{"id":1708,"date":"2014-01-12T18:27:13","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T01:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=1708"},"modified":"2014-01-13T11:59:55","modified_gmt":"2014-01-13T18:59:55","slug":"japan-day-4-piss-alley-and-golden-gai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=1708","title":{"rendered":"Japan Day 4 \u2013 Piss Alley"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1711\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1711\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?fit=1365%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1365,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384537624&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.066666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2027\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1711\" alt=\"IMG_2027\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?w=1365&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2013\/12\/IMG_2027.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After leaving Odaiba island, the beautiful sunset, and the giant Gundam &#8211; it&#8217;s about dinnertime as I head back through rush-hour downtown Tokyo.\u00a0 For dinner, I&#8217;m heading to an amazing place I read about &#8211; Memory Lane (aka Piss Alley) and later, Golden Gai.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last few days, I spent some evening walks finding these two locations (not an easy task in itself) and scouting them.\u00a0 Now I wanted to actually enjoy them.\u00a0 But first, some background.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=35.693088,139.699503&amp;num=1&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=35.692929,139.699528&amp;spn=0.014674,0.021651&amp;t=m&amp;z=14&amp;output=embed\" height=\"350\" width=\"425\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<small><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-align: left;\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=35.693088,139.699503&amp;num=1&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=35.692929,139.699528&amp;spn=0.014674,0.021651&amp;t=m&amp;z=14&amp;source=embed\">View Larger Map<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n<p>First, we&#8217;ll start with &#8220;Memory Lane&#8221;\u00a0(Omoide Yokocho &#8211; \u601d\u3044\u51fa\u6a2a\u4e01) which is less reverently, but more popularly known as &#8220;Piss Alley&#8221; (Shonben Yokocho &#8211; \u5c0f\u4fbf\u6a2a\u4e01).\u00a0 Nestled just north of Shinjuku Station, it is a few narrow alleyways with ramshackle eateries squeezed right next to each other.\u00a0 It looks quite out of place next to the modern shiny modern glass\/metal sky-scrapers surrounding it.<\/p>\n<p>But before that, let&#8217;s have a little history lesson to understand it better.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/pisspic2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1717\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1717\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/pisspic2.jpg?fit=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"202,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pisspic2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/pisspic2.jpg?fit=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1717\" alt=\"pisspic2\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/pisspic2.jpg?resize=202%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n(Piss alley circa 1960 &#8211; it&#8217;s already shrunk dramatically)<\/p>\n<p>Located just north west of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, this collection of stalls has it&#8217;s roots in the gritty and terrible post-WWII days.\u00a0 In 1945, WWII bombing raids had left the area around the station as little more than piles of rubble.\u00a0 By 1946, the few remaining shops and food stalls started selling daily goods like food, clothes, and other necessities to war-battered residents trying to rebuild.\u00a0 A black market street called Lucky Street popped up in the area.\u00a0 By 1947, food shortages become more severe and the Japanese government started placing strict regulations on many goods &#8211; such as flour.\u00a0 Many of the shops then switched from all flour based foods like ramen, udon, and other noodles to cheap meats such Yakitori and Motsu (which you&#8217;ll still find there today).\u00a0 The area grew and soon earned its pungent name because there were no bathrooms or other public sanitation fascilities.\u00a0 By 1959, there were over 300 stalls &#8211; many illegally set up by squatters.\u00a0 A redevelopment plan was made for the area and many of the stalls were razed and replaced with the gigantic skyscrapers you see today.<\/p>\n<p>Today, only about 50 shops still remain in the area, but they are under pressure.\u00a0 Modern Japanese culture frowns on people eating while walking around &#8211; so much so that it&#8217;s quite common to see a group of people gathered around vending machines consuming their purchases instead of leaving.\u00a0 In some places, even eating in public (on the train\/walking down the street) is seen as ill-mannered.\u00a0 There is also a general sentiment that considers street foods to be for the poor\/lower class.\u00a0 On top of that, the area itself carries a lot of the stigma and reminders of those post-WW II shortages and struggles.\u00a0 For these reasons, many would like to see the area razed &#8211; but it still clings to life today.<\/p>\n<p>So over my first few days, I discovered that even finding they alley can be an adventure in it&#8217;s own right.\u00a0 The area isn&#8217;t usually found in most guide books &#8211; which is a shame really because I believe it&#8217;s places like this that help you really understand a place, it&#8217;s people, and it&#8217;s history.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/AlleyPanorama1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"AlleyPanorama1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/AlleyPanorama1.jpg?resize=300%2C131&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"131\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The location of the alleyway is not well documented and is surrounded on the outside by strip-mall like modern stores that one could easily walk right past.\u00a0 The low-budget mobile phone vendors and small electronic nick-nack shops certainly disguise the fact they are surrounding a whole different experience of shops on their inside.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1744\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1744\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384566654&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_9132s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1744\" alt=\"IMG_9132s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9132s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IMG_9133\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9133.jpg?resize=200%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The entrance to the alley is down a pedestrian side street and is so tiny that it is barely noticeable Even when looking for it.\u00a0 There is this little green archway sign with a yellow map of the restaurants below it.\u00a0 You then see the half-stall (4 foot wide) entrance to the alleyways.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1730\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1730\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384566720&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_9137s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1730\" alt=\"IMG_9137s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9137s.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a>Once you step down the alleyway though &#8211; you enter what looks like a totally different world.\u00a0 The network of tiny walkways is lined with tiny eateries serving ramen, yakitori, soba, kushiyaki, and countless other street-food style dishes.\u00a0 Each restaurant consists usually of just one counter with some stools, but there are a few larger ones that have a couple of tables.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1733\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1733\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483067&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8447s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1733\" alt=\"IMG_8447s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8447s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1734\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1734\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483823&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8501s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1734\" alt=\"IMG_8501s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8501s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nBy about 9pm, the stalls and alley were getting quite busy and one had to start squeezing around folks.\u00a0 Occasionally you&#8217;ll run into a group of Japanese businessmen\/group of ladies that had already hit the bars pretty hard and were ferrying an inebriated friend or two home.\u00a0 One such fellow in his 40&#8217;s\/50&#8217;s came by, threw his arm around me, and we became &#8216;best buds&#8217; for about half a block until his buddies pried him off and we exchanged knowing nods and laughs over their poor inebriated, but completely friendly, friend.\u00a0 More on the drinking culture later.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1732\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1732\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384322938&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;17&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_7845s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1732\" alt=\"IMG_7845s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7845s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nEach restaurant stall is often no bigger than 8-10 feet wide &#8211; but go about 20-30 feet deep.\u00a0 Most have open fronts and are packed right next to each other.\u00a0 Some had little sliding doors against the outside weather, some had plastic sheets, others had nothing and were open to the outside air.\u00a0 Most of the ones with with doors appeared to be more for locals that people would sit, drink, smoke and chat leisurely for long periods of time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1739\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1739\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483656&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8482s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1739\" alt=\"IMG_8482s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8482s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Most of the stalls were laid out similar to this one above.\u00a0 There is a long counter that runs down the center with the cook on one side and stools\/patrons on the other.\u00a0 The counter has a shelf\/display case of whatever is being cooked up for the night, and there is usually a small charcoal fired grill on the end cap near the opening that vents out into the alleyway.\u00a0 This made for some amazing smells as you walked down the alley and got great whiffs of fish, yakitori, eel, and all sorts of other meats being cooked up.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1740\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1740\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?fit=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483698&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;40&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8490s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?fit=640%2C961&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1740\" alt=\"IMG_8490s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?resize=200%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8490s.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some of the stalls had a great number of different dishes (like these guys above) with lots of different varieties of meats, vegetables, and soups.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1737\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1737\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483123&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8449s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1737\" alt=\"IMG_8449s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8449s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1738\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1738\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483151&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;43&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.02&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8452s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1738\" alt=\"IMG_8452s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8452s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Others had only one or two kinds of dishes. These guys, for example, only had some kind of chicken soup\/broth dish they served up with various sides.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1741\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1741\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?fit=1657%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1657,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384322743&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;17&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.076923076923077&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_7834s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?fit=640%2C395&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1741\" alt=\"IMG_7834s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?resize=300%2C185&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?resize=300%2C185&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?resize=1024%2C632&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?w=1657&amp;ssl=1 1657w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_7834s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This was some kind of ramen\/soba noodle place that never had an empty seat when I walked past it.\u00a0 Bummer &#8211; looked really good.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1742\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1742\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483753&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;25&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8495s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1742\" alt=\"IMG_8495s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8495s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This place had many vegetable skewers &#8211; but you can also see 3 shops in this particular shot &#8211; and how thin the walls are to each other and how tightly packed they are.\u00a0 I had the 17mm lens at it&#8217;s max FOV and still was having a hard time getting things into shots.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1743\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1743\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483897&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8505s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1743\" alt=\"IMG_8505s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8505s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another very typical scene from one of the small shops.\u00a0 Note that smoking is totally cool &#8211; so this isn&#8217;t really a set of places to eat out if you&#8217;re a non-smoking snob.\u00a0 Still, smoking was fairly limited with only one or so people smoking at a stand.\u00a0 Most of the time you wouldn&#8217;t see anyone smoking; but you should be prepared for someone to light up at some point.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1735\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1735\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483930&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8507s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1735\" alt=\"IMG_8507s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8507s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some of the eateries have upstairs rooms that you can&#8217;t really get access too unless you&#8217;re an insider or are very polite.\u00a0 You can see there is barely enough room to squeeze through to the stairways.\u00a0 This one had the stairs up front, some were hidden in the back.\u00a0 I had the option on the night I was there to eat upstairs at one place with such a second floor, but the food would have to be brought up to you.\u00a0 Since I was traveling alone, I opted to sit downstairs where the action was next to the grill so I could meet folks and see what was being made.\u00a0 It would have been a great way to keep with the Japanese custom of sitting and drinking with friends for hours though.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1745\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1745\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?fit=1365%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1365,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384549840&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2052s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1745\" alt=\"IMG_2052s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?w=1365&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2052s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the end, I decided to stop into this little shop that seemed to have a wide variety of food and start my eating and drinking adventures.\u00a0 It also had an open seat right up front near the open charcoal grill so I was constantly smelling great food and seeing everything being ordered by the 10 or so folks in the place.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1746\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1746\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?fit=1024%2C1365&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1365\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384545776&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2046s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?fit=640%2C853&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1746\" alt=\"IMG_2046s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2046s.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1747\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1747\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?fit=1365%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1365,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384546045&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2047s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1747\" alt=\"IMG_2047s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?w=1365&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2047s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I pulled up my stool next to the grill and started watching for the dishes I wanted to try.\u00a0 I started with this fried fish.\u00a0 I ordered a beer and had an absolutely scrumptious dish of fried fish and rice.\u00a0 I then branched into some yakisoba and other skewers that the matron had pre-made and were sitting on metal trays, ready to be cooked and then eaten.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1748\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1748\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?fit=1365%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1365,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384548160&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2050s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1748\" alt=\"IMG_2050s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?w=1365&amp;ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2050s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While eating, I started making friends with those sitting around me.\u00a0 After a few beers, I got to talking to these guys.\u00a0 They worked at a South Korean chemical company.\u00a0 The guy next to me was a chemical engineer that specialized in coagulates for waste-water treatment.\u00a0 The middle guy was his boss, and the guy on the end was a friend of the boss (if I remember right).\u00a0 We had a lot of great fun drinking, eating, and swapping stories.\u00a0 We ended up buying each other numerous rounds and all kinds of crazy foods &#8211; but there was no way I could keep up with the hard-drinking style of these guys. I told them I was a software engineer and we swapped cards.\u00a0 The guy next to me even gave me a Korean 100 Wan coin as a souvenir.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1751\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1751\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?fit=1024%2C1366&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1366\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384549873&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_2053s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?fit=640%2C854&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1751\" alt=\"IMG_2053s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?resize=224%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?resize=224%2C300&amp;ssl=1 224w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?resize=767%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 767w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_2053s1.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1750\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1750\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?fit=1535%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1535,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384489255&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;30&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8524s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?fit=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1750\" alt=\"IMG_8524s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?w=1535&amp;ssl=1 1535w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8524s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We also had a lot of great banter with the matron &#8211; a very funny and happy lady.\u00a0 We had lots of fun with her making me various dishes and I ate until I was stuffed.\u00a0 I even bought her a round as part of a round I bought with my new Korean friends.\u00a0 She politely had a shot of sake with us as part of our toast, but then insisted on drinking my beer with me most of the rest of the night (yep &#8211; she&#8217;d reach over and take a swig out of my beer and wink at me).\u00a0 There were some funny comments by my Korean friends about &#8216;indirect kissing&#8217; and many a good laugh was had despite the fact she spoke no English and I very little Japanese.\u00a0 In the end, I couldn&#8217;t eat another bite or drink much more and had to call it a night as we rolled into the midnight hour.\u00a0 I bid goodbye to my new friends and staggered home to catch the last midnight train back to my hotel.\u00a0 It was also pretty amazing price &#8211; I blew less than $40 for tons of food and drinks.<\/p>\n<p>But it wasn&#8217;t the only night I ate there.\u00a0 The next night I returned.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1756\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1756\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483267&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;6400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8459s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1756\" alt=\"IMG_8459s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8459s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1757\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1757\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384483596&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_8479s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1757\" alt=\"IMG_8479s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_8479s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I decided to try a very different booth this time &#8211; one that looked very much full of Japanese businessmen.\u00a0 I could tell this booth was a much more locals-only style of place, but with a bit of charm and a LOT of Japanese politeness, I managed to get a seat.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1758\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1758\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384567177&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_9175s\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?fit=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1758\" alt=\"IMG_9175s\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1759\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?attachment_id=1759\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?fit=962%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"962,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1384567177&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_9175s2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?fit=640%2C681&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1759\" alt=\"IMG_9175s2\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?resize=281%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"281\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?resize=281%2C300&amp;ssl=1 281w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mattfife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mattTheme\/headerimgs\/2014\/01\/IMG_9175s2.jpg?w=962&amp;ssl=1 962w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is the only picture I took while in there since you could tell they were not beholding to the tourist crowd (or cameras) at all.\u00a0 This place seemed to go by the style of only serving one dish style &#8211; and this night was fried eel yakitori.\u00a0 It was served up by this older guy that cooked them on his little charcoal grill just under this fantastic melty lamp.\u00a0 There was even a picture of it behind him enshrining the lamp.\u00a0 Can any of you help decipher\/translate it since I found nothing on the internet about this artifact?\u00a0 It was covered with black grease\/tar\/??? from what I can only assume was years and years of frying underneath it.\u00a0 It was also melted in a very odd way too.\u00a0 The lamp was trippy in a Salvador Dali sort of way and clearly something of a trademark\/mascot.<\/p>\n<p>As a counter spot opened up, I sit next to an extremely drunk older guy that attempted numerous times to have a conversation with me.\u00a0 Despite the fact I didn&#8217;t speak any Japanese, I don&#8217;t think it would have mattered much if I spoke the language or not.\u00a0 You could tell the servers had kind of stopped serving him and he was nearly falling over drunk and barely getting sentences out.\u00a0 I took the opportunity to earn a little face by being very kind to him and helping him remain upright in his chair and making some small-talk (very small talk since I only knew a few dozen words of Japanese).\u00a0 After a few minutes of this and being very polite, I seemed to have won over the servers who had started by gruffly telling me &#8216;no English&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>This place worked on the system that they would cook up a full grill full of skewers and then serve them out as people asked for them.\u00a0 Within a few minutes, another batch of the skewers were cooked up and I ordered up 4 of them.<\/p>\n<p>Each skewer was about 4-5 inches long, covered in some delicious sauce, and absolutely wonderful.\u00a0 Over the next 45 minutes, I think I down about a dozen or more of\u00a0 them along with a beer and a half.\u00a0 Looking around, I see that I&#8217;m on the low side since some guys have a pile of 20-30 empty sticks each. I end up after this feast having only spent about $10.\u00a0 Anyone that says Japan is terribly expensive must be going to the wrong spots.\u00a0 I got one of the best meals for a super-low price in the heart of Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s at this point that I realize that Japanese beers are actually pretty good.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve had Japanese beers like Kirin and Asahi (my new favorite after this trip) in the states, but the same brands here taste completely different.\u00a0 Much, much worse in fact.\u00a0 Not sure what happens in the translation\/shipping, but they&#8217;re way better in Japan than their same-named US counterparts.\u00a0 They tend to be very light beers without a lot of hoppy flavor &#8211; which makes me happy, and a complete outcast in hop-loving Portland.<\/p>\n<p>This second night I cut out a little early (and a lot less inebriated) &#8211; because I&#8217;m heading over to the heart of Shinjuku to spend some time at Golden Gai.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After leaving Odaiba island, the beautiful sunset, and the giant Gundam &#8211; it&#8217;s about dinnertime as I head back through rush-hour downtown Tokyo.\u00a0 For dinner, I&#8217;m heading to an amazing place I read about &#8211; Memory Lane (aka Piss Alley) and later, Golden Gai. Over the last few days, I spent some evening walks finding these two locations (not an easy task in itself) and scouting them.\u00a0 Now I wanted to actually enjoy them.\u00a0 But first, some background. View Larger&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=1708\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4WECr-ry","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1708"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1768,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708\/revisions\/1768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}