Places That Changed Us: Tokyo and Kyoto

A direct flight from Denver to Tokyo on United Airlines was the inspiration for the trip. Now, Japan is one of the countries I dream about most and my interest is always peaked at any mention of a chance to return. As much as I love fresh Italian pastas, rich French sauces, and streetside tacos in Mexico, Japan immediately shot to the top of my list of favorite food cultures even after a decade of writing about food and drinks.

Left, wagyu at Yakiniku Toraji in Tokyo. Right, matcha at the park. Photos: Nickolaus Hines

The classic martini at Star Bar in Tokyo. Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Left, measuring up at the wholesale fish market in Tokyo. Right, eating soba in Kyoto. Photos: Nickolaus Hines

Parks, temples, and incredible gardening displays were all intriguing in their own right, but truthfully we treated them as ways for us to rebuild our appetites over eight days in Tokyo and Kyoto. We ate more wagyu than I thought possible at Tokyo’s Yakiniku Toraji, and devoured soba at Soba-no-Mi Yoshimura in Kyoto after passing the chef hand slicing the noodles downstairs. Skewers of chicken gizzards, impossibly fluffy doughnuts, and sugar-glazed strawberries joined our list of snacks and mini meals alongside just about every to-go food I could find at 7-Eleven. Counter-service ramen at Ramen Nagi on a cold morning at 9 AM cannot be compared. The same goes for Japanese whisky, shochu, and stand-out martinis from cocktail bars at night, vending machine hot coffee and cold beers during the day.

And that’s not even getting into all of the seafood. It took me seeing it to believe how easy it is to stumble into any smell-free seafood market or restaurant and be served higher-quality fish than all but the costliest sushi places in the US. Oysters, clams, crab, and too many types of nigiri to count at Kyoto’s Nishiki Market. The most succulent fatty salmon from casual izakayas and Tsukiji Market alike. On a sake and izakaya tour with the crew from Sake Bar Doron in Tokyo that we booked through Airbnb Experiences, our host told us there is no such thing as a bad restaurant in Japan because of how much pride the chefs have in their work. (I believe him wholeheartedly with one exception: Japanese “Mexican” food from a street cart that used sushi rice and avoided any hint of spice with a “salsa” that tasted more like pasta sauce.) And in a major surprise to me, it was all extremely affordable. We stuffed ourselves on one memorable meal after another for a fraction of the cost to eat at even a casual diner stateside.

Left, the writer and his baby on the balcony of their Tokyo Airbnb. Right, exploring the temples in the fall in Kyoto. Photos: Nickolaus Hines

Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world. Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Even the most food-focused trip isn’t about the food alone, however. Japanese culture left just as big of an impression. From children to the elderly, I lost count of how many times passerby exclaimed “totemo kawaī!” (“so cute”) and worked through the language barrier to ask if they can interact with my daughter who was usually attached to my chest in her Baby Bjorn. Even on the notoriously silent trains, any peep from Margot was greeted by a host of people who wanted to make her smile. Traditional architecture and modern art blend into daily life in Japan, and everything seemed perfectly designed and neatly arranged to fit just right no matter how small a space. I can’t say I’ve brought the same level of order and cleanliness into my own life, but I’ve certainly been inspired enough to try.

Japan wasn’t high on our list of places we wanted to go until we spotted the non-stop flight. Now my perception of great food cities is forever altered, as is my understanding of how organized, clean, navigable, and friendly a massive metropolis can be.