Food and Drink

In a world of delivery motorbikes and Uber Eats bags, the sight of food being transported the traditional way is an increasingly rare sight. One only really seen in certain parts of the city. But just like the old adage about buses, after waiting ages to see one, two sometimes come along at once.

Recently, the owner of the Tokyo restaurant below opted for a ‘Japanese only’ policy due to the coronavirus outbreak. In his tweet announcing the decision, he was at pains to stress that it wasn’t in any way discriminatory. Instead, it was simply a way to try and protect his family, staff and the eatery’s customers.

A controversial move it has to be said, but one that doesn’t seem to have affected business, as on Monday (a national holiday), there was a long line of people waiting to get in. All of them Japanese of course.

Japan is well known for its vending machines. With good reason too, as despite the ever-increasing number of convenience stores, the vending machine is still ubiquitous. Yet seeing one that’s no longer operational, let alone left to rot, is surprisingly rare, so below is a selection of the ones I’ve stumbled upon over the years. Some are still there, some may well be long gone, but in their own decaying way, all of them were oddly interesting.

This old punk likes a drink, but he loves The Damned a lot more.

The clutter and grime of this unique little yakitori shop were what initially caught my eye, but ultimately it was the owner’s lovely big smile that made both the moment, and my day.

Down an old and now more or less disused tunnel, one little bar remains. Catering for the small number of late afternoon drinkers who can squeeze inside, it’s the last business left, but even after several decades of serving drinks and really quite delicious food, the owners have no intention of quitting just yet. A decision that’s much appreciated by both the very regular regulars, and those that merely pop in unexpectedly.