Japanese Restaurants – Page 28

Tokyo – Otakou Honten and a Visit to the Hitachino Brewing Lab

November 25, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was getting close to lunch hour by the time we finished our nice walk around the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and we were ready for something to eat. It was drizzly and a bit chilly. I'd heard about a Oden place with a fairly long history (opened in 1923). So after a bit of searching we found Otakou Honten. We'd actually walked pass here on our first night, but the line was so long that ended up having ramen instead.

There wasn't a line when we arrived and we were lead upstairs, where things did look rather busy. We got the last booth in the place and placed our orders.

It's quite simple; there were two Oden sets available for lunch, each about 680 yen and we ordered one of each.

Boy did this hit the spot.

That simmered daikon had really absorbed the flavor of the broth and was perfectly tender; not falling apart, but so easily cut with a chopstick. Our favorite item was the Toumeshi; indeed this is called the toumeshi set and I can see why. That tofu had absorbed the savory-sweet-dashi based flavor so well and rice was also a great vehicle for passing all of that. Simple, but just wonderful.

The Missus ordered the other Oden set which was quite good as well.

This was just the perfect thing for day like this. Then a kind of interesting thing happened….I'm guessing it's fairly common given the crowded nature of Tokyo.

The Missus and I were sitting across from each other in the booth. Two salarymen came in and sat down right next to us in the booth!

So now we were kinda trapped! The Missus and I looked at each other and cracked up. And we couldn't help but text each other our observations; especially when a couple of pieces of rice got stuck on one of the men's face….it kept moving around while he ate, but wouldn't fall off, and was quite mesmerizing!

Actually they were quite nice. When they noticed we were finished, they both stood up and waved us through. So, I guess this is fairly standard eating in Tokyo!

There was a line of people waiting outside in the rain as we left. I walked across the street to take a photo, and wouldn't you know; that line extended across the street!

It's easy to understand why folks would wait in the rain for this place. Good, comforting food at an inexpensive price. And it sure did hit the spot on a day like this.

Otakou Honten
2-2-3 Nihonbashi
Chuo, Tokyo

Feeling nice and warm, our bellies full, we headed off in the drizzle to our next destination. I really enjoy the beer that Hitachino produces and had read that they had opened a beer bar in the Akihabara. I recommended going on the Yamanote Line from Tokyo Station, it's like a 4-5 minute ride. But of course this is the Missus; so we walked.

It turned out to be about a 30 minute walk. The Brewing Lab is located right on the Kanda River.

It's a nice cozy little place and very quiet during this time of the day as there was only one customer the whole time we were there.

There were 8 pulls on this day and we ended up getting 4 beers; even Session IPA. We ended up with the Masters Selection, Nipponia, Weizen and the Nest Lager.

The Lager was my favorite; while the Missus enjoyed the Weizen. Man, Hitachino makes some really good stuff. If you're in the area; this might be a good stop.

Hitachino Brewing Lab
1-25-4 Kandasudacho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Soon enough, it was time to go. And this time the Missus relented and we caught the train back to Nihonbashi. We had some time to do a little shopping; then head back to the apartment for a short nap before meeting Reiko for dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 24, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

Man, yet another Thanksgiving. I took Da Boyz for a typical car ride this morning.

It's hard to believe it'll soon be December……man; weather in the mid-70's.

Though I heard that rain is on the way.

After a busy day; work and then making food for the Missus's work, I decided to reward myself.

Hope you've had a safe and delici-yoso Thanksgiving from all of us!

Midweek Meanderings – Menya Ultra Ramen Replacing Do Re Mi House, Dumpling Hut Changes Course, and Great Wow Coming to Hillcrest?

November 16, 2016 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

I'm finally catching up on things. A few recent observations.

More Ramen Coming to Kearny Mesa ?:

At least if the ABC notice is correct. Something named Menya Ultra. Some quick slapping on my keyboard yielded a clue…. and a bit more. I'm pretty sure that the folks at Nishiki Ramen can't be happy at the company name. But another Hokkaido ramen chain in San Diego? Well, I think there's room for that.

In the old Do Re Mi House location.

8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste M
San Diego, CA 92111

Looks like Dumpling Hut has changed course:

At least if you read the Chinese sign…..both the Missus and Xiāngjiāo said it says "Clay Pot". I see no change of ownership notification, so a wondering if it's the same owners.

Dumpling Hut
8046 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Is it (un) Great Wow…..sort of ?:

I was in Hillcrest for meetings a couple of days this week. so I managed to grab some lunch. I walked pass the "old" supposedly "closed" Trinitea location and saw a sign that got my attention.

Notice what's after the "Trinitea &"…..

Could it be? It does look like the "Wow" in Great Wow, right? I guess time will tell…..

3865 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Well, there you go.

Hope you're having a great week!

Onami (all you can eat Japanese)- lunches in Mission Valley

November 5, 2016 Cathy Buffets, Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog, is where you have found yourself. Kirk is still vacationing (literally at the top of the globe), Ed (from Yuma) is just East of us, enjoying his retirement and mini vacations in places other than California and Cathy is writing this post.

My job is odd, I can meet with clients at their home, office or in a public place. The 'ambiance' of an all you can eat buffet is such that there is less pressure to turn over a table quickly (unless there is a line out the door waiting to get in, which usually isn't the case during the week). One client in particular enjoyed (very much) the now closed chain of Hometown Buffet restaurants in the county, and I would meet him there primarily to eat all the fried chicken with the unique side dish 'Spinach Marie' that I could.

There are still 'all you can eat' places around, mostly Chinese buffets and San Diego based Souplantation.

My client discovered Onami, the all you can eat Japanese sushi/seafood buffet at the Westfield Mission Valley Mall. While waiting to be seated, you can see a 'Ramen and Udon Bar' just to the left. You can have a bowl prepared and a choice of five (do it yourself) toppings are available. Right around the corner is a cold noodle area, which offers the only toppings needed: green onion and shredded radish.
Seating areas are varied and interspersed next to the variety of hot and cold food areas.
Near the back of the restaurant are the hot foods, with many seafood choices.

There is an area where you can choose various vegetables, fish pieces and shrimp to be freshly battered and fried.
There is a cold area with a selection of twelve prepared salads. Along the other side is the sushi area, with item choices being prepared and refilled constantly. Then there was the dessert area, with a tremendous, portion controlled selection available.

Everything was fresh and tasty and quite nice. The space is quiet enough in some areas for conversation. The cost for weekday lunch was less than $15 each, which I though was good for the quality and variety.

Enjoy your weekend!

Onami 1640 Camino Del Rio N Ste 206 San Diego, CA 92108 Phone number (619) 295-9774 Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30 am-2:30 pm, 5:30 pm-9 pm Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm, 5 pm-9pm Sat 11:30-9:30 Sun 11:30-9

Comfort Foods: Chopstix, Niban, Golden City

October 19, 2016 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Thanks for stopping to read mmm-yoso!!! today. Cathy is writing because the guys are just too busy.

After I got my fill of spicy foods following three weeks in the Midwest, it was time for what I just couldn't get back there (comfort food, San Diego style). Kirk posted in 2005 and again in 2015 about the original location of Chopstix. In 2006, he and I wrote a joint post about the second location and, in general, both locations are efficient with fresh food.The simple Hiya Yakko (cold tofu topped with chopped green onion, grated ginger on top of salad)($4) was just something I never thought I would miss and this really hit the spot. Hiyashi Soba ($9)- cold buckwheat noodle topped with imitation crab, chicken, sprouts, corn, cucumber, egg and seaweed was a perfect flavor mix on this day. The Mister ordered his 'usual'- mabo ramen ($7), which has a deep, sweet-spicy flavor along with the ground pork and tofu. Most of the other soup bases and fillings here are sort of 'plain'.

Chopstix 4633 Convoy San Diego 92101 (858)569-9171 open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

Ten years ago, I wrote about Niban and then again in 2010 and in 2011. It's a regular spot for us when we don't want to cook at home: fast, fresh, unassuming. After ordering and paying, finding a seat and having water and hot tea (still free) brought out, food soon arrives.
The chicken katsu salad ($4.50) was what I wanted. So simple: iceberg lettuce topped with cold noodles, carrot and cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes along with a perfectly breaded and fried chicken thigh. The miso based, Japanese radish/fresh ginger salad dressing is so very good. One of the window specials that day was chicken katsu curry ($7). The Mister wanted his own pieces of chicken along with the flavorful beefy curry sauce made here-it satisfied his cravings.

Niban 7081 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 (858)268-0465 Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Then there was my craving for something from underrated, more than ten years in the same location, consistent always good, comfort food for Kirk also, unassuming restaurant located at the South East corner of the 163 at Claremont Mesa. The rock cod with black bean sauce ($16 if not at lunch or late night (after 9 p.m., when it is $8)) is just done right here. Lightly crisp fried fish with red and green peppers, onions and salty black bean sauce along with some red-chili heat is just what I wanted.

Then again, so was the simple beef topped egg foo young ($14 at dinner, $7 at lunch or late night). That is a larger than tablespoon spoon on a very large platter. The crispy vegetable filled omelet, so simple to make (in theory) is just wonderfully flavorful, crispy and somehow addictive in flavor here. Most times, we order it just with gravy/vegetable only, because that's all I really want.

Golden City 5375 Kearny Villa (at Claremont Mesa) 92111 (858) 565-6682 open daily 11 a.m.-midnight website

Hope your week is still going well!

BeShock Ramen and Sake Bar

October 17, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

An acquaintance mentioned a ramen place opening in the East Village named BeShock and told me they were going through a soft opening. I was told the folks opening the place are from Nagoya; which made me a bit curious. So I trucked it down to the corner of 13th and Market street to see what was up.

For some reason, I expected a little neighborhood shop like the nearby Tokyo Deli. So I was surprised to see this large, spacious, very nice restaurant….I guess I "be shocked"?

The soft opening menu was a single page; with items like karaage, salads, and the like on the top….the middle was a collection of rolls, and five types of ramen on the bottom.

I was brought my water and some gratis edamame….

I saw Shio Koji Karaage; Shio Koji and Shoyu Koji are both staples in our household and using Shio Koji in karaage is pretty much an "open secret". So, I ordered the karaage and was surprised at what came out.

So, these were actually coated in masago arare; rice cracker beads. It adds an additional layer of crunch, but also gets soggy fairly quickly. The portion size was quite large. Also going down a bit of a different path; this was white meat chicken; though the marinating process give the chicken a texture like dark meat. Also, I quickly noticed that the flavor is quite mild……amost too mild for me; not enough shoyu-shio koji or any other (ginger-garlic-sweetness) flavor. It's pretty much about the masago arare.

I also ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and was rather intrigued at what came out.

The broth was different; in fact, it might be the least salty ramen broth I've ever had….it didn't have much porkiness to it and I even thought it could be chicken. I was told that the folks here use a lot of vegetables in making the broth which really makes the flavor different. While it was fatty; I didn't think it was particularly rich, in other words, it lacked some of that "aaaaahh" effect. Everything else was good; the standard issue Nishimoto-JFC noodles were prepped well; the chashu had been torched before being placed in the bowl; it had a very nice porkiness to it. The egg was also by the book. Overall; a bit different…… I might try the Miso Ramen next time.

The folks here were really nice; the manager, who is from Nagoya, also spent time in Hawaii and we had a nice chat.

I returned a few days later. I had seen Chicken Tartar (i.e. tori nanban) on the menu; but when I returned it was gone.

So I went with the "Cajun Karaage" instead.

This wasn't very spicy and the batter was soft and gummy, though it was prepared and served in a more conventional way than shio koji karaage. The flavor just kind of fell short and this was definitely "b-list karaage".

I also went with the Chashu Bowl. Having had a few of these in Japan, I was surprised at how large and how much pork there was.

There's quite a bit of pork hiding under….well, all that pork. The pork was tender without being mushy. The flavor was good….again, not too heavy handed in terms of shoyu – saltiness – sweetness, but the pork flavor actually came through quite well. This time the flavor and the texture worked for the good of the dish. The shoyu tamago was decent; it could have used a bit more flavoring, but I have no complaints.

I really enjoyed talking to the nice young man in charge on this day.

He is also from Nagoya and actually went to KCC! He mentioned that BeShock has a sister restaurant in Nagoya.

While I thought the flavors somewhat mild and tame for my taste, sometimes people can make the difference. I really enjoyed BeShock, BeCause the folks here were so nice. I'll come back to try things out after their grand opening….which is BTW….today 10/17 at 530pm. They'll have Tori Nanban; though I'm not sure what they're going call it. The ramen style here doesn't seem to be my thing, though I will try the Miso Ramen to see if I prefer that.

The manager is a certified Sake Master and they have a bunch of boutique brews….so when I'm not driving…..

I hope they do well.

BeShock Ramen & Sake Bar
1288 Market St
San Diego, CA 92101

Yakitori Hino – A Quick First Look

October 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants

Back in May I noticed that the former Mama's Grill was becoming Yakitori Hino and based on the ABC notice, the applicants were none other than than Yakyudori. At the end of July the sign went up. And this past week no fewer than three "little birds" whispered that Hino was doing a soft opening with the grand opening planned for yesterday, October first. This past Friday was a fairly tiring one for me and by the time I was ready for dinner; it was past 5pm. I decided to sneak on over to Hino, I had a feeling that they might be pretty quiet since few people knew they were open.

There was one other person in the place when I arrived. The folks were surprised to see someone they weren't too familiar with; though "Nao", Taka-san's Thursday relief guy, sort of recognized me. He's the chef here now.

The place does remind me a bit of Japan and also looks somewhat like Koubou with the high bar and such. There are two semi-private looking booths in the back as well.

The menu is also an interesting cross between Yakyudori and Koubou, with a salad that I saw folks getting that looks similar to Koubou's, but with a mayo based dressing. There are items on the menu that neither Taisho nor Yakyudori have. Strangely, the prices here seem higher than Taisho.

I started with the Chuka Kurage (Jellyfish Salad), which I really enjoyed.

A nice balance of sweet-salty-sour-spicy, which does well with the crunchy jellyfish. This is without a doubt an appetizer sized dish….but I found it to be quite good.

It was nice to see Nankotsu (chicken cartlidge) on the menu. This version was fairly simple.

A bit too salty and dry; though that crunchy texture was quite enjoyable.

I really miss the karaage at Taisho. They took it off the menu a couple of months back. I'm wondering if it was because of Hino? Anyway, it's on the menu here.

A nice portion size, light and crunchy, though it's lacking the flavor of the karaage I've had at Yakyudori and Taisho. I'm hoping that this will improve over time.

The Teba was the only truly disappointing item of the night as it was way too salty and really not prepped well as in not having the flesh and skin splayed out for maximum area and enjoyment.

The Kawa; chicken skin was interesting as this version was straight up salted, without tare, but held up fine.

Crisp on the edges, tender interior, a very nice rendition.

When I ordered the Tsukune (chicken meatball), I was asked if I wanted an egg yolk with it……."yes please"!

I was rather uninspired at first glance, but this turned out to be decent; fairly smooth and creamy interior, quite a bit of flavor from the tare if a bit unappealing to the eye. The egg yolk adds an even more creamy rich texture.

I was quite pleased to see Yaki Onigiri on the menu. I love grilled rice balls. This version was interesting as I noticed it was heated in a pan before being grilled.

The familiar smoky flavor was there, though the exterior was more gummy than crisp and crunchy. In this case Koubou definitely holds the edge.

So, in the end, I spent more at Hino, minus the celebratory beers I bought for Nabe-san and Nao-san, than I would for a usual meal at Taisho for the Missus and myself….kind of strange. I believe the food was better here than at Koubou, which is what seems to be the main competition. Though I've heard things at Koubou have gotten better recently, so I'll be dropping by again soon.

Still, the service was great….and it's nice to have more choices in the neighborhood. For now, the hours are 530 pm to 1230am Wednesday thru Monday.

Yakitori Hino
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tokyo – Breakfast at Mugimaru Yaesu Minimiguchi and a Visit to the East Gardens of the imperial Palace

October 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

It was drizzling when we awoke after a fun evening in Ebisu with our friend Reiko. We decided to just hang around Tokyo on this day; which didn't mean sitting around and doing nothing….but just enjoy a nicely paced day.

We headed out and along the way passed what I believe are the offices of Ajinomoto Corporation, who had their Christmas gift sets out on a on display.

We headed into the "underground Tokyo Station City", which is an apt description of the floors, street, and underground passageways that surround Tokyo Station. We needed something small to eat and decided to stop in at this little udon shop in the underground.

There was a gentleman making udon in the window, obviously a good draw for the place. But what made us stop was the sign….I asked the Missus, who can read Kanji, "does it say what I think it does"? And She said yes; "Udon, all the broth you can drink, all the tea you can drink, and rice ball….325 yen." That's like $3.25…… Okay…..

The set-up is cafeteria like; I got the special, plus extra cup of tea, and some veggies for like five bucks….really!

A simple dashi based broth (we saw folks going back for more), nice chewy noodles, onigiri, and tea……….more than a decent breakfast for us. I'm not sure when I spent five bucks for breakfast for two……

When we got back, I tried to find out what the name of this place was…to no avail. Thanks to the help of FOY (Friend of Yoso Kat - who recently celebrated her eleventh year of blogging) Kat, I actually managed to find the place. Which is located right at the corner of……

Mugimaru Yaesu Minamiguchi
八重洲2-1
八重洲地下街南1号 B1
Chūō, 東京都〒104-0028
Japan

Like I've said, you can eat for 300 yen or 30,000 yen in Tokyo….it's your choice.

Interesting little note; we'd never exited on the Maronouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station, which was (when we were there) being renovated. There's a European feel to the façade.

Since we decided on hanging around the Chuo and Chiyoda area on this day; we headed off to the Imperial Palace which was fairly close by.

The East Gardens are open to the public.

This was the location of Edo Castle and you can easily see the fortifications that once protected the Tokugawa Shogunate.

These days, the East Gardens are open to the public which include portions of the the honmaru ("main circle") and ninomaru ("secondary circle") of the palace grounds.

The "ninomaru" is hwere the Japanese gardens are. It's amazingly tranquil, especially on a rainy and quite day as when we visited.

Though a quick look above and you realize you're in a major metropolitan area.

It was a nice relaxing way to spend the morning…..

But before we knew it; lunchtime had arrived…..

It was time to head off to lunch!

Thanks for reading!

Tokyo: Ebisu – Tatsuya and Oumiteipurasuwan

September 29, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

By the time we got back to Tokyo Station from Kamakura, dusk was quickly approaching.

We got back to the tiny apartment, freshened up and relaxed for a bit. Then it was off to Ebisu Station to meet our good friend Reiko, who we hadn't seen since we had dinner at Tanyaki Shinobu. Hearing that the Missus loved Yakitori, Reiko wanted to take us to an "old school" yakitori "joint" named Tatsuya.

It is a place where salarymen and old timers hang out shoulder to shoulder at the bar, drinking and filling themselves with reasonably priced skewers…..

The business hours; 8am to 5am (?!?) kind of tells you what kind of place this is.

To be honest; the yakitori here is fairly generic…….the Missus and cracked up when we actually had problems figuring out what was kimo (chicken liver), because all of it looked kind of alike!

It was an interesting view into life in Tokyo…….. And super reasonably priced as well. And I'm sure this stuff would be great after like 3-4 (or 5-8) beers. It was a fun experience.

Tatsuya
1-8-16 Ebisu-Minami
Shibuya, Tokyo

Reiko had another stop planned, but the place was closed. So we decided to walk into a nearby yakiniku shop.

Reiko rarely has yakiniku so she was all for it.

So we ordered a couple of plates and some beer for us.

Good lord this stuff was so good!

I mean, the beef tongue and highly marbled rib meat (A5 Kobe) was great as expected. But the Missus just loved the liver and I was just amazed at how almost buttery and tender the horumon was. And the flavor from the charcoal…….oh man!

It's amazing how a little serendipitous moment can turn into such a great meal. So now, I may have to find a great yakiniku place the next time we're in Tokyo.

There's no info in English on this shop; just a rather light entry in Tabelog.

Oumiteipurasuwan
1-8-10 Ebisu-Nishi
Shibuya, Tokyo

Arriving back at Tokyo Station….walking past all the all the men displaying what we call the "Asian Gene", we had to smile.

Yes, Tokyo is a lot of bright lights, hustle and bustle….there's something going on all the time, the folks here walk really, really fast….but a few blocks away you'll find a serene moment. It's that charm that makes me want to keep on coming back.

Kamakura: Jochiji, Lunch at Kamakura Yamaji, and the Daibutsu (Giant Buddha) at Kotokuin

September 28, 2016 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region, Travel

After visiting Kenchoji we headed up the road a short way to check out Chojuji.

Founded by Ashikaga Takauji founder of the Ashkaga Shogunate around 1336.

The temple the Missus really wanted to see (among several) was Jochiji located up a trail away from the main road.

Jochiji is one of the great five temples of Kamakura.

There were a couple of interesting things to see; the Kanro-no-I, the "Nectar Well", one of the "Ten Wells of Kamakura".

But we enjoyed the statue of Hotei; the "God of Happiness". The friendly folks encouraged the Missus to rub his belly for good luck and prosperity. He does look like a jolly fellow, doesn't he?

The Main Hall features statues of the "Three Buddha's", Amida, Shaka, and Miroku.

There are quite a few caves on the temple grounds and it was quite an interesting visit.

Also, from here, if you're in the mood, is where the Daibutsu Hiking Trail begins or ends…depending on which direction you care to take.

We decided to pass. I was getting a bit hungry so we headed back to busy Komachi Street to look for something to eat. We came across this rather charming looking doorway.

Looking at the sign, there was an English translation; of which there was an English translation, it became apparent that this was a soba restaurant. We weren't quite sure to start, but decided to have lunch here.

There's a nice walkway to the restaurant. Which seemed formal, understated, but welcoming at the same time.

Heading down that walkway you enter the restaurant and we instantly saw that they made their own soba here, which sealed the deal.

The place was just starting to fill up….with tourists….Japanese tourists, which wasn't a bad sign.

Since it winter, we went with the hot soba.

The Missus had tororo; grated mountain yam…that somewhat pleasantly gooey and gluey, and mildly sweet stuff.

I went with the Tempura Soba.

The tsuyu was very pleasant, rather light, the noodles were nicely drained, slightly springy, with a nice pull. For some reason, the Missus doesn't care for the lightly battered tempura, which I like….She prefers the rather dense style you find in tempura places in the US….sigh…..

The one thing both the Missus and I didn't care for was the slightly "floury" soba cooking water (soba-yu) that they provide at the end.

The Missus says it tastes just like jiaozi cooking water that they also consume in Qingdao; so go figure.

Overall a nice meal.

Kamakura Yamaji
1-7-3 Yukinoshita
Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan

After lunch, we headed back to the train station and caught the Electric Train on the Enoden line and got out at Hase. A short walk away is Kotokuin Temple.

This temple is famous for the iconic Daibutsu; the Great Buddha of Kamakura. While the Bronze Buddha of Nara is larger; the outdoor setting makes this rendering of Amida Buddha seem more impressive.

Don't you think?

On the way back to the station we passed this tiny temple.

It's Shugenji Temple. If you scroll down a bit on this website you can read the rather interesting story of the temple and the individual who formerly lived on this property Shijo Kingo.

We contemplated checking out the nearby Hasedera Temple. But decided on returning to Kamakura on another day. We needed to get back to Tokyo, to rest up a bit and then meet a good friend of ours for dinner.

Thanks for reading!