Arigatou gozaimasu Japan! Thank you Japan!

We had the most amazing time in Japan! The Japanese culture is just incredible, not easy to define! you really need to come here an experience it first hand :) 

We loved everything! the food, the culture and city! it was just a joy to walk around Tokyo and discover the different neighborhoods! 

Thank you so much to Akiko and Toshi for hosting us! and showing us first hand the amazing Japanese culture! :) below you can see a picture of our schedule Akiko draw for us for the 10 days we spent in Tokyo! 

One thing we have crystal clear! We will definity come back to Japan! 

Wondering around Tokyo! Antonio´s cooking class :)

The thing we most enjoyed in Tokyo was just wondering around the city and feeling the its incredible energy! Every now and than we would stop in a shop, supermarket and look at all the different things they have! the amazing packaging they use! Mainly with cartoons :)

Wondering in the supermarket,

Their tofu section is a hole isle! that is just heaven if you are a vegetarian!

Very yummy salmon flakes!

Fish balls to add in your hotpot,

some Pokemon fish mix,

In the supermarket a cartoon saying sorry for the counter being closed :)

Walking around Harajuku,

We found a Tamagotchi store! apparently they are still going strong in Tokyo!

You can even get some Tamagotchi donuts,

Harajuku girls!

Couldn't ´t resist taking some pictures of the beauty products!

The moment everyone was waiting for! Antonio cooking ehhehehe! Toshi taught Antonio how to do some yummy Onigiri! here are some pictures of the process,

Antonio taking the rice out of the machine and spreading it in order to add some yummy spicy tuna flakes,

very serious trying to get everything compacted hehehhe

The tricky part! Making it in to a triangle format!

success!!!

The Geek Mecca: Akihabara

In the Akihabara neighborhood you can find everything from volumes and volumes of manga, manga dolls of all sizes and shapes!  a lot of games for every console alive! and of course the very strange Maid Cafes! 

Nintendo 3D :P

Some classics! 

Antonio´s best friend while growing up! :P

This Sega consle should almost be in a museum! 

Collectors little dolls in tiny bathing suits,

The big dolls! which you buy basically naked and customize to your own taste.. and the main target here is not little children.. but grownup men! 

So! about the maid cafes! Its basically a cafe shop were the girls serving are dressed like maids and their primary job is to talk with the customers... which are mainly men! and of course serve them some expensive cafe :) 

Here you can see one of the maids trying to recruit... mainly Men to their cafe shop, 

We had of course to have some colorful food! a peach and pineapple bun! 

What you see in Akihabara is the contrast in the Japanese society, everyone very organized and rule obeying and on the other hand they have this wonderland for grownups full of little dolls and manga about school girls :P 

Incredible meals in Tokyo! Pumpkin Duck you have competition!

So far in our trip the most incredible meal we had was the amazing Pumpkin Duck in Seoul.... but in Tokyo we had some incredible meals as well!!! The Pumpkin Duck has some tough competition!!!!

One of the most impressive meals we had was the Fugu fish! Which is the poisonous blow fish that only special restaurants have a license to serve. The most incredible aspect of this dish is that you eat every single bit of that fish! 

It´s all about freshness,

Our traditional table,

We started by eating the flesh of the fish,

While waiting for the hotpot to warm up! This one is quite diferent! They use a special kind of paper that is able to contain the hot water,

Some Fugu sashimi, 

Every single bit of the fish to put in the hotpot.... some of them were still moving :P

Some vegetable and rice noodles go next in the hotpot! by now the water has the Fugu flavor!

Some sake with the fin of the Fugu!! You don´t waste anything from this fish!!!!

cooking the yummy veggies and tofu!

Our wonderful hosts!!! Akiko and Toshi :)

At this moment you might think! there is nothing else to eat! the fish is gone! as well the veggies... but the broth is still there!! so what do they do! they put some rice and a egg and cook it! you get a super flavour yummy rice!

The second competitor against Pumpkin Duck is the amazing Monjayaki! SO! how does dish work! you have a hot plate in front of you and the cook comes and does this kind of pancake/omelet! and after you need to scrap-it out of the hotplate and eat it! :) 

They yummy ingredients!

The cooking process,

Ready to scrap-it out!

It looks kind of funny but is really tasty!

For dessert! green tea batter and red bean paste!

yummy!

These meals are so amazing! not only because of the food but the hole process! While the food is cooking you are enjoying your time with your friends. An these meals are all about sharing with everyone around the table!