Tokyo: Yanaka & Nippori Fabric Town
Lori:
First stop Yanaka. Balaram had seen a travelogue on this town on NHK World. Supposedly the town is the Portuguese ambassador’s favorite Tokyo haunt, having maintained the ambiance of old Japan. An added bonus, Yanaka is adjacent to the Nippori Fabric Town, one of Mäneka’s starred attractions on our To Do List. We decided to visit Yanaka first since Mäneka had big plans in Fabric Town.
After passing the beautiful Tennoji Temple, we entered a large Japanese cemetery. There were rows and rows of stones marking the deceased over many centuries and the tallest, most majestic ginkgo tree I’ve ever seen. The most famous to be interred was the 15th and last shogun of Japan. Found a walled area with the gold Tokugawa mon (family crest) on the gate. The signage told us that Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1867-1913) was buried there. The grave was different from the rest because in addition to the polished granite stones marking each plot, the tombs (3?) were cylindrical mounds of stone. Apparently, lots of other notable Japanese are buried in the cemetery, because there was a Japanese tour group equipped with maps searching other gravesites.
Our adventure continued in the hot somewhat humid air as we made our way to Yanaka Ginza, a street lined with local veg and fish vendors, fried delicacies, and of course, gift shops. Found a great shop filled with all kind of Japanese pottery, sort of delicate to transport back home, but difficult to pass up. Linda and I kept adding one more item to our stack. Together, we may have financed a college education or two.
It was time to eat again and perhaps find somewhere “mildly air-conditioned” to rest our weary feet. We found Menya Hidamali, a small restaurant serving tsukemen which is ramen served with a dipping sauce. Once again, we scored a superb meal. The broth was delicious with chunks of perfectly seasoned pork completed by adding yuzu (citrus) sauce and black pepper like little grains of shiny coal. The cold ramen noodles were a tiny bit chewy, and served with an egg soft-boiled in shoyu, a piece of the tasty pork, green onions, nori, and bamboo sprouts. Linda and Mäneka decided to try rice with chirimen (millions of tiny, little fish). The yummy gyoza filled with pork and lots of ginger was fried to perfection.
Next stop Nippori Fabric Town. Fabric town was several blocks with store after store of fabric, notions, millions of buttons, and accoutrements to adorn any costume or outfit you could imagine. We even got to see a sumo wrestler shopping for buttons. I’m sure he was a sumo wrestler, not sure what buttons would do to hold in his girth.
Balaram got a freebie ultrasonic glasses cleaning which allowed him to view Japan in a whole new light! He marveled at the spot that disappeared that he had previously attempted to smudge off.
Maneka had a successful shopping expedition and arrived at our meeting spot with enough fabric to completely overhaul her wardrobe.
Postscript: We spent our final evening at Odakyu Depatto (department store) to finish our gift shopping and enjoyed our last dinner doing Thai that was really quite good and spicy.
Mäneka:
Given the strong textile culture and attention to paid to clothing in Japan, I figured it would be a good place to pick up some fabrics I might not able to find at home. My research told me that Tomato in Nippori was a must-see. Tomato happens to be not just one store, but several multi-story shops scattered around the fabric district. After I spent a good while ogling the dizzying array of fabrics in the first place I entered, Kamala had to remind me that this was but one floor of one building so I had to pace myself. This proved difficult, however.
My principal fabric goals were stretch camouflage and knit prints. There was no shortage of either of these things. The sheer variety of fabrics at Tomato cannot be overstated. I am not sure that anything comparable even exists in the US. Not to mention that the prices are very reasonable. Truly a sewist’s dream. I ended up with three new pants fabrics as well as two soft striped knits and a fun lightweight woven photorealistic fruit print. I also ended up with some fun patches from the Tomato notions shop. I think I am covered for my foreseeable future sewing projects!
If you enjoy sewing, fabric or clothing at all, I highly recommend taking a stroll through Nippori fabric town. You won’t be able to leave without buying something.