One of the most exciting things for me when moving somewhere new is checking out the kinds of shops and places that are nearby. My current apartment has a lot more places than where I lived before. So, over the past few months since I moved, I have been checking out various shops. I have been particularly interested in places where I can eat out.

While there are many chains, there are also many other places to eat out. One store called ‘Tora Tora Ice’ usually serves summer treats but during this season serves toasted sandwiches of two kinds; ones with some kind of meal theme (in the blog picture = chicken nanban) or dessert toasted sandwiches with ice cream. Another unique place was a local izakaya. When I went there, I was surprised to see not only cat / dog goods everywhere around the room, but even a real cat freely walking around. The owner loves animals, and inside was mostly themed around them. The last place I want to mention is not a place to eat out, but a bakery near my apartment. It’s called ‘Hermes’. I liked the shop before I moved to my current apartment, and now I live so close which is a nice bonus.  

One of the reasons I’m so interested in places to eat around my apartment is probably because of where I grew up. I may have grown up in a city, but my suburb only had one shop. It was a dairy; a corner store that sells basic foods like bread, milk, snacks, and so on. It isn’t a place to eat out. Some of the nearby suburbs had takeout, but there were few choices. Having so many choices is fun, and it can save the stress of cooking every day. My biggest problem is that while I now have many choices, It can be expensive, and I’m also very indecisive…..