Above, akieasonal Vegan Ramen—100% vegetable-based broth, fresh seasonal vegetables, charred cauliflower, wheat noodles blended with lotus root—from Afuri, a great ramen chain with locations in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Portland, Oregon.
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Asahi + rice cakes in Yoyogi.
Above, sake barrels on the path to Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi; Emas—wooden plaques on which you write your prayers and wishes—at Meiji Shrine; in and around the shrine. Below, Afuri Ramen.
Testing out the Google Translate app (pro tip—download the appropriate dictionary before traveling for offline translation on the go).
Above, Takeshita Street and the Mocha Cat Cafe; below, Cat Street (unrelated), Line Friends in Harajuku and Purikura stickers from Line.
Below, views from Cerulean Tower and Tatemichiya—the awesome punk rock izakaya frequented by one of our favorite artists, Yoshitomo Nara, who’s drawn all over the wall behind us (photo by Justin Lamb, and there’s a nice photo set of the place and its owner on The Selby).