Showing posts with label Jiro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jiro. Show all posts

Nov 11, 2011

Ramen Jiro Musa-ko

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


After the seminar at the university, about 10 p.m. I rendezvoused with Rick who had worked until 9:30 p.m. at JR Kokubunji station (JR国分寺駅) in order to visit Ramen Jiro Shin-koganei-kaido (ラーメン二郎 新小金井街道店), which we call "Jiro Musa-ko."
We had never seen each other since we saw last in Asakusa (浅草) Sep. 18 this year.
After moving to JR Musashi-koganei station, the nearest station by Jiro Musa-ko, we took a bus from there.

That I visited this shop last was Mar. 10 Thursday this year, the day just before Tohoku earthquakes and Tsunami waves (東日本大震災) occurred, also then with Rick.


Outside of Jiro Musa-ko

On Ramen Datebase* the popularity of Jiro Musa-ko has been rising higher recently; as of Nov. 16 it has No. 7 ranking, which is the highest among all of Jiro branches!
Although it was about 10:20 p.m. that we arrived at Jiro, there was a relatively long waiting line of about 10 customers.
It was about 10:50 p.m. that we got seats at a counter.

Inside the shop, songs of the Japanese Nu Metal (Hardcore Punk? Alternative Rock?) band, Maximum The Hormone** (マキシマムザホルモン) were being played so loudly though the poster inside said that in Jiro's parking lots customers had to be quiet because they were surrounded with houses.


Normal-sized ramen

I chose normal-sized ramen (小ラーメン) (700 yen) as well as Rick but I asked staffs to add more vegetables (ヤサイマシ), whereas he asked them to add less (ヤサイ少なめ).
("More vegetables" are more than, and "less" are less than "default vegetables" [ヤサイ普通]. That is, more > default > less.)

When I saw my ramen which was served, I thought that he, asking less vegetables, was wiser. Too many vegetables!
And today Musa-ko's ramen tasted certainly good but not great, and I was not able to think of it as RDB No. 7 ranker.
Its soup seemed a little thinner, and slices of roast pork were more tough than usual.

About 11:20 p.m. we left the shop.
We wanted to take a bus but the bus service had been already in late-night fare time (深夜料金帯) and less buses were in service therefore we went to Musashi-koganei station by walk. It took about 20 minutes.
My last train was going to start in a minute when we got to the station.

I made up my mind not to visit Musa-ko Jiro, on Friday after the seminar, with Rick after his work.
Finally about 1:40 a.m. I arrived at my house also because of some trains' delay.

In the next morning I suffered explosions in the toilet three times. (Sorry if you are eating meals!)
This was the opening of my diarrheal tragedy...


Left-handed ramen critic

Oct 26, 2011

Ramen Jiro Senju-oohashi

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


About 7:10 p.m. I rendezvoused with my brother at Keisei Senju-oohashi station (京成本線 千住大橋駅) in order to visit Ramen Jiro Senju-oohashi (ラーメン二郎 千住大橋店).
Almost just 7 p.m. I arrived there but he got there 10 minutes after I.


Outside of Ramen Jiro Senju-oohashi (and my brother's headtop)

Today we visited it again for the first time since Oct. 5 though we had frequented it about once a week before; during that time I visited Ramen Tonki Kameari (らーめん豚喜 亀有店) 3 times.
Very fortunately, we got seats without waiting, as was very rare there.
I chose large-sized (大ラーメン) (750 yen) and he normal-sized ramen (小ラーメン) (650 yen) as usual.


Large-sized ramen

As for their ramen today, it did not taste better and its soup was thinner than usual.
I guess that it was so because on last Sunday, 3 days ago, the master went to Ramen Jiro Sendai, Miyagi pref. (ラーメン二郎 仙台店) in order to celebrate its opening of a business and next day this shop took extra holiday therefore its soup might have not been cooked and stewed enough. (The master's trip to Sendai and the extra holiday next day are the facts.)
And at least today, it was not better than Tonki.


My brother

After we finished eating ramen, about 7:40 p.m. we started going to Kita-senju station (北千住駅) by walk along National Route 4 (国道4号線), which was about 1.5 km long.

And after that I was studying and learning at Mos Burger (モスバーガー) near my house until about 0 a.m.
During that time about 11 p.m. I called Rick in order to ask him about a grammatical question (example of "doch") on the German texts I was reading then.
He was able to answer my question easily; I call him with respect "German otaku"!

Oct 5, 2011

Sendai Jiro's open revealed

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


Finally it was revealed that new Ramen Jiro is going to start a business in Sendai city, Miyagi pref. Oct. 23!
(ラーメン二郎仙台店が10月23日にオープン!)
Today at Jiro Senju-oohashi (千住大橋店) I saw a poster below which announced its opening.
(In the evening I ate ramen with my brother there.)
And according to mail magazine* by Hachiouji Yaen-kaidou 2's (八王子野猿街道店2) master, that new Jiro's master had trained himself at Yaen-kaidou 2 and Shin-koganei-kaidou (Musako) (新小金井街道店).




Large-sized ramen (大らーめん) I ate

This is the first Jiro invasion of Miyagi, of course Tohoku area!
This powerful ramen must heal and cheer up Sendai people who are deeply hurt because of the earthquake and Tsunami Mar. 11, and I hope so at heart.
And I wish next Jiro would come to Koriyama city!

=====

英語でわざわざ書くまでもない余談。

仙台二郎は東北大や、宮城県下トップ進学校である仙台第二高校から結構近いのだが、
仙台二高→東北大だと最大9年二郎コースになりそうですし、仙台二高→早慶(中央・明治) でも地方出身者なのに二郎食べまくりコースになりそうです。新たなる二郎エリートコースができそうです。
(引用元はコチラ)
という言を見るにつけ、郡山市内唯一の二郎インスパイアである大須賀は安積高校にもほど近い(1キロくらい)ので、わたしの安高在籍時にすでに大須賀があって(同店は07年10月オープン)、高校時代にインスパイアとはいえ二郎系を食べていたとしたら、わたしもその「二郎エリートコース」みたいなものを地方にいながらにして歩んだことになったのかしらん。

とここまで書いてふと思い出したのだが、郡山市には今は無きじゅらくというラーメン店があり、ここが長きにわたって二郎系とはまた違ったパワフルなラーメンを提供していた。わたし自身は高校までにここのラーメンを食したことはなかったのだが(初めてにして唯一食べたのは、10年11月だった)、高校の友人や先輩たちは結構ここのラーメンを食べていたのを記憶している。郡山人の中には、じゅらくから二郎という「エリートコース」を歩んだ人もいたのではなかろうか。

ただわたしが、人に「ラーメン大魔王」と呼ばれるようになるほどラーメンを食べるようになったのは大学院に入ってからで、ラーメンの食べ歩きを何となくするようになったのも、大体学部の3年生くらいのときからである。高校時代でもすでにラーメンは好きだったが、郡山市内に大したラーメン店があったわけでもなかったので(郡山大勝軒は05年オープンだったと思う。単にわたしが市内の良店を知らなかっただけかもしれないけれど)、高校時代はせいぜい幸楽苑で満足していたはすである(幸楽苑は今でも好きだし、東京では食べる気にはならないが、郡山でなら家族とよく行く)。

Sep 7, 2011

New Jiro shops comimg soon

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


On the internet and Twitter there are information and rumors that new two Ramen Jiro (ラーメン二郎) would open a business; one in Shinbashi, Tokyo (33-4, Nishi-shinbashi 2, Minato, Tokyo [港区西新橋2-33-4] according to this pic*) since Sep. 14 and another in Sendai city, Miyagi pref (8, Tachi-machi 2, Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi [仙台市青葉区立町2-8] according to this comment* (mirror*) on 2 Channel.)

It must be true that new Jiro was going to open a business in Shinbashi because the poster has been already printed and put up on (probably) Jiro Ikebukuro (二郎 池袋店).
But for the present I cannot assert that Jiro Sendai comes true.

More and trivial information about new Jiros in detail I give you in Japanese below.
(開店が噂されているラーメン二郎新橋店と同仙台店の詳しい情報や噂については、以下に日本語で書きます。)

=====

9月14日にオープンが予定されている二郎の新橋店は、どうやら池袋店で修行していた助手が開業するようで、池袋店の系列、つまり(有)エヌエス・プランニングの傘下に入ることが予想される。同社は池袋店と歌舞伎町店を経営している(状況から考えて、両店とも三田本店からラーメン二郎の直系店と認められているようだ)。
わたし自身は、池袋や歌舞伎町の二郎の味は正直ビミョウだと思っているので、この新橋店にもあまり期待はしていない(でも一度くらいは行ってしまうだろうなあ)。
尚、この新店舗の近くには同じ二郎系でも、「フーズ系」と呼ばれる系統に属する「ラーメン 新橋店」(旧・ラーメン二郎新橋店、経営は(有)ジローフードシステム)もあるが、これと新店である新橋店とは、全くの別物なので、注意されたい。

仙台店については、オフィシャルの情報はなんら入ってきていない。2ちゃんねるのスレッドにもリンクが貼られていた、こちらの「アルバイト募集」の画像*が果たして本当に仙台店にかんするものであるかどうかは、それを判断に足る証拠は今のところない。
なおその「アルバイト募集」にも連絡先として書かれている「原田」なる人物は、2ちゃんねるのスレッド*(ミラー*)によれば、野猿街道店2、新小金井街道店、桜台店、三田本店で修行をした人物らしい。
だとすれば、まあ、仙台店は新橋店よりは味に期待が持てるかしらん。

しかし、二郎が本当に仙台に進出するとなれば、これはある意味ラーメン業界での革命的事件である。
ついこの間まで1都3県に留まっていた二郎直系店が、茨城・守谷店、栃木・栃木街道店を経て、いよいよ東北進出である。
仙台と言えば比較的学生が多く、半田屋*という料理やご飯の盛りがいい食堂チェーン店の発祥地でもあるので、二郎の盛りのよさはむしろ杜の民に歓迎されるところとなるかもしれない。
そして二郎がいよいよ東北に進出してきたということは、次は東北随一のラーメンどころである福島県、その中でも喜多方や白河のような決まったブランドを持たない郡山市あたりに進出してほしいものである。

May 13, 2011

Friday conquering Jiro

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


About 8:15 p.m. I visited Ramen Jiro Tachikawa (ラーメン二郎 立川店) with my brother.
Sure enough, there were 30-40 persons of a long waiting line in front of the shop then as usual.
About an hour already passed when we got seats at last.

I chose large-sized ramen (大らーめん) (750 yen) while he chose normal-sized one (小らーめん) (650 yen.)
Sure enough, very delicious as well as Senju-oohashi!
He agreed with my opinion, too.



But he will not visit this shop again for the present because it was too far from his office or our apartment and he did not want to wait in line for such a long time.
(It is Jiro fan's fate to have to wait in line more or less for a while, I think)
It might be the fact that this shop has an unsteady flow of customers (二郎にしては、客の回転が悪い).

英語で書くまでもないハナシ。
わたしたちの隣に着席したオッサンは、どうやら店主と知り合いのようだった。
席に着くや否や、断りもなく厨房に入っていって缶ビールを差し入れしていたし、
店主とは、5月3日に野猿街道店2で行われたチャリティーイヴェントに関すると思しき話もしていた。
(野猿店のスタッフ側で酒を飲み、最後には金勘定までさせられた、神保町の元スタッフの誰それも来ていた、とか言っていた)
このオッサン、誰やねん?

Apr 20, 2011

I caught a cold

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


Yesterday I caught a cold and had a silght fever of about 37-38 degrees centigrade.
So I was taken care of by my brother.

And I had to be in bed until the afternoon today.
Now I am not all right but pretty well.
So in the evening about 7 p.m. I went to Ramen Jiro Senju-oohashi with my brother in order to get energy back to live on!

Mar 27, 2011

Ramen peace

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


After talking with Koba on the phone for about 1 hour, about 8 p.m. I went to Matsudo (松戸) by train in order to visit Ramen Jiro there(ラーメン二郎 松戸店).

I was able to sit at a counter without waiting in line.
Fewer customers must have visited this shop than usual after the earthquake.

And although I chose large-sized ramen (750 yen), I was not able to order additional vegetables (野菜マシ) because they were not able to secure the enough amount of vegetables for that because of the earthquake.




I ate it up all.
Very delicious as well as Jiro Musa-ko (新小金井街道店) or Senju-oohashi! (千住大橋駅前店)

I am a little happy when I am eating hot ramen.
May ramen bring peace to you!
Eat ramen if you feel unhappy!


I went back home by walk from Matsudo in a distance of about 4 km.
The cold wind blew to me heavily, especially on the bridge over Edogawa river (江戸川) as if it would make me freeze to the bone.





わざわざ英語で書いて、非日本語使用者に恥を晒すまでもない話。
松戸から徒歩で帰ってきて、自宅まであと10分ほどという地点に差し掛かったとき、不意に便意がわたしを襲った。
わたしは知っている、この辺りには、ここから5分以内の距離には、コンビニのようなトイレのある小売店などないことを。

26歳にして粗相を犯すことも覚悟した。

わたしは早足で自宅に急いだ。
途中公園の薄暗いトイレを発見して迷ったが、入らなかった。
このときは陣痛第一波が去っており、多少希望が見えていたからだ。

自宅まで50メートル手前のコンビニで己の限界を悟り、トイレに駆け込んだ。
酷い下痢でした。整腸剤を飲みました。
道程風がきつく、骨までではなかったが、わたしの胃腸を凍らせたのは間違いない。

だけど、おれは生きている!

Feb 26, 2011

Tokyo Flaneur 2 Asakusa

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


After buying hayauri Weekly Shonen Jump (週刊少年ジャンプ) vol.13 at Ueno (上野), about 8 p.m. I started for Asakusa (浅草) from there by walk.
I walked there along Asakusa dori street (浅草通り), under which Subway Ginza line (地下鉄銀座線) runs through to Asakusa and along which there are a lot of shops for Buddhist altar fittings (仏壇・仏具店) because there are also a lot of Buddhist temples around there.
But those shops were already closed therefore along the street it was dim and there were few passengers and cars.


Mascot of Western tableware shop Niimi (ニイミ洋食器店)


Please read the following texts with my walking route* (created Feb. 28) on "Chizumaru" (ちず丸) provided by a map publisher Shoubunsha (昭文社).
(Attention: the walking route would be deleted automatically by the provider if it is NOT accessed ONCE every 60 days since last accessed.)
(注意: この行程表は、最後にアクセスされてから60日間アクセスがないと、プロバイダ側で自動的に削除されます)


I turned left at the crossing to Kokusai dori street (国際通り) (point 2).
And soon after a few minutes' walk, I turned right at the T-shaped junction to Kaminari-mon dori street (雷門通り) (point 3).


T-shaped junction of Kokusai dori to Kaminari-mon dori

This is not the first time for me to walk through this course between Ueno and Asakusa while I cannot remember when I walked this course first; I guess maybe 5 or 6 years ago.

I went to Asakusa in order to eat tsukemen because I ate ramen at Ramen Jiro Senju-oohashi (ラーメン二郎 千住大橋店) for dinner yesterday.
(The report about Jiro I ate yesterday will be updated later.)
So I visited Rihei* (利平) (point 4), which stands near Kaminari-mon of Sensou-ji temple (浅草寺雷門) and is regarded as one of Yasubee's (やすべえ) branches by ramen fans (Rihei and Yasubee are probably operated by the same manager.)


(Left) tickets to order tsukemen (Right) extralarge-sized tsukemen I ate (820 yen)

This is not the first time for me also to eat its tsukemen but "I did not feel that it tasted as good as before," as I wrote when I ate tsukemen at Yasubee Akihabara (やすべえ秋葉原店) before.
On the contrary, I was a little surprised and disappointed by the fact that it really did not taste good.
And some of the staffs spoke to each other perhaps in another Asian language except Japanese.
Some customers might be annoyed that the staffs were talking with each other though their guests were eating ramen just before themselves.

I would never come to Asakusa expressly to eat its tsukemen again.

After going out of Rihei, I began to walk toward Oshiage station on Keisei Oshiage line (京成押上線押上駅) which is located in Sumida ward (墨田区) because from Asakusa station (浅草駅) I could take Subway Asakusa line** (地下鉄浅草線) train which ran through Oshiage line but I just wanted to skimp on ticket fare between Asakusa and Oshiage (170 yen.)

Walking across the Sumida-gawa river (隅田川) over the Azuma-bashi bridge (吾妻橋, transcribed "あづまばし" in Hiragana) (between point 4 and 5), I entered Sumida ward from Taitou ward (台東区).
By the bridge on the Sumida ward side I was received by the head office buildings of a brewery and soft drink company, Asahi Beer (アサヒビール), which is famous because of its golden object on the rooftop often called "golden s**t" (金色のう●こ) after its shape.
I walk again along Asakusa dori, under which Asakusa line runs through from Asakusa.
Honjo-azuma-bashi station on Asakusa line (浅草線本所吾妻橋) (point 5) is located just beyond the buildings of Asahi Beer, under the crossing of Asakusa dori and Mitsume-dori street (三ツ目通り).


The buildings of Asahi Beer; you can see "golden s**t"

In the day on Asakusa dori in Sumida ward we must be able to see Tokyo Sky Tree (東京スカイツリー) which stands over Oshiage station and Narihira-bashi station on Tobu Isesaki line (東武伊勢崎線業平橋駅) but in the night dark we were not able to see it.
Also there along the street there were shops already closed, few lights and passengers and it was dim, too.

However, looking up at the sky, I was able to see the tower dimly with warning red lights.


Tokyo Sky Tree

And I could hardly believe my eyes when I found out a certain ramen shop at Narihira 1-chou-me crossing (業平一丁目交差点) (point 6); Ramen Dai! (らーめん大)
I knew never at all that the Jiro-inspired ramen shop invaded this place.
(I have visited Ramen Dai Koganei [らーめん大 小金井店] and Horikiri [ラーメン大 堀切店] before.)
According to this website*, Ramen Dai Oshiage-Narihira-bashi* (らーめん大 押上・業平橋店) has started its business since Dec. 10 last year.
I will challenge this Ramen Dai later though I think that every Dai's ramen tastes worse than every Jiro's one.


(Left) appearance of Ramen Dai (Right) exit A2 of Oshiage Station I entered

About 9:50 p.m. I arrived at Oshiage station (point 7.)
It was the Toei Train 5300 series** owned by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (都営地下鉄5300形電車) that got to Oshiage for Inzai-Makinohara on Hokusou line (北総線印西牧の原行).
I was a little disappointed because I wanted to take the Keikyu Train (京急車) which is unique for its motor "Doremifa inverter" (ドレミファ・インバーター) produced by Siemens AG (独ジーメンス社) sounding "do, re, mi, fa..." when starting from the station (see this movie*.)


According to the walking route above, I walked about 3.8 km from Ueno to Oshiage via Asakusa and I consumed 167 kilo calories of energy by walking.

Oct 25, 2010

Long-distance driver

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


My younger brother, Ryoma, headed for Koriyama city, Fukushima prefecture (福島県郡山市), our hometown where our parents and youngest brother lived from Kochi prefecture (高知県) by car through the following prefectures: Tokushima, Kagawa, Hyogo, Osaka, Kyoto, Shiga, Mie, Aichi, Shizuoka, Kanagawa (徳島県, 香川県, 兵庫県, 大阪府, 京都府, 滋賀県, 三重県, 愛知県, 静岡県, 神奈川県).
And he dropped in at my room, Tokyo to give me some Kochi souvenirs and take a rest on the way back to Koriyama; he said that he had kept on driving on the expressways without stopping for 12 hours except some short rests at service areas. And he said also that his legs were numb slightly and this was the first time for himself.

I said to him, "how crazy you are!"

I asked him whether he was hungry or not because I had eaten nothing but tsukemen in the evening today (already yesterday) and felt a little hungry.
He answered, "yes, a little" because he had not had dinner because of the long-distance driving.
So we went out by car in order to buy gyu-don (牛丼) at Sukiya (すき家) (I drove his car because he said that he was extremely tired.)
It was about 2:30 a.m.



And the day broke.

It was I who proposed that we go to Ramen Jiro Koiwa (ラーメン二郎 小岩店).
And we went out there by his car; Koiwa is a northern area of Edogawa ward (江戸川区) and close to the southern border of Katsushika ward (葛飾区) but we have to take a bus or use a car to go there from Kanamachi, a northern area of Katsushika because there are no railway to Edogawa running through the length of Katsushika.

About 1 p.m. we had to wait in line in front of the shop for a short while but got the seats soon.
This was the first time for him to eat ramen at Jiro.
He said that Jiro tasted good but was a little surprised at its strong broth and garlic.
I think that Koiwa Jiro is as good as Musa-ko (むさこ = 武蔵小金井) or Matsudo (松戸), better than Ikebukuro Jiro (池袋).
And Koiwa reminded me about a taste of old Takada-no-baba Jiro (旧高田馬場店).


Small-sized ramen (小ラーメン) (700 yen) we chose





By the way, because of Jiro Koiwa we had not felt hungry until about 9-10 p.m. lol

After going back to my room from Koiwa, about 5 p.m., we went to Akihabara (秋葉原) in order to buy a switching hub and LAN cables (Ethernet cables) for him.
We walked around there and looked for more reasonable products at some shops.
A new switching hub was a little expensive therefore we bought a secondhand one (made in 2002) at Sofmap* while we bought new LAN cables at Tsukumo*.

At first we had planned to eat Sutadon (すた丼) at Densetsu-no-Sutadon Akinabara* (伝説のすた丼 秋葉原店) but we were still full (because of Jiro!) about 9 p.m. so we went back to Kanamachi for the present.

In the train on the way to my town, I had just thought of the idea that we go to Bamiyan* (a Family Restaurant) in Katsushika ward by car and suggested that idea to my brother. At that time we had started feeling hungry.
It was about 10 p.m. when we got to Kanamachi, and about 11 p.m. when we started eating dinner at Bamiyan.
He said that Mabo doufu (特製おぼろ豆腐のコク旨マーボー) (418 yen) he ate was very delicious.
And I chose a set meal with deep-fried chicken (特盛り唐揚げ定食) (999 yen.)
(Here* you can see Bamiyan's menu.)



After the late dinner, about 0:30 p.m., we went to Nonbe Yokocho* (呑んべ横丁) (small pathways occupied by a lot of bars, pubs or "Snack Bars" (スナック) and "Izakaya"(居酒屋)) in front of Keisei Tateishi station (京成立石駅) not because we wanted to drink alcohol but this miscellaneous and dingy area might be lost because of the redevelopment therefore my brother would like to see the look of them.
(In view of that chaotic construction, Nonbe Yokocho is compared to Kowloon Walled City** (九龍城塞) in Hong Kong in rare instances.)
We were hanging around these pathways for about 30 minutes in the midnight but the sudden rain stopped our crawling.


The sigh of "Nonbe Yokocho" and my brother


Dingy pathway

(First updated Nov. 18. 2010)

Oct 24, 2010

Ramen seekers

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


It was about 2 p.m. when we woke up... Overslept!
Myself aside, Koba slept too much because Koba might have been very tired.

That is why Ramen Jiro Matsudo (ラーメン二郎 松戸店) finished the daytime business (11:30-15:00) when we rushed there just a few minutes before 3 p.m.
We looked for another good shop or restaurant but, for example there was an incredibly long waiting line in front of Tomita* (中華蕎麦 とみ田) which is located near Matsudo station (松戸駅) as well as Jiro, the No.1 ranking in Ramen Date Base (as of Nov. 2), we were not able to find it and it was not already lunch time then therefore we gave up having lunch (breakfast?)

We went back to Kanamachi in order to take a bus for Asakusa (浅草); he wanted to get Tokyo souvenirs for his family.
And there I bought 30 pieces of Ningyou-yaki (人形焼) (a Japanese cake and a popular souvenir from Asakusa) because it was discounted at a certain shop (700 yen per 30 pieces.)


New landmark of Tokyo, Tokyo Sky Tree


Kaminari-mon gate (an entrance gate of Sensou-ji temple)

About 5 p.m. it started raining when we were walking around Sensou-ji temple (浅草寺) and Nakamise-dori (仲見世通り) (a shopping center of Sensou-ji.)
We took shelter from the rain under Houzou-mon (宝蔵門), a large entrance gate of the main building (本堂) of Sensou-ji, for a short while but at a 100-yen shop* near Sensou-ji I bought a plastic rain poncho (I carried a fold-up umbrella with me) and Koba bought an umbrella.

About 6 p.m. we took a train at Asakusa station on Toei Asakusa line (都営浅草線) via Toei Mita line (都営三田線) in order to go to Meguro (目黒) and visit Ramen Jiro (ラーメン二郎 目黒店) there.
It cost 260 yen to buy a one-way ticket a person to go there.



But today Meguro Jiro took a extra holiday though it usually opens on Sunday...

Unbelievable! Not again! (=またか!) Why does it happen to me again and again!?
And moreover, we came here from a distant place through the rain expressly to eat its ramen! (Meguro Jiro is far (about 15 minutes' walk) from Meguro station (目黒駅), its nearest one.)
Scheisse! I will never come to this shop!

We were at a loss where to go to eat ramen.
It was proposed that we go to Ikebukuro (池袋) expressly in order to eat ramen at Jiro (ラーメン二郎 池袋店) or Taishoken (南池袋大勝軒) there but for the present we tried to look for another good ramen shop around Meguro station.

On the way back to the station from Jiro, we found out a certain tsukemen shop; Zyurumen Ikeda (づゅる麺 池田) (too hard to transcribe into arphabet... I hate an absurd Japanese transcription ignoring the pronunciation! I cannot understand that "KAT-TUN" should be pronounced [ka:tu:n] (like "cartoon") or "∞" of "Kanjani ∞" is not "infinity" but "eight.")
At first we wondered if we should enter this shop or not.
However, Ramen Date Base* said through my cellular phone that Ikeda had the No.166 ranking (rather higher!) in October therefore we decided to try it.


extralarge-sized tsukemen

I chose extralarge-sized tsukemen (つけ麺特盛) (500g, 900 yen) as well as Koba.
Its tsukemen tasted good. Noodles were boiled properly and smelled like Minami Ikebukuro Taishoken's ones.
But it was good but not great. I did not think that it was peculiar; I love more peculiar ramen like Jiro or Tonikaku (Matsudo) (松戸・兎に角), Momiji (Kokubunji) (国分寺・つけ麺紅葉) and others.
I will not come to Meguro expressly to eat this tsukemen again.

After going out of this shop, about 8:30 p.m., we went to McDonald's in order to chat with each other; Our behavior remains the same even if the one moved to the other place!
And it was about 11 p.m. when we parted from each other; he went to Takada-no-baba (高田馬場) to be a Net Cafe refugee again there.
He said that the next day in the morning he would take the limited express train Azusa (特急「あずさ」) at JR Shinjuku station (JR新宿駅) in order to go back to Nagano and at that time he would dismantle his bicycle in order to carry it on the train.

Today's story still carries on.

About 1 a.m. my younger brother, Ryoma, a university student in Niigata prefecture (新潟県), reached my room by car from Kochi prefecture (高知県) in a distance of about 900 km on about 12 hours' drive.
A week ago he went to Kochi from Niigata by his own car in order to conduct research on the geological features there; he has studied geology.
I had received an E-mail from him through my cellular phone at about 1:30 p.m., about 12 hours before, that he had been starting for Tokyo from Kochi now.

Oct 17, 2010

Nin'niku Chomolungma

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


Going to Matsudo on JR Joban line (JR常磐線松戸駅) by train, exactly 8 p.m. I arrived at Ramen Jiro Matsudo (ラーメン二郎松戸駅前店.)
There were maybe 20 customers waiting in line before me in front of this shop; it was a couple of a little man and a big woman ("flea couple") (蚤の夫婦) who was waiting just before me.
Looking at the waiting line carefully, some couples visited this Jiro and were waiting for their chairs. Is Jiro ramen for men? At least most of ramen fans must think that men had better not take their girlfriends to Jiro on a date, I guess. (I remember that Anneke said "Jiro is Japanese kebab" the day before yesterday. Kebab** is regarded as a kind of junk foods in Germany.) Of course I was alone there.




You can see a "flea couple" (蚤の夫婦) on your right side

It took me 45 minutes to sit at the counter.
While I was waiting, with my Gigabeat again and again I was listening to Ramen Jiro Song* (mirror*) which was made and uploaded by voluntary Jiro fans on Nikoniko Doga (ニコニコ動画) and was a parody of a Japanese famous children's song, Aye-aye* (アイアイ.)

Its lyrics say (and original texts of the narration is here*,)

Mashi-mashi, Mashi-mashi, Yasai Mashi-mashi
(増し増し 増し増し 野菜増し増し)
Mashi-mashi, Mashi-mashi, Nin'niku Chomolungma
(増し増し 増し増し にんにくチョマランマ)
Mashi-mashi, Mashi-mashi, Abura Burabura
(増し増し 増し増し 脂ブラブラ)
Mashi-mashi, Mashi-mashi, Dai-Buta-Double de Mashi
(増し増し 増し増し 大・豚ダブルで増し)

Very funny and stupid lyrics. XD
You could not understand this lyrics if you are not a Jiro fan even if you can understand Japanese texts.
It is very difficult (and not needed at all) to translate the lyrics.
But this song and lyrics could excite Jiro fans like me so much and make us feel like eating Jiro early!

Almost exactly 9 p.m. at last ramen was served to me though I got the chair about 8:45 p.m; 1 hour had passed since I got to this shop.
I chose normal-sized ramen (ラーメン) (650 yen.)
It was very easy for me to eat it up all in spite of the fact that the master's wife (called "Matsuko san" 松子さん on the internet) warned me before eating ramen that I had to eat up all of noodles and vegetables.
Quite strangely, I might have looked like a light eater for her.
It took me only 15 minutes to devour it all while I was waiting for ramen for 1 hour.



After leaving this shop, about 9:20 p.m. I decided to go home by walk from Matsudo.
I know the route to my town because I have come to Matsudo by car with my brothers before.
And I have also walked to Matsudo before.

It was about 10:45 p.m. when I arrived at my room though I dropped in at 2 Convenience Stores on my way.
I do not know the exact distance I walked but the rail distance between Kanamachi and Matsudo is 3.9km so I guess I walked more than it.
I was a little tired and feel slight muscular pain in the legs but this walking must have been a good exercise after eating oily ramen.
And I might go there by bicycle next time.


Night view of Matsudo (taken near Katsushika bridge (葛飾橋) on the Chiba side)




I had never eaten ramen at Matsudo Jiro for 5 and half years; it was February 25, 2005 when I ate it there for the first time.
Then I went to Matsudo by walk, not by train, across Edo river
(江戸川) from my town, Kanamachi on the Tokyo side.
I have still a clear memory of the cold sunset I saw on Katsushika bridge
(葛飾橋) over Edo river then.

Oct 15, 2010

Red snow on Mt. Jiro

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


In the university before the seminar I saw Mr. Igata by chance.

He is a senior graduate student for me and older than my parents (maybe 60 years old or so.)
And last year on April he was suddenly suffered from brain bleeding (cerebral hemorrhage.)
Just after his falling ill, his professor and some friends asked us to contribute money as fund-raising for him.
Therefore I put what little 1000 yen bill I had (なけなしの~) in their hands because his falling ill coincided with the my father's at the almost same time so I sympathized with him.

I had not seen him for more than 0ne year.
This gray-haired man looked more emaciated than ever; he said to me that he had lost 20kg of weight since April this year not because of the illness but for the health.
And his condition seemed as unchanged as before he had fallen ill. I would like to congratulate him on coming-back.

After the seminar I ate Jiro at Shin-koganei Kaidou (ラーメン二郎 新小金井街道店) with Rick and Anneke.
Koganei Jiro is far from Musashi-koganei station (武蔵小金井駅) (maybe 20 minutes' walk from this station) but they did not understand that distance though I told them of it before. Therefore we went there by walk, not by bus. It must have been a good exercise for us before eating ramen.
I was drenched with sweat when we got to Jiro.

About 9 p.m. there were many customers, about 20 persons, waiting in line before us; Koganei Jiro is very popular in spite of its inconvenient location.
And we had to wait more than 30 minutes. The fact that we were a trio caused us more lengthy waiting.
At last we sat the table with four chairs in the inner part of this shop, not the counter. This was the first time for me to sit the table in it.



Rick and Anneke had never visited Koganei Jiro before.
All of us chose normal-sized ramen (小ラーメン) (700 yen.)
Although I have eaten up large-sized one all before when I visited this shop with Kaz, I did not choose it for the health.
Looking at my ramen on whose vegetables I shook red pepper, Anneke said (in fact in Japanese) "very beautiful!" (see photo below.)
So I answered (in fact in Japanese too) "red snow on Mt. Jiro!" (「二郎の山に赤い雪が降ったぜ!」) but I do not know whether she understood my smart message spoken in Japanese or not, and moreover, Rick was completely absorbed in eating ramen and never minded about my speech. :-(



Drenched with a lot of sweat again, I was eating Jiro.

They gave up eating up ramen all in spite of normal-sized one.
Undoubtedly, Koganei Jiro serves a larger amount of ramen than other Jiros.
And they asked me if I was able to eat up my own ramen all.
"Natürlich (of course)," I answered, "don't underrate Ramen-Satan!"
I ate it up all except a tiny piece of roast pork; I did not eat it because I did not want to be full.

After going out of this shop, about 11 p.m. we went to Rick's new room.
On the way to his room we bought beer at a Convenience Store near it.
His new room was large and nice, and it was very good that his room was rather close to the station.

About 11:50 p.m. I said good-bye to them; they saw me off at the nearest station.
I went home by the last train.
I transferred to trains at three stations because it was midnight (usually one station) and it was about 1:30 a.m. when I arrived at home.

Jul 24, 2010

Asuka strikes (1)

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


My youngest brother's name is Asuke, which parents often name their own daughter and merely their own son in Japan.

Today he, eight years younger than I, came to Tokyo by Highway Bus in order to attend the Open Campus of a university there.
The Open Campus in Japan is a meeting or session that professors or staffs of a university give a explanation or information about their university, especially its history, curriculum, entrance examination, and students whom they want or need, in its campus or buildings to those who want to enter that university and their family.

And I slept for only three hours; I went to bed at 0 a.m. but I somehow woke up at about 3 a.m.


Tokyo Station


About 0 p.m. I picked up him at Tokyo station in front of which the terminal for his bus from Koriyama was.
And I had been going to get on the train there and go to Tokyo Gakugei University* (東京学芸大学) in Koganei city (小金井市) just after that but he complained that he was hungry therefore before getting on the train we had lunch on Tokyo Ramen Street* (東京ラーメンストリート) in Tokyo station.

We ate tsuke-men at Nidaime Keisuke Ebisoba Gaiden* (二代目けいすけ海老そば外伝) (proper but too long name...) there.
To tell the truth, we wanted to visit a brunch of Rokurinsha*, Rokurinsha Tokyo (六厘舎TOKYO) (Rokurinsha is the most popular tsuke-men shop in Tokyo) but there were many customers waiting in line and its staffs said that we might have to wait one hour therefore we gave up eating ramen at Rokurinsha.

Keisuke is also a popular ramen shop in Tokyo but I had never eaten their ramen or tsuke-men.
My brother ordered 300g of Noukou Ebi Tsuke-men (濃厚海老つけめん) (850 yen) whose soup was cooked in heavily thick stock made from the Japanese spiny lobster (伊勢エビ) while I chose 400g of that tsuke-men (1000 yen.)


400g of Noukou Ebi Tsuke-men I chose

Frankly speaking, I do not like this tsuke-men; the soup was seasoned with and smelled like lobster too much and heavily! My brother said so too.
I did not want to keep eating it halfway though I ate it up all of course.
And I would never want to eat it again.
But I do not want to say that this tsuke-men tasted bad; it did not just suit my taste.

Tokyo Gakugei University ~ Nakano


It was 20-30 minutes past 1 p.m. when we got on the Chuo Line train (中央線) from Tokyo station.
Therefore it was almost just 2 p.m. when we got to Musashi-koganei station (武蔵小金井駅) on the Chuo Line, which is the nearest station from Gakugei University.
And we had to take a bus (170 yen) because it took 20-30 minutes to go there by walk from this station, and moreover, we must die if we would walk around in this terrible sunshine and heat today!
Today it was very hot in Tokyo too but hot especially in the western part of it.


Entrance of Tokyo Gakugei University

We managed to get the session in time which gave us information about the department my brother wanted to enter but was planned to be held four times today. The session we attended was the fourth, last one stating at 2:30 p.m.
We had had little time to eat ramen leisurely at Tokyo station.

After that we walked around to see the sights of the very large campus.
We entered the university library, whose building was smaller and whose collection of books seemed fewer than Hitotsubashi's or Waseda's one.
While we were on the subject, we visited Ramen Jiro Shin-Koganei-Kaidou* (ラーメン二郎 新小金井街道店), which is located near Gakugei University but was still closed then.
By the way, I have sometimes visited this Jiro before with my friend Kaz and others.


Wide street in the campus


In front of Ramen Jiro Shin-koganei Kaidou

However, anyway, we got very tired because we wandered around in such a dead heat and sunshine!

About 5 p.m. we were back at Musashi-koganei station.
We had to go to Ikebukuro (池袋) 7:30 p.m. to see our special guest but had a little enough time until then.
So I brought my brother to a deeper otaku and sub-culture town than e.g. Akihabara (秋葉原), Nakano (中野) on the Chuo Line.
In a shopping center, Nakano Broadway** (中野ブロードウェイ) in front of Nakano Station there are a lot of shops handling manga, anime goods, video games and so on.
There we can also view some rare items (e.g. toy, doll, poster) on old Japanese animations free so you can enjoy yourself there if you have little money.


With Kitaro (鬼太郎) from GeGeGe no Kitaro (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎)

At this point in Nakano we were very tired and our foots had already hurt a little.

Ikebukuro ~ Jiro


On the Yamanote Line train (山手線) to Ikebukuro I got a phone call from the special guest, Rick.
He said that he would like to move our appointment to one hour later, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. because today 11 p.m. he was going to cross over to Izu-oshima** (伊豆大島) where his relatives lived from Takeshiba Passengers Terminal (竹芝旅客ターミナル) (Takeshiba Sanbashi, 竹芝桟橋) by ship with his family but he did not finish preparing his baggage yet.
However, the appointment was canceled; he had to work overtime in the daytime, after that he had to go back home and pack his things. Moreover he had to rendezvous with his family at that port 10:00 p.m. Therefore there was not enough time left for him to have dinner with us at Ikebukuro.
About 8 p.m. I accepted his apologies for canceling the appointment through the phone. That was pity but impossible to be avoided.

By the way, Rick has seen once my youngest brother at Ikebukuro last summer.
He offered my brother wine at a hamburger steak restaurant, Gold Rush* (ゴールドラッシュ) but he declined this offer because he was under age (it's natural!)

I visited Jiro Ikebukuro (二郎池袋店) with my brother.
It was he who wanted to eat Jiro; he said that he had watched a TV variety program about Jiro before and he was tempted to eat it by this TV show. (It may be here*.)
In front of this shop there were fewer customers than usual waiting in line I supposed because it was deadly hot today so normal ramen fans must have not wanted to eat it in such hot night.

About 8:30 p.m. we sat at table.
Inside the shop it was very hot and humid; the air-conditioner must have not worked well or have been broken. All of customers were eating ramen being in a profuse sweat. This was the bad condition.
(Rick, we should not eat Jiro in summer. That's surely suicidal.)
My brother chose normal-sized ramen (700 yen) as well as I. I did not choose large-sized because I was very tired so I was not confident of eating it up all (even Ramen-Satan sometimes takes good care of himself!)
And this was the first time for my brother to eat Jiro. I was afraid that he did not like Jiro. Jiro is ramen which some like but others do not even if they were all ramen fans.
But he said, "very good! I like it!"
Oh, sinfully, I created a Jirolian (ジロリアン) once again (Rick and Kaz were Jirolians made out by myself Ramen-Satan!)


Normal-sized ramen (and fingers of my younger brother above)




I did it!

After going out of the shop we were thirsty because of eating fatty and salty ramen and the un-falling temperature in spite of the night so we bought plastic bottles of juice at a Convenience Store, Family Mart** (ファミリーマート) in front of Ikebukuro station.

My room


It was about 10:30 p.m. when we got back to my room in Kanamachi.
My foots had still hurt so I had (made?) him massage my foots (it's a privilege of the elder brother!)
During his massage I felt asleep before I was aware of it.

To be continued tomorrow...

Mar 21, 2010

War buddies

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


About 7:30 p.m. I saw Rick and Kaz at Ikebukuro in order to eat Jiro (二郎池袋店).
(Oh, I ate Jiro or Jiro-like ramen today, too!)
This is the first time for me to eat ramen with Kaz there.
And today it is a farewell party for Kaz who graduate university this month and will start working for a company next April.

In front of Jiro there were a lot of customers waiting in line.
Surprisingly, some of them looks foreigners including women though it was Rick's girlfriend only who ate Jiro from abroad when we visited there last January.
Unnnn, Jiro might be universal, as this website** was created for foreigners who "do not read enough Japanese to be able to understand Japanese ramen web sites."


In front of Jiro


Large-sized ramen (800 yen)

I was able to eat up large-sized ramen easily.
But Rick said to me that he could hardly eat up his ramen in spite of the fact that his ramen is normal-size.
Therefore I got some of his noodles after eating up my ramen.
Team Ramen Satan need not a ramenist who was not even able to eat up normal-sized Jiro ramen.
It should be considered to dismiss Rick from our ramen team (laugh.)

And its boiled pork did not taste good; Kagemusha's (影武者) boiled pork is my best!


Einherjars against Jiro!

After leaving Jiro we chatted at McDonald's.
When Rick asked Kaz what he would like to achieve after joining a company, I was very disillusioned with his answer that he wanted to seek a girlfriend at first!
Idiot! What an unambitious man he is!



Anyway, it was very great for me to introduce them to each other on April last year.
It was very unforgettable for me that Rick twitted whom he would play with in the dormitory after Kaz-bo's leaving.

Mar 9, 2010

I was never euphoric at all then

*External link to the Japanese website
**External link to the website except written in Japanese


I ate ramen at Kagemusha (影武者), Akihabara (秋葉原) for dinner with Rick, who came there in order to buy a new laptop PC.
This is the first time for him to eat it there and he had wanted to eat its ramen because I told him that it was good and he has read the story of Kagemusha on this blog.


Large-sized ramen with optional slices of boiled pork (930 yen)

After leaving this shop, he said to me that its noodles were not boiled enough.
I thought so too but the noodles they served were boiled well when I visited this shop before.
I do not know why.

Omake.



Oh Rick, you are a good guy though you have a nasty tongue when you speak in Japanese.

Waratte yurushite ne?

Jan 20, 2010

Jiro after muscular exercises

Today I did muscular exercises with Kaz at the gym of Kunitachi city.
I have done them there with my company of graduate course since the latter half of the year 2007; I had done them with Rick and Kaz on Tuesday every week before Kaz and I had concentrated on writing a thesis since August last year.
However Rick did not join us today because of an unfriendly reason that he had little money and was able to pay the fee (just 300 yen!) of the gym.

We have not done exercises for about half a year and therefore we will got the muscular pain tomorrow. But it is the pleasure, you might not understand.

About 7 p.m. after doing exercises we called Rick to ask to have dinner with us.
He was in the library of our university then and unwillingly in appearance he answered "well, Ok."
We said to each other. "Hey! He has little money, doesn't he?"

I went to the south area of Tachikawa station (立川駅) with Rick and Kaz in order to eat Ramen Jiro (ラーメン二郎).
(I need not to explain you any more how much we love Jiro?)
I chose large-sized ramen with optional slices of boiled pork (大ぶた増し) (850 yen), Rick small-sized one (650 yen) and Kaz large-sized one (750 yen.)
Usually it is rather easy for me to eat up Jiro's large-sized ramen but today it was a little harder to eat it up because large-sized one I chose today increased more in amount with sliced pork than another one I chose usual.
I was not able to move briefly after eating it up. But "das ist Jiro! (this is Jiro!)"


Large-sized ramen with optional slices of boiled pork

Must I tell you where we moved to next after that? (It was of course McDonald's.)
And must I tell you what we did there? (It was of course just chatting.)
We talked about memories of the stay of Rick's girlfriend from Germany in Japan.

We took a train on Chuo line to go back home from Tachikawa station about 10:30 p.m.


Good photo! Pity obscuring needed...