my number

Well 10 years have passed since we got our My Number cards

In that time some things have changed with it

Like your health insurance card info is on it now

You can access some documents which you normally would have to go to the city office for, from the printer at a convenience store

Instead of going to get your photo for the ID from a professional photo studio, you can now take your photo with your smartphone and even renew the card online

I think you can even put your driver license on it too

So..I now have a new card that should last the next 10 years...

I still wish they would use it for more "useful" things like when there is an earthquake, the survivors could just scan their card and be able to "check-in" 

But I guess that might make too much sense...

taiwan 101

While roaming the basement of Tokyo station, we were looking for something for dinner.

Kat decided to try Taiwan 101's onigiri bento

it came with lu rou (braised pork) sauce fried gyoza, onion shumai, karaage (fried chicken), kurage (jellyfish) and fried tofu with chives in a black bean sauce

the fan tuan (onigiri/rice ball) was filled with lu rou (braised pork), peanuts and a quail egg

different from the one that I often buy from Tokyo Doujiang Seikatsu

This was quite a hefty onigiri, but I enjoyed the crunchy peanuts in there

Though the other items were quite salty, and the chicken karaage super hard,  I hope to try other items here

Taiwan 101

JR Tokyo Station Gransta Tokyo B1

Hours: 8:00-22:00 (21:00 on Sundays)

saturday

Saturday, we went to Waseda to turn in our omamori

We had stuck it on the wall for the new year according to the shrine's instructions, but the other night it fell off in the middle of the night! 

I heard it, Satoshi did not...

On the way to the shrine we went through Tokyo Station and I spotted Shohei Otani's book 

And we decided to have lunch...I have been thinking about this perfectly fried fish ever since I had this last year.

Still perfectly fried!

After returning the omamori to the shrine, the guy working there told us not to worry, that we didn't do anything wrong to cause it to fall off, and to just go about our daily routines as normal.

We were relieved after hearing this since we were feeling a bit down about it falling so soon after the year had begun.

I had wanted to take Satoshi to experience the coffee shop that I had been to, but was shocked to learn they were out of business.

So we went to have coffee at a big chain place then decided to head back to Tokyo Station, so that Satoshi could research some things for his upcoming tour

Jinchoge (daphne) is blooming...love the fragrance

Saw a type of sakura blooming

At the Palace Hotel, there was a beautiful doll display

And this beautiful edo kiriko vase

the lobby area was beautiful too

Since it was the day before the Tokyo marathon, there were all these work people setting up things

loved how all the different tools they had on the belts were clinking as they walked

The finish line

It was a really nice day, kinda warm too

danshari

Recently Satoshi sent some boxes from MIL’s to Tokyo

They were filled with photo albums because he just does not have the heart to throw them out which means they also weigh a ton!

The way our apartment building is constructed it is so wonky, I swear the designer was on drugs

I felt so bad for the poor mail dudes that had to carry them up the last 12 steps up to our apartment!

And luckily with some tetris moves, Kat found space for these boxes in our apartment 

After looking through Satoshi’s treasures, I really wanted to keep this vintage Citizen Doraemon watch

and these vintage colored pencils...but decided against it and had Satoshi sell them to a recycle shop

I gave up this coach wallet

I really loved these but they didn’t love me, the buckle would always dig into my foot…ow

And these sketchers always made my feet black

loved these boots

am giving up this coach, I had taken a photo of it after we got broken into, so that I had a record of what valuables I had

Gave up this LV

and this too

Gave up these two Hanshin jerseys because the material is too hot to wear 

got to keep this clear file because the place Satoshi went to sell some of his treasures didn't want it

We still have so much stuff but will continue to clear out more in the coming months...

fujison

Checked out Fujison, an okonomiyaki/monja restaurant in our shopping arcade

You can either order with a QR code or with a human...they weren't busy, so we chose to order with the guy working

 

Seafood okonomiyaki...look at that concentration!

Apparently this restaurant is cook your own...although if you just cannot, you can ask them to cook it for you

I let the chef do his thing...

And yakisoba...chef lost some noods in the "drainage" area of the griddle where you scrape the koge (burnt) bits into when cleaning the griddle...we moved the okonomiyaki to block the drainage area after that...ha!

looks good

almost finished cooking

it took some time to cook but both were delicious!

I'm glad we tried this place since we always wondered about it

2800 yen (tax included) for okonomiyaki, yakisoba and a drink for Satoshi

We'll be back

Fujison

6-3-4 Ikegami

Ota, Tokyo

Closed: Tuesdays

Hours: 11:30-24:00

shibata crepe

Earlier in February, Shibata Crepe opened up in the space that Daimatsu used to be in.

Place your order, pay and then you will receive a beeper
 

When the beeper goes off, pick up your crepe(s)

I ordered the smoked chicken...800 yen (tax included) + 10 yen for the plastic bag, this has lots of smoked chicken, cheddar cheese, grainy mustard, lettuce & caesar salad dressing

This was so good! chicken in every bite!

TIP: eat this with the paper "cone" in the plastic bag because the dressing starts to drip while you are eating

I also ordered ghee & sugar...450 yen (tax included) + 10 yen for the plastic bag...so good!

The sugar kinda "crunches" while you are eating this

TIP: there is a lot of ghee in there and it will ooze towards your last bites...keep the paper "cone" in the plastic bag and eat near the sink

Be prepared to wait...the owner is making these to order

I'm glad I tried these and paid for those plastic bags because they helped keep things from getting messy while eating.

I look forward to trying other items on the menu, I'll be back

Shibata Crepe

5-11-22 Nishikamata

Closed Sundays & Holidays (and some Saturdays)

Hours: 11:00-16:00 (weekdays), 10:00-16:00 (Saturdays)

*closes earlier if they run out of batter

this and that

when I was younger, I remember seeing the English alphabet for sign language in the back of a dictionary that we had, and used to practice it every so often, so when I came across the hiragana "alphabet" for Japanese sign language, thought it was neat!

probably the weirdest thing that popped up in the ads on FB

you know how some people just wear their leggings like pants?! somehow, I can just imagine some guy wearing this as is...eep!
 

my photo uploaded wonky...Tochio Aburaage from Niigata

Pan fried then topped with chili crisp and some green onions...so good!

This Tochio Aburaage was super thick! I would get this one again, was about 200 yen (tax included)

twins!

seen in shibuya station...I had no idea Pokemon was 30!

And apparently February 27 is Pokemon day.

WBC (world baseball classic) store at Miyashita Park, one of my favorite street artists, Overall Arts, painted this...bummer it was roped off, would’ve liked going closer to see it

sakura sweet bean paste filled taiyaki

spam musubi from Momochi..loved that there was egg and spam in every bite, dunno that they needed to put tartar sauce in there though...

The weather this week was warm for a bit, and then we had rain all.day.long. the other day and now we are back to cold...

Pollen as well as the yellow dust thingy from China is making the air all hazy

And just like that, February is over

Hope you have a safe weekend.