JAPÓN Día 5

Octubre 25 - Specialization

Words: Sebastian + Imágenes: Araceli 

Anticipating our departure to Kyoto on the 26th, we had to pass by Tokyo Station to exchange our JR Passes. Navigating the underground maze to find the office was a novel challenge, but as always, we made it. After some wait, we got our passes and reserved seats for the next days' trip.

From there, it was time to visit the East Imperial Gardens. This season, definitely, is not the best for garden visits, as most plants are dormant. Our favorite part was the Ninomaru Garden and its ponds, rocks, and flower patches. As it got crowded, we headed to our next destination, Takeo Paper Shop. On our way there, a small store caught our attention: Tolmen. All of your charcoal and Binchotan needs in one place. It was closed but we will be back to this carbon heaven.
Takeo Paper Shop is, like may other things on this trip, overwhelming. Imagine a room with every single paper quality, and color, on display. The white walls of the large room are slim, and numbered, drawers, floor to bottom. Rectangular tables, parallel to each other, fill the floor with small samples of everything. And it's a LOT. You can only think wow, they decided to dedicate themselves to paper and went all the way. This is what is so inspiring, how far people go with certain projects, and to see that it is possible to take your dedication as far as you can. Also, Japan's love of paper is something everyone should embrace.
After some time perusing, we guessed that this was a showroom and that most clients would come with a specific project in mind. We promised ourselves to return one day with a worthy project of our own.
Today we opted for a simpler alternative for lunch: the supermarket. A quick dive-in and we were out with a bounty of onigiris, iced tea, a Belgian waffle, and some miso garlic pork belly. Since we were in a large office complex, we immediately realized we had arrived in full rush hour; the whole square buzzing with lunch break energy. We noticed that people were not only eating in restaurants, but many sat outdoors on benches. Beautifully wrapped boxes appear out of handbags, elegant and efficient. We followed the example, found a spot, and dove into our grocery bag. Not as elegant, but efficient nonetheless, and clean. Our lunch conversation questioned the cleanliness of public spaces relative to the lack of public garbage bins. It was not the first time the topic came up, and there would be a couple of times more before we got used to the way things worked. In short and in conclusion: Your trash is your trash.
The afternoon didn't have a route planned ahead, but we knew one thing for sure: we needed coffee. Our good friend David Birruete had recommended the experience at Koffee Mameya Kakeru. A 20 min cab ride dropped us off close by, in a quiet residential area east.
Fortune was on our side. We learned that they were fully booked (we didn't research properly). But, they had a cancellation and we could get seated after a 20-minute wait. Nothing a walk around the block can't achieve.
Once back and seated, we opted for a few different coffees, trying different profiles, origins, washes, and toasting levels. All are expertly prepared by Taka. Taka, it turns out, is a good friend of David's as well!
We enjoyed the conversation and knowledge he shared. They take coffee seriously and it shows, from the craft to the design and decor.

Finally caffeinated, MUJI Atelier was our next stop, back in Ginza. MUJI has a design theme each year that culminates in an exhibition at the atelier on the 6th floor of their Ginza flagship. This year's theme was CRAFT and we weren't ready for what we were about to see. A display of ceramics, carpentry, and glassware from a selection of 90 craftsmen from all over Japan. The scary part: all displayed items were for sale. The curation was outstanding. We were so impressed that we decided to come back after dinner to have a second, closer look.

Dinner actually was an impromptu decision, we set our sights on going to PST for a pizza. Highly recommended by Ryu San: The secret is in the salt he says. Say no more. Booking ahead proved unsuccessful, we opted to arrive right as they opened in the hope of getting an early seating.
It proved to be a good bet, we could get a table at 17:00 if we liberated it by 18:30. On the trip, arriving early has proven to be the winning strategy when bookings were impossible. And boy, did that pizza deliver. First, a herb and anchovy salad (I order anything that has anchovy on the menu). Then the pizzas, made a-la-minute, were thrown for a few seconds into the wood oven, right after a ceremonious salt throw in its center.
What you get is a warm, soft-yet crispy pizza, salty and fresh at the same time. My take on other secrets is that the tomato sauce is fresh and complemented by a generous drizzle of very good olive oil. Certainly one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The tiramisu also doesn't disappoint, a very good specimen indeed.

Another thing we noticed is a trend in almost all the restaurants we visited. None served soft drinks, all served homemade syrups with sparkling/soda water. Almost always the winning duo. Homemade cola and ginger ale. Delicious in all cases.
Another good day!
We did go back to Muji atelier (we were out of PST by 6!). We didn't buy any of the beautiful items, but, we came across a vintage book we had been looking for since last year. The first time we came across this particular book, was in Cibone in Brooklyn. At the time we decided to not buy it, and immediately regretted the decision. It was now in front of us for a second time. Destiny was giving us another chance. We grabbed it and with that, our day was over.

Tomorrow, there's Kyoto!