Photographs from a small group of islands
To say that Tokyo is teeming with greenery and open space would be a lie, yet there are still plenty of concrete-free comfort zones. Ok, so many of them aren’t especially beautiful, plus they have to be shared by an awful lot of people, but even a packed out and pocket-sized park has to be better than this lousy lunch location.
Doesn’t it?
Tokyo or Tallahassee, it doesn’t seem to make any difference.
Except perhaps the price.
Amid all the furore concerning Japan’s scientific whale hunting and the introduction of blubber burgers in some restaurants, the nation’s penchant for penguin might just go unnoticed.
Ok, I’ll admit that the restaurant/bar doesn’t actually serve penguin — at least not that I’m aware of — but it does claim to have one of the comical and flightless birds on the premises.
For what reason is anybodies guess.
Now I’m aware that rice is the staple diet in Japan, and consequently the consumption of bread isn’t as important (or indeed commonplace) as it is in my native Britain. Yet even bearing this in mind, it’s nevertheless rather disturbing to see what horrors the humble loaf is occasionally subjected to.
Like this bizarre ice cream, banana, and bread combination for example.
A creation so preposterous that one can only hope that eating instructions are supplied. Providing of course that you’d want to even try.
He’s done it again. Yes, for the fifth year in succession, Takeru “The Tsunami†Kobayashi has won the world hot-dog eating championship in New York.
Yet despite dominating the event, Kobayashi was slightly disappointed with his paltry 49 frankfurters in 12 minutes. Well short of the 53.5 hot dogs (and the current record) he managed last year. The gloomy glutton saying, “I’m very sad, I came here to beat it. Maybe next year I will.â€
This dedication to the sport is perhaps what makes Kobayashi-san stand out from the crowd; although in Japan he is not alone in the time and energy he devotes to his chosen profession:
“Food fighters in Japan think of themselves as athletes. They have a higher recognition of the game and are constantly thinking about records. I probably won’t continue for long because it puts pressure on the body. But I am at the age where I can perform my best.â€
Even this isn’t enough to be a champion though. There is the mental side of competing too. So next time you find yourself confronted with an all-you-can-eat buffet that demands to be devoured, don’t just loosen your belt and hope for the best. Instead, remember these wise words from The Tsunami himself. “It’s how you confront the food that is brought to you. You have to be mentally and psychologically prepared.â€
So there you are. Go and gorge.