We had a little bit of unexpected snowfall at the start of March. This has happened a few times now in recent years, and there is always a big contrast with how the weather is at the start of the month compared to the end. Unlike where I grew up in Northern Ireland, there is a definite distinction between all the seasons in Japan – not only in terms of the weather, but also the food that is sold in the grocery stores and special seasonal items that are only produced at certain times of the year. 
Old school vibes in Hakuraku, a small neighbourhood not too far from Yokohama – not to be confused with Harajuku! 
A nice tonkatsu set. On the weekends, we usually get up early, work out and then go for a walk somewhere. Lunch is our favourite time to eat out. 
Sashimi, tempura and lots of other stuff – including a nice pot of tofu simmering in a spicy broth. I think our eyes were bigger than our bellies here 🙂 
Soup dumplings with black vinegar. You put the dumpling on the spoon, pierce it with chopsticks and then suck out the soup before eating it. 
Cravings for pho. Vietnamese food is okay in Tokyo, though not amazing. This place was full of Vietnamese customers which was a good sign, but it is crazy that this probably cost about 4 times more than what it would in Vietnam. 
Soup curry from a place in Ebisu that serves medicinal soup curry with lots of unusual herbs. The little puff balls are little potato dumplings. 
Walking past Joel Robuchon in Ebisu. We ate here about five years ago. 
Beneath a watchful sky, the road unfolds 💙 
The flowers and laundry gather to catch up on the latest local gossip ☀️ 
At the start of April we spent some time up in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. I will share some photos from that trip in another post at some point. It was nice to be out in the middle of nowhere, and I really like that part of Japan. 
Ichinoseki in Iwate 
Is it wrong that I bought this pineapple simply because the sticker made it look cute? Good marketing on their part, it worked! 
April saw spring explode into life, with greens and flowers popping up everywhere. 
I posted some sakura photos from this year in an earlier post: https://ikimasho.net/2024/04/13/from-tokyo-with-love-sakura-2024/ 
Thank you for following, and wishing you a happy and healthy jump into spring and summer!
IKIMASHO! 
Just read your email with the pictures. What a great way to start my Sunday. Thank you..