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We live in Akasaka. Akasaka was historically an agricultural area, known for the production of akane, a plant used to produce red dye. “Akasaka” means “red slope” and - trust me - it is a slope. I became acutely aware of its essential slopeness when I was pregnant. During the late 19th century, the area developed a reputation as Tokyo's premier entertainment district, largely because of the booming restaurant and geisha businesses that thrived here. We are, after all, conveniently located right next to the government centers of Kasumigaseki and Nagatacho. And who loves geisha more than Japanese government men? There were also a lot of gambling halls. I highly recommend a slim volume called “Memoirs of a Yakuza”, a very interesting and amusing collection of the memories of an aged and dying mobster who survived the bombings of WWII with style. The restaurants here are numerous and many of them are extremely good. We could easily walk to a new place to eat every night and never eat at the same place twice in two years. Of course, that's not what happens, because people develop favorites. It is very expensive here, but it is very expensive everywhere in Tokyo. | ||||||
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