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Oh Tokyo!

Rule of thumb: when in Rome, New York, or Tokyo, do as the locals do. Or, more specifically, eat where they eat! This simple approach has saved me many many francs, lire, euros, dollars, yen...and has allowed me to experience gastronomic adventures unavailable to tourists on the beaten trap, er track. Hee.

I've been in Tokyo almost every year for the last half-decade, and the Japanese capital is no exception to my very handy rule. Granted, eating like a local may mean grabbing a bento from the nearest Maruetsu or slurping down piping hot soba/udon from one of those "espresso" (read: standing room only) noodle shops that sell tickets from vending machines, but hey, if it's good for the ใŒใกใ‚‡ใ†, it's good for the gaijin!

Some of the most spectacular (non-fast food/carry-out) meals I've had have been with locals/semi-locals: early morning chirashizushi at Tsukiji; overflowing sake, Kirin, yakitori, and all sorts of delectable delights at rowdy izakayas; and yummy teishokus in the most unlikely places that, for the life of me, I can never find my way back to (this is why having local friends is useful!). I don't have too many photos of my earlier eatscapades, but here are a few from the last trip (minus the Maruetsu bentos, which aren't half bad at all...):





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