Family in Japan! Want to eat an octopus.

May 7, 2007 11:54 PM

Family coming to visit me in Japan: My sister and brother both asked me to do one thing each. My sister would like to participate in a tea ceremony, my brother would like to eat a live octopus. Please, any recommendations in or around Tokyo were I can take them. Thanks everyone.

(I've been here about two years and know the city pretty well but have never sought many tourist activities out. Also if anyone has anyother good ideas of places to go, things to see similar to the above, pleae let me know. thanks so much)

Domo!

posted by nintendo to Travel & Transportation around Tokyo, Japan (4 answers total)

tea ceremony: hmm, I remember my Lonely Planet mentioning the major hotels hold regular demonstrations. If you're going to Kyoto I'd recommend looking there tho, since Kyoto is the home of the [Japanese] tea ceremony and is generally more touristy-friendly in this [cultural] department.

Octopus is easy, start him off at a tako-yaki stand and if he can stomach that then start looking for the nama-tako in the Tsukiji area. Most sushi places and general izakaya also have nama tako, though I'm pretty sure Tengu doesn't.

As for touristy things to do:

1) Shinjuku Tocho Building observation floor . . . can't beat free. I like the southern tower more than the north cuz you can see Shibuya and Meiji jingu better.

2) Ginza: Ito-ya, Hakuhinkan toy store, and the Sony Building

3) Odaiba

4) Kamakura day-trip

5) Shibuya area: Harajuku, Daikanyama, etc
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 1:16 AM on May 8, 2007 [1 favorite]

Er, "live octopus"? Raw octopus is a Japanese thing, but it's generally dead. Live octopus is a Korean thing. Not to say you can't get it; there are plenty of places that have it. Just don't want your brother to be confused at why the menus are all Korean at the live octopus place.

For live octopus, the one that I know of is Ojori (page in Japanese, but you've been here 2 years, so I assume you can figure out locations. If not, let me know where you live/etc. and I'll find a location nearby).
posted by Bugbread at 5:14 AM on May 8, 2007

Look for community centres; some of them have tea ceremonies. There are also schools for that sort of thing.
posted by divabat at 5:18 PM on May 8, 2007

Also, if you do find yourself in a Korean place, live octopus is called san-nakji in Korean (sorry, no hangeul on this keyboard).
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:34 PM on May 8, 2007