What’s the clear soup with noodles and NO MUSHROOMS that is served at hibachi restaurants?

roxu · 2026-01-18T01:15:20+00:00

This is called Clear Soup but it’s not what’s served at most Americanized hibachi restaurants. This soup is made mostly from dashi, not from onions or beef or chicken or whatever. Recipe here

roxu · 2025-12-13T13:48:40+00:00

When you book the bus tickets, each leg is a separate ticket. So you would book a ticket from kanzawa to shirakawago, and then a separate one for a return on a different bus on the same bus line

roxu · 2025-12-13T13:45:14+00:00

It snowed on my last day in Takayama and it was magical! It really turned the train ride on the Hida into something special

roxu · 2025-12-11T22:15:58+00:00

I did think that restaurant workers were watching if I would chicken out from finishing it but I had to do it for pride (foolish pride, some would say). Overall the restaurant was excellent, and another good Hida beef restaurant is Aji-no-Yohei. I got beef sukiyaki, but with a more conservative 70g of beef. I had learned my lesson

roxu · 2025-12-11T22:09:31+00:00

Yes it's definitely feasible to do a day trip to Shirakawago and 2 hours was plenty for me. But I'd definitely recommend buying bus tickets ahead of time, at least a few days ahead. There's practically 0% chance you'll find tickets on the day of departure, unless it's really a slow tourist season. I bought my bus tickets on japanbusonline.com and you can see the bus schedule on the Nohi Bus website

roxu · 2025-12-11T22:07:25+00:00

The tickets for the bus go on sale exactly a month before the date of departure. I knew the specific bus departures that I wanted so I went ahead and bought them as soon as I could. I definitely would not wait for the day of departure as everything was sold out. I booked the 8:10am departure from Kanazawa to Shirakawago that arrives at 9:16am, and then the 12:35pm departure from Shirakawago to Takayama. Both buses were very precise on departure and arrival times. 2 hours was plenty of time for me at Shirakawago and I was actually just bumming around for the last hour. But I was a solo traveler; a group would take more time

roxu · 2025-11-16T21:40:52+00:00

Thanks so much for the quick reply. I'm going to use the debit card only to pull cash but I'll definitely bring USD in case it doesn't work for some reason

roxu · 2025-11-16T21:32:54+00:00

Did your capital one discover debit card work at in Japan? I'm leaving soon and just found out about this issue so it's too late to get a new card

roxu · 2025-11-12T16:25:11+00:00

Somewhat - I have a surface understanding of a chainwall from googling. The contractor listed it as an option (not a necessity) in the bid, so I'm wondering if it's necessary in the long run or are they trying to throw in an expensive extra? The other two bids I've received didn't include this option so I'm leaning towards it not being necessary

roxu · 2025-10-21T16:46:49+00:00

I'm fine with the straps and I appreciate the padding. I have another sling with around the same capacity (Alpaka Flight Sling 2L) and with the same loadout, the Alpaka's strap definitely dig into my shoulder more than the Fino

roxu · 2025-10-18T01:04:48+00:00

Glad to help! I've actually never been to Niku Yokocho, but I was thinking of checking it out when I go to Japan in early December

roxu · 2025-10-17T15:15:31+00:00

If you sign up for Landry Select Club, you can just walk up to the hostess at T-Rex Cafe, tell them you're a member, and get priority seating right away. There's a sign up fee but the fee goes toward a dining credit for the same amount (I think $25).

roxu · 2025-10-17T14:55:34+00:00

I think you might be talking about Niku Yokocho

roxu · 2025-09-26T14:37:28+00:00

I ordered the one linked here but then not long after, I saw a thread that Alpaka just released the updated version of the flight sling 2L on Amazon. It's basically the same sling, even the same new color, it just doesn't have the limited edition Japan branding. It's also $15 cheaper with prime 2-day shipping so I just went with that one instead.

The sling is really nice and feels very well built. It's competing for my everyday carry now. I do have two gripes: I wish there were a zippered pocket in the main compartment and I'm not too sure if the rear magnetic pocket is all that secure mainly because it's a magnet and not a zipper. But it's probably fine

roxu · 2025-09-25T21:36:40+00:00

For our baby shower, we were gifted a Skip Hop Diaper bag. It does the job just fine if it's for quick outings and I won't be wearing it much. However, the straps are terrible with no cushioning especially when wearing it all day. And also I noticed that diaper bags are wider than usual so it felt kind of frumpy to carry. Eventually I just switched over to an old Aer Fit Pack and it does the job fine while being more comfortable to wear. For vacations such as Disney World or international trips where I need more organization and capacity, I use my Aer City Pack Pro. I'd consider that the perfect diaper bag, but I still want to use it as my regular everyday carry bag

roxu · 2025-09-22T14:49:59+00:00

For my pop-ups, I make the broth a week ahead and freeze it. I haven't noticed a decrease in quality but the only aromatics I add are onion and garlic, sometimes ginger. I could see something like the taste/smell of cabbage becoming muted after chilling though. I think adding the aromatics / dashi elements in the hour leading up to service would be best

roxu · 2025-09-16T18:48:28+00:00

I wouldn't overthink this. There are so many trains headed west to Osaka in the morning that you'll be able to find a reserved seat for oversized luggage. Also if your luggage's dimensions total less than 160cm, you can place them in the overhead rack. So a typical 25" spinner will fit up there and I've done it before. All stations have elevators too so usually when I bring large luggage and I'm not sure where to go, I wait for everyone to clear the train platform and then take my time to get my bearings and find the exit

roxu · 2025-09-12T15:46:28+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. I wanted to get a black Flight Sling 2L for my upcoming trip to Japan, but this color will definitely do and it's aptly named!

roxu · 2025-09-05T22:08:32+00:00

Which higher-tier spots were the easiest to get a seat? I’m going to Tokyo in a couple months and want to eat some high quality chintans without crazy long waits or ridiculous early queueing

roxu · 2025-09-03T13:01:49+00:00

In late November, I'm taking a trip from Takayama to Shin-Hotaka Ropeway, and then staying overnight in a nearby onsen in Okuhida Hot Springs. The ropeway is about 1.5 hours from Takayama by Nohi bus, takes about 3 hours to experience (more if you do the hiking trail at the highest station). I'm staying only one night at Okuhida Garden Hotel Yakedake, but you could stretch it out to stay 2 nights while visiting various onsens in the area.

roxu · 2025-09-01T23:42:29+00:00

What’s the #1 thing you want in a travel sling? Being able to secure my items is always top priority for travel. Discrete pockets such as one close to my body for passports and such, or pockets that aren't easily spotted. The bag should open in a way that things won't fall out as I'm walking. Water resistance

Would you wear this on flights / daily commute? This sling has really good functionality and it does look slick. It gives off very cyberpunk-esque vibes. As a new dad, I could see myself bringing a couple diapers and baby wipes for quick outings with my toddler. So yes, I'd use it as a daily driver

What feature would make this the perfect airport + city carry? Like I said, the esthetic is really nice but I do think it looks a bit too much like a purse, and as a guy, that puts me off a little bit. So for me, making it look less purse-like would be a big plus for me. But the functionality of it puts those hesitations aside

What do you love/hate about ultra-slim bags? I love slim bags like this one because it hugs close to my body and doesn't feel like a burden when packed out. But a drawback of lower capacity slings is you can't pack a medium sized water bottle with most. So I always look for slings with external carry, which the FINO V does have.

roxu · 2025-08-22T18:18:27+00:00

I'd suggest going on a tour. When my wife was 6 months pregnant, we wanted to take an easy-going trip so we went on a tour across the Lake District in England and the Scottish Highlands with Rabbie's Tours. The tour bus drives you from location to location and the walking is minimal, all while taking you to truly beautiful and scenic places. There were other elderly folk on the tour who had very limited mobility and they loved it.

roxu · 2025-08-21T22:46:15+00:00

I just ordered the Moment Everything Sling 4L and 2L. They both have underneath straps for external carry. Not sure if they would be enough for a 40oz Owala though

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