East Tokyo is for anyone in need of an opt-out from the mess Shibuya/Shinjuku can sometimes be. (My walk through Geidai and Ueno Park, with a quick stop at Scai the Bathhouse, often ends at this rickety house.) Ask for the 2nd floor for the wall of art books and a rotation of artwork on display. An egg sandwich (which has its own history here), “milksēki” (a Japanese Taisho-era egg-based version of a milkshake) or rice bowl will send you back to the age the place was established.
-LANA TRAN
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