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Nov 10 2023 6 Comments

The end and long life of a fabulously rickety old Tokyo restaurant

At the end of last year I posted photos of this incredibly rickety old Chinese restaurant in east Tokyo. Back then it had been in operation for 65 years, with the master carrying on from his grandfather, and the mama-san a cheerful addition to the family run operation.

However, like so many such businesses, locations, and dated buildings in general, it’s not if but when the end will come. Old age, the dilapidated state of the structures, and the understandable reticence of a younger generation to take over, means there’s invariably only one outcome. And this particular closure hurt more than most, as I ate there on countless occasions. Each and every visit as fascinating as the last one, as there was always a new little detail to discover, along with the simple pleasure of just being there. But that was then and this is now and sadly it is no more.

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

The end and long life of a rickety old Tokyo restaurant

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. YTSL says

    11/10/2023 at 11:04 am

    Hi Lee —

    Was in Japan a few weeks ago. Most of the Tokyo I was in — bar for Omoide Yokocho and the Golden Gai — lacked the rickety old structures that a feature of your blog. But in some of the smaller cities and towns I was in (e.g., Kakunodate — specifically, it’s merchant’s district), it was easy enough to catch sight of them. So thank you for showing sights and telling stories that are not the usual Tokyo ones. Including those that show these old places full of life as well as not.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/11/2023 at 9:46 am

      You are very welcome. I always feel lucky to have seen and experienced places like this. And yes, thankfully still plenty left outside Japan’s rapidly changing cities.

      Reply
  2. Denise says

    11/10/2023 at 1:17 pm

    A beautiful and sad story. Thank you so much for sharing as always.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/11/2023 at 9:50 am

      My pleasure. Very glad to have been able to go there and enjoy it. A special place.

      Reply
  3. Richard says

    11/11/2023 at 8:53 pm

    Thanks for a poignant tale to go with the photos. Sometimes it is sad when ‘life goes on.’

    Reply
    • Lee says

      11/12/2023 at 6:57 pm

      Yeah, it really is, but sadly there’s no escaping it, is there? The only constant really is change…

      And my pleasure. I was lucky to have experienced such a wonderful place.

      Reply

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