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WARNING: my photos uploaded wonky again, so this post will be all over the place...

Got to check out a coffee shop that is often used in commercials and J-drama...Roman.

Well, when I finally found it…ha!

I walked in one direction, then walked back, then crossed the street...

Was flip flopping between a parfait or hotcakes and in the end ordered their hotcakes with an iced coffee...880 yen (tax included)

The hotcakes weren't anything special, but I liked the vibe of this place. 

My only peeve is that they allow smoking.

When I do go back, I hope they let me sit by the door like they did on this visit.

Green Road is a 21 kilometer (13 mile) walking path that I saw part of near the Seibu Hana Koganei station on my way to Koganei Park

They have so many flowers.

And benches to sit on along the route...nice!

Interior of Roman

Since I am not too familiar with manga nor anime I didn't know the location of the “Astro Boy” takes place in Takadanobaba.

For that reason there are several large murals near the JR Takadanobaba station and the “music” you hear before the train leaves the station is the theme song of the “Astro Boy” anime.

Tokyo people: the guy that changes the ads in the train...wonder if you have to be really tall to be hired for this job...

Koganei Park, if you remember we visited the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum, which is on the grounds of this park.

So many camellia trees...pretty!

There was also an area with azaleas but that wasn’t in bloom yet

Many people hanami-ing (flower viewing)

The cherry trees are huge!

my lunch was a fan tuan from Tokyo Doujiang Seikatsu...love this!

Green Road...the sakura just started blooming but there was just enough to still be pretty and it’s nice to be outside.

Roman (2/2026 out of business)

2-18-11 Takadanobaba, Toumon Building 2F

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Phone: 03.3209.5230

Open daily 11:30-19:00

*cash only

p.s. if you're interested, more photos here

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Saturday the weather was nice (plus we wanted to get away from the reno noise) so we got out and about and went to check out the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei.

From our house it is about an hour and a half by different trains and a bus.

I’m pretty sure it was my first time ever to see the Yamanote line this empty.

Since the Edo period, many historical buildings in Tokyo have been lost to natural and man-made disasters (war). 

In 1993 the open air museum was established on 7 hectares (17 acres) to preserve and exhibit many historical buildings.

All the buildings were donated by many families and it is a nice way to see how life was "back in the day".

The entrance fee is 400 yen for adults, but luckily on this day it was free.

We weren't too sure why it was free, but think it was because they were holding a large tea ceremony event at various homes so we weren't allowed to go freely inside many of them.

One of the first things we did was have coffee at Musashi Sabo inside of the Georg de Lalande home.

800 something for each of our parfaits plus 500 something for each of our coffees...3000 something total...kinda pricey. 

But the parfaits were delicious and it was nice to just sit and have coffee outside of our apartment.

It was also nice that you didn’t need to take off your shoes in this home.

Why I say that is to see inside most of the homes, you had to remove your shoes, so I walked around the homes instead since my converse shoes are a p.i.t.a. to put on and take off.

Lunch was beef curry from Takahashi Shoten's kitchen car (lunch wagon)...500 yen (tax included)

Outside of the museum, was this huge ceramic fair...definitely no social distancing...

We also ran into packed trains on the way home.

I am glad we got to check out this museum, I am also interested in coming back in the Spring to Koganei Park because they have lots of cherry trees.

More photos if you are interested here.

Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

3-7-1 Sakuracho

Koganei Tokyo

Phone: 042.388.3300

Closed Mondays

Hours: 9:30-16:30