i just got back from Tokyo too!! (spent Dec over in asia)
Tokyo was one of the most enjoyable cities ever!! i rarely ever step into a city and proclaim, "oh, yea..i can live here" except the fact that i would be illiterate..or speak it. but i bet i could pick it up!!
we stayed in Shinjuku. effen fun!! great food, but being on a budget, we didnt do any big fancy meals. we tried to stay "divey" but Tokyo didnt really do dive joints. BEST TONKATSU i have ever eaten in my life. i ordered a pork tonkatsu with a braised tomato topping. ordered it by watching another patron eat it. i just pointed at the picture on the menu. if i could, i would have loved to shimmy next to the cook and see just what the heck he did to make it so darn good.
and knives? like you i didnt even look at them. i found the knife shops kinda intimdating actually. i couldnt ID even the most basic things like types of steel. i wanted to buy some stones, but again, i was crushed by the language barrier. but that fish market was amazing!! the knife shops were so loaded with inventory. and they all had that well worn sharpening station right out front. super cool. i did snap some pics.
my BIL is there right now. he is with a person that speaks japanese. i gave him a list of stones i would like and a comfortable working budget. lets see how this plays out. if not, i plan on being there next year. again..the month of Dec.
