Cycling Tokyo
Is sooo much fun…
Zipping downhill was the best.
As you can see by the photos today is overcast – and much cooler than the last few days. We welcome the change despite the rain.
2023 – Japan
Time for brunch
Getting a little slower… lots of activity is leaving me a little tired. Nothing, though, a good breakfast and kohi can’t fix.
We are here at Sol’s Coffee Roastery in Kuramae (https://sols-coffee.com)today….
Not a bad deal two delicious set breakfasts caffe latte for $25!
Seeing is believing…
Some time ago I recall hearing about toilet walls which were see through until someone went in and locked the door. Today we happened across them.
We were walking to our dinner in Tomigaya and they certainly stood out as we passed by.
After the dinner following directions back towards a different train station we saw them closer.
Going around to the front we could then read the signs…
… sadly they don’t seem to work when it’s cold, and they’ve chosen to lock them at sunset. Given how cold it gets in Japan I can only guess the cold was not a factor in the initial design, but in reality it would seem they haven’t quite worked out.
If you are in the area- suggest you don’t come here on public holidays or after 5pm in autumn, winter or spring.
Here is a link to an article about them
Glitch
According to my records we first came here in 2017. Here is the first photo we took back then.
We have grown in our coffee snobbery and moved with Glitch as they explore more interesting styles of coffee – black pour over now preferred and a staple of our home.
Today no milk – but two innovative Colombian beans roasted to perfection. Sitting outside enjoying perfect autumnal weather.
Yesterday we checked out Ginza Glitch for a serene coffee and music experience.
Thank you Glitch for your contribution to our coffee journey!
Getting a different view…
As a tourist there are so many sites to see.. places you’ve always read about and seen on television. From shrines, gardens, temples, shops and sky views. But have you ever thought of getting a view from the river?
You may not realise but there are rivers throughout Tokyo… which have meandered their way through the different areas, which were once used by businesses and people to move around the city.
As a tourist there is a company called Tokyo Great Kayaking Tours… which does as the name suggests.
We’ve always thought about doing this tour… and said back in 2019… ‘next time we will do that to see Tokyo from a different perspective’… so here we are 4 years later.
Kym had booked online for the 3 hour tour before we came… and the weather gods treated us well as it was a perfect day for it.
As you can see by the photos the weather was perfect. Although while it looks calm in these photos… going across the Sumida River (no photos here… as we had to paddle and control where we were going) it certainly was choppy when a boat went past!
We were told yesterday was very windy and had resulted in lots of debris.. so they recommended to take the route through the residential area. As we had been around the area on our bikes previously we were more than happy to go with the recommended route. As part of the route It also involved going in the lock… (okay we were the only people there) and experiencing the water level change being so close to it. While there we could see a number of jellyfish floating in the water – did not expect to see them in the water!
Half way along the journey we stopped for tea and a snack. It was so relaxing just floating on the water… and watching the birds. Ah….
For those lucky few who have kayaked with us previously- you know we can kayak, just not in a straight line….we only rammed into the wall twice and according to Kym nearly capsized once (.. no harder on the left.. tell me when your paddling!) But we survived!
If you follow either of us on Strava you will notice we did 10km…! Which is impressive for us… although we think winking paddling increased the distance.
As for our Seeing Tokyo skyline from the river view was certainly a fabulous experience, and one we highly recommend.
Food is NOT expensive
I keep telling people Japan has inexpensive food… this was $5.70 – for lunch!
…it was so good and satisfying after a morning Kayaking.
Seen while cycling
While cycling alongside the Tama river there were a couple of times where we came across groups of men with many cameras.
Here was the first
… we guessed based on their position they were waiting for the cloud to clear and take photos of Mt Fugi. It was behind those clouds.
Here is an earlier picture:
… later along the path there was another group positioned towards a bridge….
… we only had around 10 minutes so we did t stick around after the freight train came through to know if they left – but we suspect they stayed… hope it was good what they were waiting for!
Sushi Harumi
I’ll start with an apology – no food photos from us for this post. Sushi is something that should be enjoyed directly when placed in front of you by the skilled chef. Where the skilled knife strokes can form tough squid can be rendered milky by a thousand tiny cuts or herring can be transformed into a delicate balanced melody in your mouth.
I know ‘Australian’ style sushi is taking New York but storm, but I have to say I am of Tokyo style!
There is one photo to share and that is of the building directory…
Those who can read Japanese characters will quickly pick it… But otherwise you’ll be playing match the image with your phone. This was a multi-storey (10 or so building) and that is just a list of the tenants on the 4th floor. You certainly get a peak behind the curtain of Tokyo when you walk past the “Member’s Only” club towards the space that is transformed into a peaceful oasis with 10 seats!
If you’re going to Tokyo or want to peak inside – check out their website – http://www.sushiharumi.jphttps://pocket-concierge.jp/en/. They use Pocket Concierge to book for English speaking guests – which really makes experiencing great food in Japan a lot easier.
Morning ride
So the holiday continues with another early morning loop ride – which includes a stop for breakfast.
Today Kym’s planning took us in a different direction. Once we got through the Tokyo Dome early morning rush near Suidobashi… we headed through the back streets.
We cycled through a university…
.. and then there were some small hills involved and steps. But thankfully where there are steps you can usually find a place to wheel your bike down them safely.
Afterwards we walked our bikes through the Nedujinja Shrine (hopefully that’s the right one)… and back again through the back streets to Cibi the sister coffee shop to the Melbourne Cibi… and as you can imagine the food was just perfect for the mornings effort.
… and here’s the food. You too can enjoy their food by visiting Cibi in Melbourne.. and they also have a book with recipes too!
Afterwards we continued through the back streets (great way to avoid traffic) through a cemetery… Ueno park and back along the train lines to the hotel. Great ride – thanks for the planning Kym
Alternate mobility
As you may know, we are keen to try different forms of mobility. We certainly prefer non-car based mobility like our folding bikes and an occasional Shinkansen. So it was with great pleasure we tried a new form of mobility arranged by our Tokyo friends. The super kawaii Rodem – it is guaranteed to get you noticed on Tokyo streets. We certainly were – but they may have been helped by the soon to be TikTok superstar in the Rodem behind us!
From the website (https://machimobi-y.com/en/) the Rodem is “a futuristic mobility that allows you to enjoy a mobility experience like never before.”
