long period of time. Thick broth makes a rick taste. At 870 Yen, it is reasonably priced considering other Ramen outlets. Was told that Ichiran originates from Kyushu region of Japan. This is the most value for money against its quality for the food I had.

Okonomiyaki - Japanese Pizza. The one on the left has flour and bacon, while the one on the right has noodle and flour. Tasty due to okonomiyaki sauce. It is highly recommended. The set cost about 1850 Yen for 2 persons including drinks. The restaurant at UDX Akihabara allows patrons to self cook or the chef will cook for you. It tastes real good.

Beef tongue croquette. When I walked into this restaurant, I thought it was a beef restaurant without knowing that they sell only beef tongue. I have the impression that it was beef croquette, probably due to my poor understanding of the language. Nonetheless I tried it. This was not the first time I ate beef tongue though. Its more of psychological than the taste and texture. It was quite expensive at about 1600 Yen.

Tempura soba. The soba is ok but there were only 2 pieces of prawn and one small green chilli. Priced at 1470 Yen, it seems expensive. But this is a famous shop in Asakusa. Quality wise the prawns are fresh and sweet.

Pufferfish - Also known "fugu". I had this in soup and fried format. Japanese delicacies. Poisonous if not prepared properly. Certain part of the fish is lethal and originates from its ovaries and liver. It must be prepared by a certified chef to remove the poison. Taste like ordinary fish and has many bones. Expensive at 10,000 yen for 2 persons. Would I try again? Probably not, considering the risk and price.

Unagi rice. The grilled eel is very expensive in Japan given the strong demand in Asia market. Many eels are originated from China or Taiwan. I paid 3700 Yen for this. Taste wise, I have tasted better one. This one has too many fine bones which disturbed the enjoyment. The meat is ok but the sauce could be better. There are cheaper ones around Tokyo.

Sake - Taste good and reasonably priced. This one costs about 250 Yen. Slight sweetness makes the sake easy to drink. Available in convenient stall.

Tokyo - Nikon Museum

Nikon FM2 first version

Camera Prototype

Camera Prototype

The information explains the 2 photographs above.

Nikon Museum located at Shinagawa is a must visit place if you love photography. It gives a history of all the SLR and other important cameras that the firm had manufactured from the beginning of 20th century. Nikon is indeed a great manufacturer of camera. Nothing can beat looking at these beautifully crafted cameras.

Having owned Nikon FM2 SLR camera, it is fantastic to see the camera being displayed as part of the many cameras on its historical shelf. The challenge I faced nowadays is weight, the camera body and lens weigh considerably when sufficient weather protection is included especially for high ends camera. The weight makes it difficult to carry for tour. Hence, nowadays, my default camera is the Sony A6000 which is light weight and easy to carry.

Nonetheless, do enjoy the beautiful cameras from the museum. The museum can be reached via Shinagawa station east exit and walking overhead connection (they called it skyway connection) from the station to Tower C of Intercity Tower. It is free-of-charge entry. Explanation is written in English and Japanese.

When I was visiting Asakusa, I saw a senior lady with a SLR film camera. While I didn't see the brand of the camera, it was really a great sight.

Nikon FM2 1984

The Nikon FM2 is shown in the museum. Notice that in the 1980s, the standard lens is a 50mm. It is beautiful and even more beautiful when it is held in hand. For my camera, I have a 28mm f1:2.8 as the standard lens. The body has a "Made in Japan" engraved below. Link to my blog for FM2 is shown below:-

https://e21s.blogspot.com/2014/06/nikon-fm2-n.html

Tokyo ~ 20th to 25th October 2018

Akihabara Tokyo

This is my forth time I visited Tokyo. The first was in 1993, 2nd in 1995 and 3rd in 1997. A whopping time gap of 21 years since my last visit. Japan has always been a country which I liked. Its people are fantastic, plenty of shopping malls with great quality stuffs, good transport system that makes travel easy and delicious quality food.  What reminds me of my visit in the last century was the sound of Japan train and sound of ambulance siren. These things do not changed.

When I visited Tokyo in 1993, the first train line which I took was Yamanote Line (山手线). This train circled inner Tokyo and goes to many important cities. I am happy that I was able to take this train again. The green colour on this train body is so distinct and familiar. In the 21st Century, the complex train schedule can all be planned by smart phone and google.

I visited Seiko Museum, Nikon Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Tower and Toyota Mega Web. The National Museum of Western Art was not a planned visit in my itinerary but there is currently a exhibition on Rubens Art pieces, which attracted me.

End October is autumn in Tokyo and it is considered perfect weather for visit. I loved the temperature of 15 to 20 degree Celsius. The chance of typhoon is low during this period.

I stayed in Asakusabashi 浅草桥 which is a station east of Akihabara. Great location to stay if the intent is to go shopping in Akihabara. This area has lesser crowd than other popular cities in Tokyo. It has direct train service from Haneda Airport which is good plus point.