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Roppongi

City views and Tonkatsu

Roppongi

Arriving in Shibuya

Jan 7, 2017

The next morning I set off, deciding to give Little Nap another try.

Success!

Little Nap Coffee Stand

代々木5-65-4 Shibuya
¥
Price
Coffee
Shop

One rather excellent filter later, it was time to head into Roppongi, via a local Metro line station

After ariving at Nogizaka station, I worked my way on foot towards Roppongi Hills.

Eventually I reached Roppongi Hills and headed for the Tokyo City view.

Tokyo City View

六本木6-10-1 (六本木ヒルズ 森タワー 52F) Minato
¥
Price
Coffee
Shop

From the 52nd floor there were some brilliant views of Tokyo, and with the clear conditions, even Mt. Fuji was clearly visible.

After going through some interesting exhibits, some of which were dedicated to astronomy, I exited.

On the way out, I doubled back to check out a bronze spider sculpture.

In search of lunch, I headed downtown.

After finding a Don Quijote, and that much of the downtown lunch options were seemingly unavailable on a weekday, I eventually ended up at a Tonkatsu place with rave reviews.

Imakatsu

六本木4-12-5 (フェニキア ルクソス 1F), Minato
¥¥
Price
Tonkatsu
Restaurant

The Pork and Chicken Tonkatsu were both sublime. The breaded batter coating was actually very fine, and put the focus on the meat itself.


That evening, I decided to revisit the Metropolitan Government buildings in Shinjuku at dusk for some more photos.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

西新宿2-8-1m Shinjuku
¥
Price
Observation
Deck

The view at sunset was stunning, and worth returning for.

As the sun finally set, it was time to go.

After a quick bite to eat at a restauarant inside the Lumine building, I wandered through Shinjuku looking for a highly rated cocktail bar...

Bar Benfiddich

西新宿1-13-7 Shinjuku
¥¥¥¥
Price
Cocktail
Bar

Inside the cozy Bar Benfiddich there’s no menu—Hiroyasu Kayama and his staff prepare drinks from scratch based on your tastes.

What could easily be written off as a gimmick was actually a very memorable experience.

After speaking to one of the assistants, Kayama prepared me a cocktail with a Japanese whiskey base, coffee, and a hint of orange.

10/10 would return to Japan for

It was impossible to stop at one, so after a delicious chocolate cocktail — with a sherry base and a very chocolate mousse like consistency — I headed back to Shibuya.

From the station, I took a detour to visit a shanty bar.

amulet-d

西新宿1-13-7 Shinjuku
¥¥¥¥
Price
Cocktail
Bar

Inside the cozy bar—which could seat about five people total—I met some locals, and were soon joined by other tourists.

Drinking Blue Moon beer (which made me think of a bar in Pittsburgh some 3½ years ago) and sharing stories with tourists from England and America in a tiny bar was definitely an experience I’ll remember.

Eventually, some drinks and many stories later, it was time to turn in.

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Ikebukuro
January 10th
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Ghibli Mueseum
January 12th
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