Welcome Tokyo travelers to another installment of “Gaijin Gourmet” or “Great places to eat in Tokyo for Super-Cheapskates (like me)” written and researched by me, Mike Rogers, cheap-bastard connoisseur extraordinaire and one of Japan’s top Gaijin experts on good tachi-gui (stand up and eat) soba shops.I’ve been doing these specials shows for your folks who will be traveling to Tokyo for the Tokyo Olympics and don’t want to spend $500 (USD) for a Tuna Sandwich every time you need to eat! (OK. $500 is a bit of an exaggerration… Writer’s privilege and all…)
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a shop named Shinetsu near Gaienmae Station.
This place is excellent soba for the price!
Shinetsu, interestingly, is located right next door to one of the finest (and most expensive) Italian restaurants in Tokyo: Sabatini. I thought that was funny because a fine Italian dinner with some Italian guys singing the same old 8 songs over and over right into your ear at your table as well as wine for two next door at Sabatini can easily run ¥50,000 yen! ($600 USD)
Whereas Sabatini is great for expensive Italian, so is Shinetsu for delicious cheap-assed soba! But, I reckon if you were going on an important date with that special someone or planning to do something stupid, like say, propose marriage, then Sabatini is probably a better bet. Just a guess….
Or, if you have a sense of humor, you could tell her that you are taking her “Someplace special. How about something realy special like Sabatini?” When she smiles and says, “Oh, Brad!” You know you’ve got her! (Get it? It is like Sabatini; they are both near Gaienmae station exit #3)
Bwa! Ha! Ha! If she doesn’t walk out on you when you walk into the stand up soba, then you’ve found a real keeper!
This meal with cold soba, inari sushi
and tempura topping for ¥540 and it tastes pretty delicious!
Two people can eat excellent soba and toppings freshly made on the premises for ¥1,200 (the water is free and all-you-can-drink!)
Extremely clean kitchen!
And, as usual, a spotless kitchen is a must for me and you can see into the kitchen from the counter at Shinetsu. The tempura and all toppings are made on premises and the soba is good quality for a extremely reasonable price.
Don’t bother going there right at lunch time between 12:00 noon and 1 pm on a weekday, because there will be a line and there’s no place to sit… Er, I mean, there’s never any place to sit anyway – so it’s not good for a first date – but fantastic for a quick lunch for the businessman or traveler on the run!
The place is about a 30 second walk from Gaienmae Station Exit 3.
At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
We’re back for the Top 3 Videos for May 25, 2015! The Top 3 Indies artists videos for the week!
Today’s first band, the Dirty Fences, are a charming lot from Brooklyn New York. Consequence of Sound says, “Brooklyn outfit Dirty Fences’ debut full-length, Too High To Kross, is an unabashed throwback to ’70s punk rock. Aping straight from The Stooges and Ramones, Dirty Fences fly along on fuzzy riffs and fast drums …”
“The Motobunny band members come from established rock acts, including The Love Me Nots, The Seeds, The Woolly Bandits, Zero Zero, Tongue, DeCry, The White Demons, and The Sonic Thrills. They have all performed extensively in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia, including performances with X, Iggy Pop, The Damned, The Dirtbombs, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, New York Dolls and Franz Ferdinand (as well as) official SXSW showcases, and two features in Fender official promotional videos. Motobunny band members’ past and current rock projects have been reviewed in SPIN, Little Steven’s “The Coolest Song in The World.”
Next up is another band that debuted on my radio show many months ago (PLEASE COME LIKE MY RADIO FB! https://www.facebook.com/WhattheFunday76.1). This week’s #1 is Darlia. I think these guys are going to be huge.
Wikipedia says:
“Darlia is a British rock band from Blackpool. Formed in 2013 by former schoolmates Nathan Day and Jack Bentham, along with Dave Williams. The band have toured supporting Gerard Way and The Wombats, played Glastonbury Festival and Reading Festival, as well as being part of the NME Awards Tour 2015.”
Finally! Today’s freebie. Today’s giveaway is from one of my very favorite Japanese Rock Bands, The Neatbeats. This band is about to celebrate 20 years of rocking Japan as well as annual tours of Europe. One friend asked me to describe the Neatbeats in just a few words and I told them, “The Japanese Beatles” and that’s a massive compliment. These guys are the real deal; no AutoTune, no digital equipment; everything done analogue in their own studio filled with 40 and 50 year old antique equipment. I know, I’ve been there and have seen it with my own eyes! Check them and you’ll see too; these guys are hot!
Well, that’s it for this week! See you next time. Keep rocking!
ARTISTS! SEND ME LINKS TO YOUR NEW VIDEOS! I WANT TO SEE THEM AND HELP PROMOTE YOU!
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Also these Top 3 Video posts are sometimes getting tens of thousands of hits per week. Need proof? Do a Google Search for “Top 3 Videos” or “Top New Artists Videos” and you’ll see Robot55 on page one! blowing away MTV, Billboard Magazine, Billboard, Niconico Douga and all the rest.
At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
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(At top, me holding the poster for the “Ventures Final Show in Japan.” I did drink with Don Wilson – the guy who is second from right – the one that looks like Rock N Roll Santa Claus. How could I forget that face? Nice guy.)
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This is a short post about some guys who really inspire me. You know them as “The Ventures.” They were huge in the sixties all over the western world.
They are still big in Japan…
Here’s what Wikipedia says about the Ventures: “The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling instrumental band of all time. In 2008, the Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their instrumental virtuosity, experimentation with guitar effects, and unique sound laid the groundwork for innumerable groups, earning them the moniker “The Band that Launched a Thousand Bands”.
While their popularity in the United States waned in the 1970s, the group remains revered in Japan, where they tour regularly to this day. ”
It’s true. The Ventures are still big in Japan.
May I brag? I have drank with Don Wilson at a rip-off bar in Roppongi before… I think that must have been in about 1988 or 1989. I have a photo around here someplace… If I can find it, I’ll put it into this blogpost. Don was a nice guy and the boss of the bar was kissing his ass the entire time I was there and Don put me on the guest list for the show… (So, how could I forget, no matter how drunk I was? And I mean, how many people look like Burl Ives or a a Surfer Santa Claus?)
And don’t really remember too much from that night excepting that Don was a nice guy, soft spoken, and I drank too much.
We drank Dom Perignon and it was outrageously expensive (I remember that). And I didn’t have to pay anything, they paid. I was blown away that they would pay for some shitty DJ in Japan’s drinks….
I vaguely remember the bar’s name, and I have been by there in the last few years but it is now gone.
Good riddance.
I think it was like ¥90,000 (almost a thousand US dollars) for a few bottles of Dom Perignon and some snacks. What a rip off! Thank God my girlfriend and I didn’t have to pay!
Anyway, like it says, the Ventures are still big (sort of) in Japan to this day. So big that they are actually having a “Final Show.” Well, what the hell? I guess so, I thought all the original members were dead?
Anyway, a Final Live, they have!
It’s kind of like my Punk Band when I was a youngster: every show we played was our “Final Show” (or “Last Final” or “Totally Final” or “Really, We’re Not Joking This Time, Final” or “Seriously, the Final Final.”)
But this just goes to show that if you have a brand and a name and an image, you gotta stick with it and live the dream.
The Ventures are playing Japan (again!) and the tickets are ¥6000 each! Holy Shit! That’s $50 (USD) a pop! And the venue they are playing at The Mozart Hall at Katsushika Symphony Hills Mozart Hall and that place holds about 1300 people! You do the math: $50 x 1300 = $65,000 to go to Japan and play one night? Why not?
And that’s not to mention what they get selling merchandise and a bunch of money from sponsors.
Is that cool or what?
So, well, the point is that:
1) Ventures are still big in Japan.
2) The Ventures can still come here and get paid to play and have fun.
3) They must all be in their late 60s or early 70s yet they can still tour the world and be treated like Rock Gods in Japan.
4) They probably still get to go out drinking in Japan and spend $1000 a night yet some rich Japanese person picks up the tab.
Scoff all you want… But you won’t find me disrespecting these people.
They rock! They have lived the true “Rock and Roll Dream.”
I wish I can do the same when I’m 70 years old! Don’t you?
NOTE: Holy Shit! I just found out that Don Wilson was born in Feb. 1933! That makes him 82 years old as of the writing of this article! Wow! What a wonderful life! And he is on his final tour of Japan! You rock Don!!!! You are a hero!
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At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us!contact@robot55.jp
So you’ve made a video for your business or service or company, but nobody watches it? That happens a lot.There’s absolutely no point in making a video if people aren’t going to watch it.
And just making a video and putting it up on YouTube or wherever and not promoting is the best way to make sure no one sees your video.
So, why doesn’t anyone watch your video?
The other day, I was directed to a video by a friend for a new health product. It seemed that my friend wanted a similar video. When I saw that the video had been online for one month, yet it had been viewed on sixty times, I asked my friend why he wanted a video like that?
Of course, not getting a lot of views (or vice a versa) take a lot of factors, but here are the most important reasons your videos do not get lots of views:
1) Nobody Watches Your Videos because they are crappy and of low quality sound or image. I can help you there. Here is some free information:
Go to: Video Tips! Make Your Own Video For Your Business For Free! Pt. 1 (www.robot55.jp/blog/video-tips-make-your-own-video-for-your-business-for-free-pt-1/) Start at part one and go from there. There are 4 or 5 parts that will give you free advice from a professional on how to make your videos MUCH better! (More links below!)
2) Nobody Watches Your Videos because they are too long. Research data shows that the optimum video time for business videos on the internet is 30 seconds or under. 60 seconds is really pushing it. From: Business and Social Media Videos? Keep it 30 Seconds! 60 Seconds at Most!〜会社紹介動画は30秒か60秒がおすすめ robot55.jp/blog/business-and-social-media-videos-keep-it-30-seconds-60-seconds-at-most/
“According to research data by Visible Measures, the internet video audience measurement service: “20% of all your viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer.”
That means, we must get the message out about what you or your business is about within the first 5 ~ 10 seconds.
The same data from Visible Measures shows that: “… by 30 seconds, you will lose about 1/3 of your viewers! 45% of all viewers will be gone by 1 minute…” Then it drops off a cliff. “You will lose 60% of your viewers by 2 minutes.”
#3) Nobody Watches Your Videos becauseno one can find them because you gave your video a title or tags that are basically worthless
Duh! If people can’t find your video, then I suppose it’s pretty sure they can’t watch them. If your video has a poor description or title, then that’s the best way to make sure no one sees it. Having good tags and descriptions will also help people to find your video. Having a good description or tags also helps your video to pop up if someone is watching a video with similar tags.
#4) Nobody Watches Your Videos becauseno one can find them because you don’t have a blog or a Facebook or Twitter (or other Social Media) account that directs people to your video.
Putting a video on the internet is a great idea. But just uploading it to YouTube and that being the end of your efforts, is a complete waste of time. Making your video, editing and then placing it on YouTube is just the beginning; it is merely 1/2 of your effort. The next half of your effort must be in promotion. And that isn’t just one day of promotion, you’ll need to make a concerted effort for weeks, if not months.
Things don’t happen by magic.
Think about it, if they made a Star Wars movie but didn’t tell anyone about it… How many people would go see something they don’t know about, excepting by accident? Not promoting is a sure fire way to fail.
#5)Nobody Watches Your Videos becauseeven your own staff are not involved with promoting the video and you don’t cooperate with the right people.
This is a very long subject, so I’ll keep it short. Take Facebook for example. Even if you put your video link on Facebook, you still need to build a buzz about it. Every single one of your friends and staff need to click “Like” on the video… You too. You need at least 9 “Likes” to have your post shown to more than a few % of your friends.
But not only that, your video cannot get a wider audience without more “engagement” from people. “Engagement” means, “People not just clicking ‘Like’ but also adding comments or sharing.” Get friends to agree to comment on your posts. You do the same for them. You also share each others posts whenever necessary. This will greatly increase your “engagement” and, in turn, Facebook will show your posts to more people.
Well that’s 5 Tips on Why Why Nobody Watches Your Videos on YouTube tips for today. I’ll have more in the next coming weeks, but this is an entire 1 week course in college on this subject..
At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
Hi! Today marks three months of Top 3 Videos! おめでとうございます！Congratulations! This is the lucky #13 of this series…. With such a lucky number, then I’d like to launch the “Weekend Edition of the Top 3 Videos” of the best of the new and independent artists. Number 13 is our lucky number!
Let’s kick off the party with a cool number from 1979. You are an oldie if you remember this one. Lene Lovitch with Lucky Number. She’s pretty – kinda weird. Reminds me of one of those silent movie actresses. Cool!
Why independent artists? Well, because, and it’s pretty simple; the major label stuff all sucks.That’s why.
It’s not my fault. It just does.
So without wasting time on BS, let’s get the the coolest new music out there!
First up is a new band named “Killmama”! This is a guy and girl from Florida. Besides that, I don’t know anything about them excepting that they ROCK! Dig this? Go “Like” their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dontkillmama
Next up is a band that has become a regular on the Top 3 Videos countdown; taffy! I LOVE TAFFY! As of the writing of this article, taffy is touring the UK and are about to go to the USA.
#2 Taffy – Dr. K https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clYrx4VaZRc
This week’s #1 is touted as “True American Rock N’ Roll” and HELL YEAH! It’s a band named “Motobunny.” Can I give you information about this band? No. I cannot. The only thing I know is Rodney Bingenheimer has been playing them on KROQ Los Angeles. And, if it’s good enough for Rodney, then it’s good enough for me!
Finally! This week’s Freebie. And it’s Japan’s own “Buzzcocks,” they are known as the Privates and they’ve been rocking people’s socks off for 30 years! I love this band! It’s like every “Pebbles” and “Nuggets” band put together with an original touch.
Japanese rock stars and Ken Nishikawa and Mike Rogers …..That’s me and Ken from Robot55 getting too drunk with Su Ko D Koi, The Watanabes and Nobu from the Privates!
ARTISTS! SEND ME LINKS TO YOUR NEW VIDEOS! I WANT TO SEE THEM AND HELP PROMOTE YOU! YOU CAN BE ON THE TOP 3!!!!
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Artists! These Top 3 Video posts are sometimes getting tens of thousands of hits per week. Need proof? Do a Google Search for “Top 3 Videos” or “Top New Artists Videos” and you’ll see Robot55 on page one blowing away MTV, Billboard Magazine, Billboard, Niconico Douga and all the rest.
At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
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It’s Thursday! Tonight is the night! Every Thursday night at 11 pm (Japan time) on Niconico Douga is the smash hit animation “Ninja Slayer from Animation.” This show received well over 1 million views in its first week!
Inside of “Ninja Slayer from Animation” is the show we create at Robot55, “The TV Show!” The TV Show (ザ・TVショウ）Features Furukawa Taro and Mina Shirakawa.
Tonight, May 21, 2015 will be the 6th episode of the show! Tonight’s show just might be the best one we’ve made so far! (But I say that every week!). The fan reaction has been amazing and I thank you all. We are about to make a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT concerning “The TV Show!” soon, so stay tuned.
Please tune in tonight. You can watch live for free here: Try either link!
There’s a Ninja Slayer from Animation trailer below as well as the trailer for the TV Show below. But we hope to see you watching tonight.
Psst! Don’t tell anyone, but tonight’s guess is Morimoto san from the awesome Japanese rock band, “Electric Eel Shock!” This band kicks ass and is hilarious to boot!
At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
Ladies and gentlemen, and those of your foreigners coming to Tokyo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, I have an announcement to make! I have come to the conclusion that the best salad bar deal in all of Tokyo is at my new favorite Rock N Roll diner, Big Boy. The Salad Bar is ¥590 (about $5 USD) for all you can eat!
Big Boy at Futakotamagawa!
In fact, besides an incredible deal on the salad bar, Big Boy might be the best place to drink beer too!
How so? Read on…
When I was a high school student living in the west in the mid seventies, we often went to Bob’s Big Boy. It was cheap, er, I mean, inexpensive and the food was great.
American style large comfortable seating… And, instead of Japan’s J-Pop Hit Parade of Hell, they actually were playing American 1950s and 1960s Rock Music so that’s worth the price of admission!
I didn’t even know they had Bob’s Big Boy (called simply “Big Boy”) in Japan until the other day. I found one, not 5 minutes walk from my house. It is in the opposite direction of the station, so I had never even once walked by it in over ten years. I did the other day when I went for a stroll and what a stroke of luck!
I walked in and checked the lunch menu. I couldn’t believe it. A full lunch set that includes soup and curry rice and white rice for only ¥680!? (about $5.66 USD – and there’s no tipping in Japan!) Who, on a budget, in their right mind would ever go to any McBurgers, when you can get a balanced meal for that price? The lunch set that includes the salad bar and the soup and rice and curry rice (all you can eat salad and rice and curry!) is only ¥960!!! (About $8 USD).
Incredible deal for the whole family! How do these folks stay in business? What a great deal!
My wife tried one of the set menus and she was very satisfied! The hamburger was great and the fried chicken was miles away better than Kentucky Fried Chicken!
Since I have gout, drink too much and am trying not to die soon, I try to eat very healthy if I can. I always try to away from fried foods (and cooked foods) generally because of too much salt, etc. I checked the salad bar menu and prices and that was when my jaw dropped to the floor!
“¥590 for an all-you-can-eat Salad Bar??? Was this a mistake? Was I reading this wrong? ¥590 for an all-you-can-eat salad bar????!!!!” Incredible, but true. I ordered that and loaded up on the veggies and fruits! I ate 5 plates of that!
It was heaven!
I had been going to a place that charged ¥1,980 for the all-you-can-eat salad bar. That is nice too, but Big Boy has a great salad bar at less than 1/3 that price and the salad was fresh and delicious! What a fantastic deal!
This has to be nirvana for vegetarians and salads eaters like me in Japan!
If you aren’t hungry and you just want to sit down and have at the all-you can drink bar then it is only ¥290!
And, finally, the plat de résistance! During weekdays, after your first beer, all your next beers are all half-price! One beer is ¥500 (about $4.17) but the next ones are all half price. So if you drink like me, then you’ll have at least 4 beers. 4 beers on the weekday special will be ¥1250. That’s about $10 USD for 4 beers! Unbelievable!
And there’s no table charge! Think about it, I can go in and sit down at a table and drink 4 beers for ¥1250 (about $10 USD)! That is unheard of!
Also, besides the set menu, Big Boy offers side menus of fried calamari and french fries and all sorts of little snacks that you can wash down with beer! (I recommend the calamari & french fries… They were quite excellent and only ¥290 yen!)
The real test for my family is taking my son to any restaurant. He is a VERY picky eater and generally doesn’t like eating out, excepting at a few (very expensive) restaurants. We took him to Big Boy and he loved it and gave it 9 out of 10 points… (Thank you God!)
That’s not the first time he’s given 9 out of 10 to a restaurant, but was the first time he ever did that for a restaurant that didn’t cost me at least ¥15,000 (about $120 USD) for the three of us. He had calamari & fries, a delicious Auusie beef steak from the dinner menu, all-you-can drink and ice cream dessert; my wife had a ¥960 set menu and all-you-can drink with a dessert; I had the salad bar and all-you-can drink; the damages? ¥4,200 (about $36 USD) for the three of us!
Simply amazing; good, clean restaurant. Delicious food at a very reasonable price – and Rock N Roll music to boot!
If I were you, I’d get over to Big Boy and try out the salad bar and beer deal ASAP.
It’s simply the best deal in Japan!
I give Big Boy 5 out of 5 stars. When a head of lettuce costs ¥260 (about $2.25 USD) at the local grocer, but Big Boy can give you all-you-can eat salad at ¥590 (about $5.05 USD) why go buy groceries?
How do they do that????
You’d better get over the Big Boy soon, because, the way I eat salads, they are going to go bust because of me! Get into this great deal while you can!
Bob and I are now buddies again!
The Gaijin Gourmet: The Best Salad Bar Deal in Tokyo at Big Boy – My Favorite Rock N Roll Diner!!!
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Looking for more great deals on cheap eats in Japan?:
At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
(Photo above: Danny from the world famous Japanese band, the 50 Kaitenz, unknowingly posing with me – Mike Rogers – for the Gaijin Gourmet at Hamazushi!)
Looking for the best places to eat and dine in Tokyo and Japan before the upcoming Tokyo Olympics? Welcome to the Original Gaijin Gourmet!
Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle (unlike thick wheat noodles, known as udon). Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.
It takes three months for buckwheat to be ready for harvest, so it can be harvested four times a year, mainly in spring, summer, and autumn. In Japan, buckwheat is produced mainly in Hokkaido. Soba that is made with newly harvested buckwheat is called “shin-soba”. It is sweeter and more flavorful than regular soba.
In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of settings: they are a popular inexpensive fast food at train stations throughout Japan, but are also served by expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy. Some establishments, especially cheaper and more casual ones, may serve both soba and udon as they are often served in a similar manner.
Soba is the traditional noodle of choice for Tokyoites.
Yude Taro is my favorite Soba place in all of Tokyo. This restaurant is very inexpensive and the quality and taste of the food is unbeatable!
In many places in Tokyo the Soba Wars are in full swing. Let me introduce you to what I think are the major players at Hanzomon on the Hanzomon Line. Leave the station at exit 5 to find both of these battling warriors within sixty-seconds walk from each other.
The first one is Yude-Taro. Just across the street from exit 5 as you walk out the station. In my opinion, Yude- Taro is the Empire of the Soba Shops; it is cheap, delicious and clean; the others pale in comparison.
Yude Taro is spacious, extremely clean and has seating enough for you and a entire troop of Imperial Storm Troopers.
They have both seating as well as standing room. Don’t bother going there right at 12 pm until 1 pm on a workday, the place will be packed!
As you can see the kitchen is extremely clean.
Buy your food tickets from the machines outside. The staff who handle your food never touch money.
The trump card for Yude Taro is that the soba noodles are made on the premises. This place is cheap but just as delicious as a shop that costs twice the price. I have also read that a man who is considered an expert on Soba said in an interview that he thought Yude Taro was the “Best Soba in Japan.”
Large Zaru soba (¥320) with Wakame (seaweed) total is ¥390. That’s about $4.70
Wide menu that even includes curry rice and, of course, fried foods.
That’s the boss of this branch of Yude Taro in front of a spotless kitchen and freshly fried veggies and fish.
….. And now, to the rebel base!
The next place that isn’t quite as tasty (in my opinion) as Yude Taro is Komoro Soba (about a 45 second walk around the corner). BUT! Komoro Soba is cheaper by about ¥30 ($.50) a plate for the soba. If you are on a budget, then maybe Komoro Soba is for you. The exact same menu of Large Zaru soba with Wakame (seaweed) is ¥390 at Yude Taro (about $4.70) but at Komoro Soba it is ¥310 (about $3.90)… Now, if you are a cheap skate bastard like me, that makes a difference – ESPECIALLY when you are eating this healthy and wholesome food everyday for a week or a month!
Komoro Soba
To go to Komoro Soba, you need to walk out of the station and turn left (and left again at the corner) instead of walking across the street to Yude Taro)
The soba alone is ¥290 at Komoro Soba (about $3.68) while it is ¥360 (about $4.60) at Yude Taro. Yude Taro tastes a bit better (of course, their noodles are made on premises, but it depends on your pocketbook if it is worth it or not. And, unless you’ve eaten soba a lot, you might not be able to tell the difference!)
Komoro Soba is also extremely clean with plenty of seating.
Kitchen is spotless too (I love Japanese restaurants!) Here is a photo of a clone making soba.
As usual, the machines sell the goods and so these are not the droids you are looking for (unless, of course, you want a great meal for a great price!)
Map of the galaxy (Hanzomon)…. Go and seek.
There is no try. There is only do or not do.
Do try these great places to eat. May the force be with you!
At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
Once again, it’s time for the Top 3 Indies Artist’s videos for the week of May 18, 2015…
But, before I get started, I’d like to say a sincere “Thanks” from Ken Nishikawa, Ayumi and me to you and all of those who came to our Robot55 Facebook page and gave us a “Like.” We really do appreciate it.
Two weeks ago, we had a little bit over 400 “Likes” and in the last two weeks, we’ve jumped (thanks to you music fans, musicians and your friends) to 570 “Likes.” So, once again, thanks so much. The more people who “Like” our FB page, Twitter page or subscribe to Youtube, the bigger and better this countdown will become and it will be seen by more and more people.
On that note, did you know recent survey data in Japan of over 20,000 young people showed that: “…people 13 to under 29 …. only 11% had a TV in their bedroom; less than 6% had a radio (those must all be people over 25). But over 97% had a smart device or PC.”
What that means is that young people are not getting their new music from the radio or TV, they’re getting it from the Internet…. Duh! For more on that refer to: Data on Young People in Japan Show Extremely Difficult Times Coming for Old Media (robot55.jp/blog/data-on-young-people-in-japan-show-extremely-difficult-times-coming-for-old-media/)…
But, enough of my yapping! Let’s get to the music!
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OK. BORIS. BORIS as in “all capital letters BORIS.” Watch this and I’m sure you’ll say the same thing I did when I first saw this video, “Holy shit!” This stuff can peel paint! Here’s what Wikipedia says:
“Though relatively unknown in their home country, a recent series of reissues on US label Southern Lord Records has seen their popularity in North America increase dramatically, even gaining them widespread recognition in the mainstream music press…. Boris opened for Nine Inch Nails on part of the fall 2008 segment of the Lights in the Sky tour.”
A Japanese band opened for Nine Inch Nails?! WTF? Screw your head on tight, cause here they go:
Next up is a band from Australia, that used to be called Brigitte Handley and the Dark Shadows (a band I fetaured on the Top 5 a few years ago. See that video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpQdzehvGvc) but now is just called “The Dark Shadows.” German’s Static Magazine wrote: “Now it is time for something DIFFERENT. Take gentle and dark melodies, combine them with loud and fast punk rock, add some sound of guitars and believe me the result will throw you for a loop. You will find yourself in a delirium you can’t (or just don’t want to?) escape. That is The Dark Shadows.”
This week I was in a quandry as to what to do about our #1 song. But then my friend Gav, sent me this:
This week’s Top Uk albums chart. What?! Eureka Machines at #3? Wow!
Eureka Machines at #3? Incredible! OK, that’s good enough for me! You know, success can’t be argued with. These guys have hit on something so who am I to argue with them? Heck, if I knew what 17-year-olds liked, then I wouldn’t be writing these “Top 3 Videos” countdowns! If I knew what young people wanted to buy, I’d be a rich bastard living on a yacht in the Caribbean! But, alas, I am not. So back to the countdown!
At #1 is the new band, the Eureka Machines. They are a British pop-rock band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2007. The band is fronted by Chris Catalyst (of The Sisters of Mercy fame.)
Finally, this week’s オマケ！The EXTRA SPECIAL! And this is their 2nd time on the Top 3 and probably at least five times on the countdown over these past 2 years. Taffy is a band fronted by an amazingly talented singer named Iris. Currently they are touring the UK and will be in the USA so if you can see them live, do it. This band is going to be huge! Don’t beleiev me? Well watch the video and check their Facebook page, they have over 78,000 “Likes”!…. WTF??????
Taffy are the best band I have found in the last few years. A band like this only comes around once every 10 or 20 years. Check it!
EXTRA SPECIAL! Taffy – So Long https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWm2HbXDBDc
ARTISTS! SEND ME LINKS TO YOUR NEW VIDEOS! I WANT TO SEE THEM AND HELP PROMOTE YOU!
Well, that’s it for this week! See you next time.
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Also these Top 3 Video posts are sometimes getting tens of thousands of hits per week. Need proof? Do a Google Search for “Top 3 Videos” or “Top New Artists Videos” and you’ll see Robot55 on page one blowing away MTV, Billboard Magazine, Billboard, Niconico Douga and all the rest.
At Robot55 we make Top 3 videos and Top 3 New Artist videos and other video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
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This is going to sound like a paid advertisement, but it’s not. I think I have found the best, most delicious and cheap sushi in all of Tokyo and it’s called Heiroku Sushi in Okachimachi right next to Ueno.
Why do I think this is the best place in Tokyo? Well, everything is ¥140 a plate. What? “That’s not special!” you protest? True. It’s not. But the difference is that Heiroku Sushi is always packed (don’t bother going there between 12 ~ 1 pm or at dinner time after 5 pm until about 7:00 pm; there’s a huge line of people to get in.)
“But what’s that got to do with it?” you ask? Well, that means that since this place is always packed, they sell a ton of fish everyday so the fish is extremely delicious and fresh! Not to mention that Okachimachi is only a step and a skip away from the big Tokyo fish market at Tsukiji! This place has the best sushi for the price I have ever seen!
Don’t believe me! Here’s what my wife, who is Japanese said, “I love this place!”
Outside of Heiroku Sushi near Okachimachi Station
Heiroku Sushi is directly under the Yamanote Line tracks, from the South Exit. You can’t miss it.
Here’s the address of Heiroku in English and a map:
Two soon-to-be-happy customers enter Heiroku Sushi
Heiroku Sushi filled with customers – as usual
My favorite: Kanpachi!
The kids love this place!
Heiroku Sushi has extremely friendly staff!
I love the rolls!
Three of us go there and always eat to our hearts content and it’s always been less than $30 (USD)!
Heiroku Sushi Sushi Train
There is one thing you should know, though. Heiroku Sushi is always so crowded that the sushi conveyor belt is going by really fast.
I’ve taken many friends there and everybody raves about it whether they are foreigners or Japanese alike! Heiroku Sushi gets 5 stars + for price and delicious quality!
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At Robot55 we make video productions for businesses and services and products, but we also pride ourselves on making videos for art and music. Our starting price is ¥70,000 and we are sure we can work out something that fits your budget. Oh, and we love making band videos too! Contact us! contact@robot55.jp
This meal with cold soba, inari sushi 
