Not so long ago I took you on a foodie’s tour of Japan’s three major Chinatowns—and after all that delicious food it is time for a new cross-cultural experience right here in Japan. We are heading for the home (away from home) of kimchi, K-pop and cheap cosmetics: Koreatown!
Whether you have some time to pass for your flight or are stranded due to a freak weather, New Chitose Airport will keep you entertained for plenty of hours. You might just even receive a friendly reminder that “You are delaying the flight. Please board at the gate, or we will proceed to offload your baggage”!
Chinese have always been the largest group of migrants in Japan. While few still choose to live in neighborhoods with Chinese majorities, these Chinatowns are well worth a visit to experience something different and, of course, excellent food.
Of the numerous cute Japanese souvenirs for cat enthusiasts, there would be nothing more memorable than a self-made maneki-neko, or lucky cat. Café Nekoemon in one of northern Tokyo’s traditional districts, Yanaka, offers the opportunity to make your very own maneki-neko accompanied by a cute paw-shaped biscuit and a drink of your choice.
For most foodies, a trip to Japan includes a long list of different kinds of dishes to try out. But after you have visited dozens of restaurants, depachika (department store food halls) and of course the Tsukiji market, you might want to know where the cooks get their equipment to prepare those tasty wonders.
Sweets are the souvenir, or omiyage in Japanese, of choice from Japan and especially from Kyoto.
Let me first be clear about what you should not imagine these flea markets to be. No they are not the garage or lawn sales you might know from back home, neither are they the classical markets which fill up your local market square each week.