Shinokitazawa

Shinokitazawa is a suburb located three stations from Shibuya. This little area has a distinct village feel with narrow streets, few cars and lots of interesting little shops. The streets are laid out a tight little grid either side of the railway station. In one of them was a little okonomyaki (pancake) restaurant where we had lunch,

This little restaurant was in a very narrow little shopfront with a dark wooden doorway and similar stained timber interior. A bright orange curtain with a welcoming message hung in the doorway. The building was just wide enough to fit a long cooking hot plate along one side and a row of tables with little bench seats along the other. Each seat was wide enough for two Japanese, or one and a half foreigners.

The cook took our order in a very friendly manner and was soon knocking up delicious pancake of seafood with wriggling benito flakes on the top. Washed down with a beer, it was an excellent lunch.

We spent a few hours wandering through the streets as David sat in a cafe doing some English homework before we went back to his apartment and then on to dinner (We are actully doing more on this trip than eating, but more of that later).