Performative matcha beer
Also gashapons!
Top of mind
I had a dream that there was a city wide DIY boat race Red Bull style in NYC and I floated along the Hudson river with some friends on some foam boards we stole. Which is weird because the fortune I received from the temple specifically mentioned to find good spirits in the EAST River. I’m starting to think the fortunes I’ve been getting from temples have nothing to with my actual life.
10/10
It was tchotchke appreciation day in our trip itinerary, and in an attempt to tie up any loose ends of our long trip we went to the world’s biggest gashapon store with a Guinness world record of 3000 machines. Highlights include: camera, sexy bird laying, Full Metal Alchemist chibi, sleeping bag.
What I ate
We took a train to Shinjuku aka the world’s most confusing train station (Guinness not yet verified) and got lost for like 15 minutes before arriving at a sushi spot on the 5th floor of a mall*. It was a conveyor belt spot but like if Tony Stark designed it. We had a TV sized touch screen above our booth which we used to make our orders and play games. The conveyor belt was on a track that would switch rails based on who ordered what, and I’m starting to realize this is maybe actually very normal for sushi conveyor belt spots? I’ve never been until now. Anyway I was really impressed. Food was pretty good and filled me up and was oh so fun!
Ryan found a Tennessee bar close to the hotel so we stopped by and there must’ve been a Tennessee convention this weekend because it was filled with americans decked out in orange hammering down bowls of chili. We stopped in for a photo op and gave the bartender some gifts from Knoxville and dipped.
We linked up with my cousin and his partner for some izakaya small plates** - and side note here, my stomach was so effed up from the food + drinks the night prior, on top of my existing bodily function conditions - so after some supplements and Japanese gatorade I was ready to eat!
I’m not typically a beer person though I do appreciate beer culture, and my cousin is huge on Japanese craft beers, so we had a few small pints at this bumping draft spot*** where I consumed a wasabi cider and a matcha braggot. The vibes were stella (haha) and I was very tipsy (drunk).
7-Eleven haul: the damn fried chicken (it’s gotta be good eventually right), our favorite ice cream, and more fiber supplements.
What’s next
It’s Ryan’s last day and his flight got messed up but not majorly so we’re figuring that out first thing. There’s supposedly a killer ramen spot underneath our hotel so that might be the move, plus new hotel alert and some instagrammable immersive thingy.
Appendix
*Sushiro Shinjuku Nishiguchi
** Tora
*** Stand Umineko SiB100