Kappabashi Street and 食品サンプル

On February 25, 2025 0 Comments - Japan 2025, Travel

For as long as I can remember, my daughter has been obsessed with fake food. When we went to Ikea, she was far more interested in the rubber grapes and plastic apples in the displays than any stuffed animal or toy. So we were pretty happy to discover Kappabashi street not far from our house in Tokyo.

Kappabashi Street is home to restaurant supply stores selling everything from pots and pans to tableware and chef uniforms. But not only that. They also supply shokuhin sampuru, the plastic and rubber food that is used in restaurant window displays across the country. Everything you see below is fake. If it wasn’t wrapped in plastic, it would be hard to tell that it wasn’t real.

Kappabashi Street mascot Kappa
The Kappa, mascot of Kappabashi.
Fake food natto
Natto complete with slime!
fake food pancakes with bacon
The bacon and eggs are real works of art.
fake food whole mackerel
These fish were beautiful and they also made me hungry.
fake food different fish
Salmon and Mackerel.
fake food ramen Kappabashi
Ramen with chopsticks.
fake plastic beer and wine Kappabashi
Fake beer and wine. There were even drops of water condensate on the glasses.
fake food sushi sashimi Kappabashi
All types of sushi.
ceramic plate seller Kappabashi
One of many ceramic dish suppliers. There is a huge assortment of ceramic wares in Kappabashi, from restaurant grade plate wares to sake sets to art pieces. Prices ranged from cheap to very expensive. One of my favourite shops was Dengama. I bought this tiny porcelain soy sauce dispenser there:
porcelain soy sauce dispenser Dengama Kappabashi
plum blossoms Tokyo
As a bonus, these were the first plum blossoms that I have seen open. They smell so good. Spring is in the air.

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Meiji Jingu Shrine

On February 24, 2025 0 Comments - Japan 2025, Travel

Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, right beside Yoyogi Park not far from Harajuku. Huge trees lean over wide walkways dappled with sunlight and shade. It is winter now so most of the gardens and ponds are still sleeping but I imagine it must be beautiful in the summer when everything is in bloom. It is a good place to have a relaxing walk away from the buzz of Tokyo.

Torii gate Meiji Jingu shrine
Massive Torii gate at the entrance to the forest. By passing through this gate, you transition from the concrete city to the quiet forests surrounding the sacred shrine.
a sun dappled walkway under trees Tokyo
The forest is made up up 100000 trees donated from all over the country when the shrine was being built. Construction began in 1915 and was completed in 1921.
Meiji jingu shrine main building
This original building was destroyed by air raids during World War 2 and was rebuilt by 1958.
traditional Japanese Shinto wedding with red umbrella
Traditional Shinto Japanese Wedding. The red umbrella wards off evil and symbolizes good fortune. It also works to keep the bride dry should it rain on her wedding day. I understand that these weddings are common at Meiji Jingu but I was still happy I got to witness one in person.
Wood detail from a gate
Visitors writing Ema at Meiji Jingu shrine
Visitors writing out Ema. Ema are small rectangular wooden plaques that visitors purchase and then inscribe with their wishes, prayers or messages of gratitude. They are then hung up on this rack at the shrine where they are believed to connect the spiritual and earthly realms.
Sake barrels on display at Meiji Jingu shrine
Sake Barrels donated to the shrine by local brewers. Sake is a popular offering in Shintoism.
Torii gate Meiji Jingu shrine

Here is a link to the official Meiji Jingu shrine website for more information.

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Ochanomizu Station and Cafe Lumiere

On February 24, 2025 2 Comments - Japan 2025, Travel

I was mesmerized by the closing sequence of Hou Hsiao Hsien’s “Cafe Lumiere” the first time I saw it. I have never forgotten this hypnotic urban landscape in motion. Yesterday, as we were walking over a bridge near Ochanomizu Station, I suddenly realized that I was seeing this same scene again. These are the kinds of discoveries that make travel exciting and they are the reason I try to walk everywhere. When you travel underground it is faster at the cost of missing all the “in between” things. Some of my best travel experiences have happened somewhere in the space between my departure point and destination. Today’s discovery is a perfect example of one of those serendipitous moments and it is one of my favourite things I have seen in Tokyo so far.

Here is the closing sequence from the movie. It is shot in slow motion from a slightly different perspective than my pictures.

I waited for over an hour to get two or even three trains in the frame at the same time. These are the best shots I got. Sometimes there are even boats travelling up the Kanda River underneath it all. But…trying to get everything in the picture at the same time is like standing around waiting for a solar eclipse to happen by chance. Hou Hsiao Hsien probably sent an assistant up to the bridge and made him stand there all day filming.

Ochanomizu passengers waiting for their train. View from Hijiribashi bridge
Passengers waiting for the train

Sounds of Ochanomizu Station. In the beginning and on other quiet parts you can hear birds chirping. These are electronic bird sounds which come from speakers near staircases. I think it is to warn blind people that there are stairs ahead.
Ochanomizu Station trains moving through
Yellow and orange trains…
Ochanomizu 2 red trains
Two red trains…
Red and yellow train…
Three trains! Red, orange and yellow. If you are very lucky or patient, you could get up to five trains plus a boat. Add a seagull or two for the gold medal shot!

Seeing this made me so happy.

A few days later, I went back to the bridge to try my luck again. After a couple of hours, I got this shot which I plan to print and display on my wall at home:

Ochanomizu station in spring from Hijiribashi bridge. 3 trains at dusk

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