Old Japan exists, ...in a few places. The Noto Peninsula

The Noto Peninsula, facing the Japan Sea, is one of the places you can go and see old Japan. This peaceful place is full of wild coastlines and little fishing villages. The rampant concrete development so visible in the rest of Japan is largely absent.

A highlight is the most northern town of Wajima. It features one of largest daily markets in Japan. Staffed mainly by a swarm of chatty grannies who gossip and enjoy the morning sun while try to persuade you that their sea urchins are the best.







The market winds through the streets, as in a French town, and a huge variety of local produce is available.

Squid, scallops and conch shell freshly grilled make a great breakfast snack.

There's dried octopus looking like an alien invasion as well.

Here the famous Venus de Granny.

A now abandoned art gallery providing a strange contrast to the surrounds.







There is a great tradition of a special sort of Taiko drumming as well. The troup in this
village are world famous. Long ago when they were threatened with an invading army the fishermen dressed themselves with wooden masks and seaweed hair and drummed in the forests all night. The appearance of these "ghosts" scared the invaders away.

I've seen Taiko drumming before and frankly could take it or leave it. This however was something very special.

 The area around Wajima is also one of the few places in country where salt is made in the traditional way. In the past the locals were too poor to provide rice to the authorities as taxation, so salt was used instead. This naturally produced salt is very good, and now very expnsive.

The seafood is exquisite and very cheap and of course as fresh as is humanly possible.

Barcelona in the heart of Tokyo

As anyone who has spent any time here will tell you, Tokyo is simply the best place in the world to eat, and of course drink. There are some 200,000 bars and restaurants in this city alone and the range of foods available is incredible.

The Michelin Guide has once again this year awarded Tokyo more stars than any other city in the world. And indeed when they come here they barely scratch the surface. Many of the best restaureants they haven't even heard of, let alone reviewed.

One of the most impressive things is the way that you can eat European food frequently much better prepared than in the host country. In a way more authentic than the original.

One fine example of this is the amazing Spanish restaurant La Playa. I have been going to this place for 25 years and it is always simply marvellous. Incredibly, and dangerously, it is three doors down from my current Japanese school. This makes the choice of lunch venue very easy.

Toru Kodama is a cook of great skill and runs the place by himself with the help of one waitress.  Shibuya outside is all crowds and office blocks. You walk downstairs into La Playa into a different world.

The jamon hanging from the ceiling is home made, the place is cosy, chaotic, crammed with books and bits and pieces. Lovely music is playing softly.






As he finishes cooking he pulls up a chair and opens a bottle of something special. The talk is of books and the world,  it is like being home.

With deflation for the past 20 years and lots of competition and a minimum hourly wage of $8.50/Hr, food is surprisingly inexpensive.
Lunch at  La Playa, including soup, salad, paella, dessert and coffee is about $12 AUS.