Easter...no thanks

In Japan children fear a visit from the easter bunny

(can you blame them?)

Don't be fooled by the candy and balloons

Wasn't this a character in a Stanley Kubrick movie?

Congratulations...even I had nightmares because of this

Tabemono (aka Food)

The first prepared dinner in our new home

beef stirfry, salad, rice, & miso soup

Nihon Kai (Japanese Ocean), The local sushi house of the Miyakoda-clan. Cap you may remember this place

The same seats we have sat in over the last 5 years

Maguro & Ikura (tuna & salmon roe)

Fish Art - I think Kimball is into this

You pay by the plate. Each color is a differenet price ranging from $1-$8. These plates represent the sushi course served after the first courses of fried squid, kimchee pork, & nikudofu (pork/tofu stew)

Aya hoging all the space in the kitchen

stir fried squid (Ika) with vegetables

Toriki - I saw this retaurant over a year ago on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Turns out it is 6 stops on the Ikegami line from our house, or about 1/2 way between my office and home. Famous for their fresh tori (chicken) prepared vaious ways.

Toriwasa - seared chicken ( you can see how "raw" it is) served in a wasabi-citrus-soy sauce...DELICIOUS!!! Probably my favorite of the meal.

Some goofball gaijin who ruined everyones meal

5 5 courses of chicken...something only a Thompson could love...until now.

Yakitori (skewered chicken with green onion in this photo). 'Yakitori' collectively includes all parts of the chicken from skin, and common meat, to liver & heart. The innards are some of the most flavorful pieces.

Aihara-San, the master chef. An amazing character, and 50% of what makes the restaurant what it is. We sat right in front of him while he manned the grill. Every piece of chicken is freshly prepared from a whole chicken prior to being cooked! He told me that Prestige Farms actually serves pigeon, whatever that means.

Yakitori, a breast, a thigh, and livers on the grill

A picture from the front door. You can see everything in the restaurant but the 2 tables on the wall to the right in this photo. An 'intimate atmosphere' to say the least. Anyone who makes the journey to visit will get to experience this place. We still have to try chicken sashimi, & liver sashimi.

BOSS

Someone told me beards are not socially acceptable

Garage A Trois

Sunday, January 31st, our first night in our own place. How better to celebrate than....

Special thanks to the Rocco's for knowing what

we would need in Tokyo before we even got here

A little different with Marco Benevento than with

Charlie Hunter...both sick musicians

Crazy action shot...hard to keep up with the lights

"Special Others" one of the opening bands.
Will be sending their CD out as soon as I am able to locate it

Keys were on point

Waiting in line on a sunday. Shibuya apparently has a good live music scene. Cool thing is that I can stand in the back and still see the stage no problem.

Shibuya, one of the busiest intersections in the world (according to me). You may remember it from "Lost in Translation." Sorry for the blur, just held the camera over my head and snapped a shot.

This picture does not portray the enormity of the intersection, but when the signals allow it people move in 10 different directions from 5 different intersections. Pretty cool place to just sit and people watch.

A little sample of the show. Marco is a bad, bad man!

One more with Skerik blowing his horn. Nothing like that dark dirty GAT sound.