Takoyaki memories

This day, two years ago, I was once again over-indulging in Tokyo. My photos app reminded me today, in the nicest of ways.

We spent our afternoon down in Odaiba, shopping, wandering and then over-eating. After basically inhaling a massive bowl of pork Katsu curry, I then tucked into (and demolished) a serving of six takoyaki. All washed down with a delicious large Asahi beer. 

Any normal adult might have add either the curry or the takoyaki, but as is quite obvious from this blog, I am not that person. I confess to waddling out of the restaurant shortly after, but the smile on my face made up for the distended belly and the snooze on the metro journey home.

Again, that would have been the perfect opportunity to relax and reflect on my over-indulgence. But by the time we got back to our hotel, it was time to head to the executive lounge for our nightly episode of free food and drink. Cue champagne, Japanese nibbles and far too much blue cheese.

I managed to do all that and then head out to our favourite bar in Shinjuku Ni-Chome for several more nama birru. And then several more as we hopped from bar to bar in the neighbourhood. This being Tokyo, the hopping continued around Ni-Chome’s best gay bars until well past 3am. Or later. The details are understandably lazy, your honour.

The morning after?

We managed to get up, have a delicious hotel breakfast and still make it out in time to meet a Japanese friend for a delicious lunch of pork ramen, followed by a wander through a random sex shop. But that’s a story for another time.

I think (bear with me here) that what helped me navigate all of this and still come home to London the same size is that we walked so much every day. I was walking, on average, 15,000 steps per day.

The contrast with January 2021 couldn’t be more extreme. No bars, no shopping, no travel, no exciting meals and definitely no beer. Still, there are more trip to Tokyo to look forward and plenty more takoyaki.