15 November 2019
Off broadway
Curry for dinner at Nakano
I have been to Nakano at least twice before. It is very conveniently located from Shinjuku, just one stop on the Chuo rapid line. And since I had already activated my use any 5 out of 14 days train pass today to get to Tokyo, I thought I should maximise its value and use a train this evening rather than just hang around in Shinjuku. That was another one of my really poorly constructed sentences.
I really like Nakano. Sure the actual Broadway old shopping centre is very interesting, with all the shops full of anything you could possibly ever want to collect, but also, the surrounding streets are great too. I think theres more little casual restaurants per square unit of measure than anywhere else in Shinjuku. On a Friday night, many of them had lines. Also they were nearly all Ramen places or meat on sticks. I still dont think of meat on sticks as being a meal, so I ended up with curry? That made very little sense I know, but I spotted a curry place I think I went to last time I was here for dinner. I could not quite remember for certain. The place serves you the curry in a metal dog bowl, which is a good sign. I guess I could check now if I had eaten there before... be right back.... yes I did, and I had the same thing! HERE IS THE PROOF! That was from 2012, when I went to Tokyo for a long weekend. I have an amazing memory.
Actually I did something similar involving curry before. In 2017 I found a very weirdly located place called pyramid curry in Kobe that I had previously visited in 2012 also. In 2012 I actually went to Japan twice. I could link those shots of old bowls of brown on rice to prove how amazing my memory is as well.... ok I will.
2012 Pyramid curry in Kobe
2017 Pyramid curry in Kobe
Having such a great memory is a real burden, there are many things I wish I could forget. Repeat curry is not two of them.
Between the station and the place called Nakano Broadway is this covered shopping street. More restaurants than most of these places.
There are many little alleyways running in every direction, lots and lots of restaurants.
Here, another alleyway.
I shall call thee, flashback curry.
This is inside the Otaku area. It has never been busy when I have been there.
A little more Otaku. I like the headphone stores and audio gear stores the best, but it is mostly comics, dolls etc.
It is definitely a popular area, a good mix of everything, old, new, weird, clean and shiny.
The Nakano station is a little weird, you can reach up and touch moving trains as they go past. I do not recommend doing this.
Here is tonights shot of a train platform. Night versions are generally more interesting than day versions. Although this mornings had nice clouds.