It’s located just near the Yurakucho station, and the building is a complex with some good cinema theaters.  This is a very famous place in Tokyo and also it’s loved by trendy girls of Tokyo too.

But today’s news says this Yurakucho branch store will have to close this year because of red running situation for a long time.

If this store ran in red for a long time, who could make a department store run in black in this serious economy situation ?

Anyway, it’s a little sad news for us users, and it would be very hard work even if a new store takes place of Seibu Department Store here.

I need to see how it would go from now.

It’s not fair to decide the NO.1 status only by Michelin because it’s often a judgement of Westerners taste.  However, this could be a good news for Tokyo because this city wants more foreign travelers from all over the world.

Most of the renowned restaurants in this book are Japanese traditional type restaurants but there are small restaurants too. Also this time, Japanese taverns or Yakitori place ( Izakaya ) are also selected.  Izakaya is a really standard Japanese restaurant style. They drink beer or Japanese wine, Sake, at Izakaya and chat with friends all for a long time.  There, the main food is often Yakitori( Grilled Chicken with kebab).  To be honest, as my personal opinion, we don’t think Yakitori bar’s food is always good. Yakitori restaurants are for drinkers or chatting people( sometimes for arguing guys).

Like that, I often thought I’ve had Sushi enough, No more Sushi please ! 

When I talked with Japanese food fans in California, they thought I was lying or joking.  I was serious.

BUT, now I live in foreign places. I do think Izakaya, Yakitori, Sushi, Unagi, Soba, Tempura, Teppanyaki, Udon, Ramen and even Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki are real gourmet food that Japan produced.

Japan has so many kinds of foods. Also, rude restaurants or simple restaurants often must withdraw from competition of food business. They are always battling  with each other targeting the best of the bests.

Even the casual restaurants or fast food stand places must compete to survive.  Competition is on the taste first, then,the quality of the restaurants, staff, or impression will be competition points next.  Probably it’s really hard for food business to win prefect satisfaction from users.

Like this, we are always very objective to restaurants in Japan. That’s why I often say I don’t need Sushi restaurants any more, or No more Yakitori,etc..  Being far away from Japan, I can say with confidence that Tokyo is the NO.1 gourmet city at least for me, and we can recommend this city for gourmet people in the world.

If we go to the restaurants with star(s) of Michelin, we will be able to taste the history, mind and spirit, education, and professionalism in taste by the experience at the places.  As an important note, there are far more fantastic restaurants than shown in the Michelin Guide book Tokyo.  Even if there is no star rank on the other restaurants, I can promise there are uncountable numbers of gourmet taste restaurants in Tokyo.  It’s really amazing.

I understand with no surprise that Tokyo is the world top gourmet city, putting aside Pris or NYC.  And if you feel enough of Tokyo ( maybe the day will not be coming forever if you are gourmet eater), you can explore Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Sendai, Yokohama, Kobe, and more small cities in Japan. They all have really nice restaurants only for local people, and you can expect real tear-dropping experience by the taste of food.

I’ve taken some of my friends from USA or Hawaii to Japanese Soba, Tonkatsu, Yakitori, Tempura, Unagi, or more restaurants in Tokyo or some other cities.  I can’t correctly remember how many times I’ve heard them say  ”This is the best taste I’ve ever had in my life!!!”   It’s not a joke, one of them really got teary when he had melting taste of Unaju ( grilled eel ). He said he was really moved by the taste.

Not all the people know the taste of Japanese food yet. If Michelin could be a help to this new ( or strange) taste world, we are very pleased because food is certainly our history and culture.  If they like it, it means our culture and history are not that bad at all.

SHIBUYA CROSSOVER is a very big junction of people, cars and streets.  SHIBUYA is also known to Japanese and Japan fans as a town of young energy and street fashion.  Shibuya ever produced many life style for young people of Japan.

Recently, SHIBUYA’s crossover became a hint of Oxfor Circus Crossover and new Oxford Circus was born in London.  I don’t know the atmosphere there because I’ve not yet checked it.  As far as wee see the photo, again the Japanese animation image people walked the crossover for PR.

It’s not clear why such a world famous city of London adopted the image of Japanese Shibuya crossing.  We think London should be keeping it’s traditional style as it’s a pride of England.  If the USA or other countries tried to copy some of Japanese flavor, it’s simply a pleasure for me. But why London ??  Anyway, it’s also interesting that someone in London knew Shibuya and they adopted some function Shibuya has.

For us, Shibuya Crossover’s image is like a crowdy, busy, and sometimes dirty & noisy place.  Of course it’s very exciting if we look for a new encounter of food, fashion., culture or lovers.

I need to check OX circus againwhen I next visit London.

RAMEN is becoming famous. It’s original is China. Japan arranged the Chinese taste and completed Japanese style noodle called Ramen. Now Ramen is one of the most popular foods in Japan.  The price is low and the taste is good, which means it’s for all the public in Japan.

Ramen already became the local food in each area of Japan. So if you travel, you can probably taste the local style Ramen with local taste. 

KOBOSHI is a Ramen from Kitakata City in Fukushima Prefecture. The characteristics of this Ramen is the light taste soup and resilient noodle.  Pork is meltingly sweet. Also the price is unbeliebably low.   You should simply order ” Ramen”. Then, the soup, Noodle, and Pork are fully ready in the bowl. If you like more pork, you can also order YAKIBUTA Ramen ( Photo is RAMEN, not Yakibuta Ramen )

This restaurat has some chain shops in Tokyo. If you find it in Tokyo, it’s not a bad trial to experience this taste.  For us Japanese, taste is really good. And the price is low.  This is the Ramen that should be.

As a note, there is one more restaurant name, BANNAI.  Koboshi and Bannai are run by the same company, so the taste and menue are all the same.  Whichever brand you find, it’s not bad choice to go in and have !

Do you know Eric Clapton’s best favourite restaurant in the world is in Tokyo ?

It’s true. He often says that he loves Fukuyoshi’s Tonkatsu best in the world. Exactly speaking, Eric Clapton seems to love Chicken Katsu rather than Tonkatsu ( Pork Katsu).  Anyway, Clapton never misses coming back to this restaurant whenever he comes to Japan.

Eric Clapton is known to Japanese fans that he loves Japan and he often comes to Japan not only for concerts but for private tour too.  Actually he’s been to Japan more than 20 times ( 18 times concerts included ).

Some people really witnessed Eric Clapton here. Also some say that Eric Clapton was having Tonkatsu in the other Tonkatsu restaurant in Shinjuku, so it’s sure that Clapton loves Tonkatsu of Japan.  Maybe he became the Tonkatsu repeater after checking Fukuyoshi out.

Fukuyoshi is a old Tonkatsu restaurant with a long history in Tokyo.  It also  has many fans in Japan and from the world. Some say they like Chicken Katsu better just like Clapton.

We Japanese like Tonkatsu dish.  As far as Clapton, a foreigner, choses this restaurant as the best in the world,  Tonkatsu could be a world taste.  Please try next time !

Probably the biggest interest of tourists to Japan is having Japanese food while they stay. In Tokyo, or in Japan anywhere,  there are numerous Sushi restaurants in various types. Most of them are good in taste, but if you search for ultimate Sushi of Japan, you should see the popurarity ranking of Sushi restaurants in Tokyo.

Many of the popular Sushi restaurants selected by Japanese are traditional type of Sushi restaurants. Now Sushi is arranged in many style like California style or Chinese style too. But for Japanese, the traditional Sushi made by professional Sushi Chef is the most favourite.

Please check the next Sushi restaurants. All of them are traditional but actually they are selected as top 10 popular restaurats in Tokyo by tour magazine readers of Japan.

1. Sushi Karaku  2. Ginza Kyubei  3.  Umegaoka Midori Souhonten  4.  Roppongi Bintokona  5.  Tsukiji Sushi Dai   6.  Kagurazaka Futaba  7. Akihabara Sushi Chaya GInyu   8. Koutouku Kitasuna Umisachi  9. Sushi dokoro Ginza Fukusuke Honten  10.  Tsukiji Edogin Honten

Above Sushi restaurants are all famous but maybe a little expensive. Ginza or Tsukiji area restaurants are rather close to center of Tokyo and easier to try.

Kumamoto ken or Kumamoto Prefecture is situated in Kyushu district, the southern island of Japan. In Kumamoto ken, there is a famous Ramen noodle style. 

Keika Ramen is from Kumamoto and it’s very popular in Tokyo.

Some who are from Kumamoto say this ramen is not exactly what they like in Kumamoto, but for us in Tokyo, this Keika ramen is good enough to eat repeatedly.  For the first time we have, we often think this tastes a little thick or heavy, but after several time trials, we understand it’s not thick at all, it’s very smooth taste.

I remember the first time this restaurant came up in Tokyo, people did not like it very much. However, some days later when I visited, what I saw there was a long line of people waiting to eat.

Most popular menue is TARO men, which has a melting tasty boiled pork in Japanese style. It also has boiled tasty egg, and some cabbages on the top ( see photo).  Especially the pork is really delicious. To be honest, I can’t eat pork usually because of the smell and fat part.  But I really like this pork. The taste of this pork is a kind of different form of food art. Here pork is like a foie gras ( or the goose liver ).

If you visit Tokyo and if you like ramen, Keika Ramen is a real recommendation. You can find this restaurants in several places in Tokyo but the most popular place is maybe the Sinjuku Keika Ramen restaurant.