I first arrived in Japan in 1997, when memories of the bubble years were fresh and Tokyo was known for its frenetic nightlife and high prices. Back then I don’t recall anyone using the term “kosupa” – an abbreviation of the English words “cost performance,” which means “value for money.”
If the search for kosupa has since become a pastime, its more austere cousin “setsuyaku” (economising) is something of a religion, highlighting how years of deflation and flat wages have turned Tokyoites into master bargain hunters.
While I have covered elections, the Olympics and the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, I’m mainly responsible for Reuters business coverage, a job that leaves me constantly amazed at Japan’s ability to tighten its belt, even when it seems there’s no belt left.
Here are a few tips. Some, I hope, offer kosupa:
Record value: Tokyo is one of the best places on earth for second-hand jazz records. The better stores tend to have vast selections, generally decent prices, and vinyl that’s in excellent condition. I’ve bought decades-old LPs with nary a scratch on them. Some of my best finds? A well worn but still luminous copy of The Red Garland Quintet’s “Soul Junction” discovered at a long-gone shop near Yurakucho for around 3,400 yen ($22) and a pristine, 45 RPM limited edition of Bill Evans’ “Waltz for Debby” unearthed at Disk Union’s Shinjuku jazz store for around 11,650 yen ($75) – by far the most I’ve ever paid for a record.
Dig in: The definitive Tokyo food is sushi, which emerged as a kind of fast food during the Edo period from the 1600s to the mid-1800s. But on cold days and late nights, I’m more partial to ramen, a Chinese import refashioned and elevated by Japanese sensibilities. Available in plenty of varieties, ramen is almost always best accompanied by a plate of plump gyoza, dumplings (also from China) that in Japan are pan fried, making them crisp and brown on one side and soft and juicy inside.
Mutekiya in Ikebukuro is a longstanding shop known for ramen topped with thick and juicy slices of chashu pork. It’s popular with foreign tourists, so expect a queue.
To read: Like many people who stumbled into Japanese literature in the days before Haruki Murakami became internationally renowned, my first exposure was through Yasunari Kawabata’s masterpiece “Snow Country”, whose famous opening line “The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country” illustrates the novel’s beautiful restraint.
Every few years I return to “The Roads to Sata”, a travelogue by Alan Booth, an English writer who walked the length of Japan. Fluent in Japanese, Booth was both a prodigious drinker and a student of Japanese folk songs, the latter presumably perfected while practicing the former. His deep affection for Japan and its people, as well as his staggering talent as a writer, shine through on the page.
World-class jeans: Japan’s knack for perfecting imports extends to denim, widely considered among the best in the world and highly sought by fashionistas. Prized selvedge jeans, which are made using traditional looms, start off stiff but fade and crease wonderfully over time, becoming a one-of-a-kind pair with a lived-in fit.
Local (and pricey) brands includeMomotaro Jeans and Oni Denim. Edwin, which has been making jeans for decades, sells rainbow selvedge jeans at its flagship store in Harajuku for around 18,700 yen ($121). A budget-friendly option is Uniqlo, which sells a sharp pair made from Japanese selvedge for just under 4,000 yen ($26).
Take a plunge: Sentos, or public baths, have been on a slow decline in Tokyo since the late 1960s. These days many Japanese tend to prefer to indulge in communal bathing at hot spring resorts or “super spas” rather than the neighbourhood sento. Still, Tokyo is dotted with some great ones, like Tatsumi-yu in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa and Kohmeisen in Nakameguro, both of which have outdoor baths, saunas and cool-water baths.
Getting away: Thanks to one of the world’s best public transport systems, day trips from Tokyo are easy, and often involve less hassle and cost than driving. Nikko is famous for its natural beauty, particularly in the autumn when the leaves turn colour. In the winter, the hot springs of Hakone are just a quick train ride away. And in the summer, Tokyoites – particularly those with money – traditionally escape to the cooler resort town of Karuizawa, where John Lennon also spent some summers with Yoko Ono.
DATA POINTS
Great coffee: Iced or hot at Heckeln, near Toranomon, 400 yen ($2.60)
Popular sneaker: Onitsuka TigerMexico 66, loved for their sleek profile, 15,400 yen ($100)
Priceless sunset: 45th floor observation decks of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Free
Largest university: Nihon University, 74,000 undergraduates (David Dolan/Reuters)
You must be logged in to post a comment.