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Dec 21 2021 9 Comments

An old and local Tokyo tofu shop

This shop has long been a favourite of mine. Sadly its stunning old sign — which I’ve included at the end — got destroyed in a typhoon several years ago, but even without it remains a truly wonderful looking little place.

A fella who lives opposite once told me it has been in business for 100 years or so and supplies some top-class restaurants. While feeding the wealthy, however, it’s still very much a local shop, and the woman in the photos came out of a house a few doors down. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no selection was necessary — they just chatted about the weather while he put her usual order in the Tupperware container she’d taken with her. An admittedly run-of-the-mill, everyday occurrence, but at the same time one that was lovely to see and somehow quite reassuring.

an old and local tokyo tofu shop

an old and local tokyo tofu shop

an old and local tokyo tofu shop

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Richard says

    12/21/2021 at 9:01 am

    It is heartening to see shops like these still open in Tokyo. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      12/22/2021 at 11:13 am

      You are welcome as always, and yes, it really is. An important part of the city for sure.

      Reply
  2. ellen says

    12/21/2021 at 9:53 am

    I love it. I’m gonna start taking a tupperware to my nearest cake shop! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      12/22/2021 at 11:13 am

      Haha, you might start a new trend!

      Reply
  3. Dale says

    12/21/2021 at 10:29 am

    Wow, the red bicycle is in the before and after pictures! Thank you, always, for your pictures!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      12/22/2021 at 11:15 am

      You are very welcome, and yeah, the bicycle is the one constant. So out of place in many ways, and yet at the same time so perfect.

      Reply
  4. cdilla says

    12/21/2021 at 6:13 pm

    So nice to see places like this.
    The introduction you provide really brings depth to the hitory your photographs depict.
    The lack of rightangles in the architecture is a wonder. It’s as if the shop if being help up on the right and propped up on the left.

    I’ll add a few more comments gleaned fromthe internet.

    “You can feel the air of Edo in the kitchen”
    “He kindly taught me how to cut cold tofu”
    “One of the reasons for not being rebuilt is that he doesn’t want to lose the right to use the wells necessary to make tofu.”

    Reply
    • Lee says

      12/22/2021 at 11:20 am

      Cheers, that’s good to hear. Always nice when I can add something worthwhile to the photos. And yeah, nothing is lined up right. A building that’s just as special each and every time.

      Thanks. They are lovely additions. Clearly a special place for many people.

      Reply
  5. Hasib says

    2/8/2022 at 12:44 pm

    Can you share the address of this shop please?

    Reply

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