KAPPABASHI

This is the famous 'Kitchen Street' in Tokyo which is off the Tarawamachi Station (G18) on the Ginza Line, the penultimate stop before Asakusa, the terminus.

Being here for 2-weeks and with one more to go I now realize that not unlike her Asian neighbors, Japan is inhabited by one hell of a foodie population. So much is driven by eating and drinking one is totally immersed. A lion share of business and personal entertainment also revolves around food. I am glued to food programs on TV every evening just like when I am at home. My Japanese is non-existent.  Naively I thought I know how to order Sushi until I sat in front of a Sushi Chef here, who had no clue what I said so he asked me to pick from the pictures instead ... speaking of losing face. Cooking is a universal dialect, I sort of 'know' what is being said as I watch chefs and amateurs cook.

With that as a backdrop the birth of Kappabashi is only a natural happening. Whether you cook or not, I guarantee it is a fascinating 2-hour walk, up and down the 4-5 blocks of endless parade of anything to do with cooking and the kitchen, I mean anything and everything, almost literally. This is like 1000 times bigger than William Sonoma! Japanese ingenuity is shown time and again in gadgets you would not dream of, and God, do they love gadgets.

Go on a week day when everyone is open, some close on weekends and the mood is not the same.