Day 6

During the daytime, I was going to be light. My blisters from Day 4 were excruciating. I don’t care – I am taking a hit for the cause. Mr Tamura was having a house meeting with some people (Which is one of your duties as a Buddhist monk.), and he took me along. I didn’t photograph the meeting. As the foodie I am, I DID take a pic of the spread of home made food, the ladies laid out.

This food WAS good. They complimented me on my hashi (chopsticks) skills as I proceeded to escort all the food on my tray into my stomach. This was the first home made meal I had in Japan in a long time, and the first one on this trip. It won’t be the last, as I have been invited for dinner with the Tamura family.

On the way back to the hotel, to get off this foot for a while, I noticed this:

These cigarettes are that “I dare you!” type that have to punch a hole in the lungs. Like a video game. These cigarettes are the “Challenge Round”. Of course I discovered that American cigarettes around here also have this “Challenge Round”

I guess “BLACK GOLD” means you earn a solid gold IRON LUNG, if you survive the pack. Ok, Sergio! TAKE THE CHALLENGE ROUND!

Upon getting back to the room, I ripped some of the CDs I purchased.

The first one, is Kaela Kimura’s “5 Years”. The second one, Ayumi Hamasaki’s “Rock ‘n Roll Circus”, you will remember in the shots and video of Shibuya Crossing. The Third one, Geisha Girls’ “The Geisha Girls Show”, I had purchased once, when I was in the Air Force. I found an unblemished used copy for a little over $2. I ripped it too. Produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto (“The Last Emperor”), this comedy-rap album was, at the time, “The damndest thing I had ever heard”, and, after giving it a once over, still retains this title. I laughed my ass off again.

Ok…Plans for tonight…

Yesterday, I bought an instant bowl ramen from 7-11. By the way, the link is for ordering a 5 pack This bowl was ¥268. I examined this bowl before making it.

So, this is a “Ramen Houses of Japan” kind of series. I also notice that this is a 7-11 exclusive product. I also notice that it mentions SHINJUKU! Well, that’s nice. The writing down the middle on the tan stripe says “Mochi Mochi Noki”. So, now, I eat this bowl and…WOW! I loved this! Best bowl ramen I had ever had! I had to have MORE of this, but NOT the instant ramen…TRIP TIME!!

Of course, the “WARHOL DEVICE” decided it wasn’t going to miss this, and tagged along…

Google Earth (I am SO glad I have that!) pinpointed this place north of Shinjuku Station, and west of the tracks.

I spotted the landmark, the Shinjuku Prince Building.

I proceed under the overpass to the left, so I am west of the train tracks.

I had to include the above two pics, because, for years, Sim City has included the building with the curved base, in their series. I thought you might want to see the building they copied.

I got to around where this place might be. I couldn’t find it… AH! I spotted a 7-11, and…I HAD THAT LABEL! I walked in, showed the part with the addresses (the bottom right pic, above), and asked them exactly where this is. they showed me on a very detailed map of the surrounding 2 blocks, the building this place is in. Well, going that way, around the area of that building, I accidentally ran into this:

No wonder I couldn’t find it, it’s in the BASEMENT. Well, I go downstairs and attempt to order a “Regular Shoyu Ramen” They got the idea, and about 5 minutes later, they bring out the sacred bowl…

This place is TINY. It wasn’t jam packed when I went. It is an intimate room. You definitely take a date here, though I would go here, by myself, just on the quality of the contents of this bowl, which was worth the pain of the left foot again. I tend to like Miso ramen (Like the other Shinjuku ramen house, on Day 3 Night.), but I think this ramen here, is the KING of Shoyu Ramen. It cost about ¥660, and NO CREDIT CARDS – CASH ONLY. Sorry people. However, a great deal of Japan still operates from CASH, I discovered.

I decided to take a few more pics of Shinjuku at night, before navigating the highly efficient rail system to get back to my room.

So, I want you to know, that if you ever encounter this particular instant bowl ramen, 7-11 did faithfully reproduce what they could, without the extra bells and whistles, the finest Shoyu Ramen in, at least, Tokyo, in their series.

Tomorrow, we will do MORE exploring…

Until then…

I return you to your regularly scheduled websurf…