00:00:03 John Daub: Hello everybody! Welcome to Kayabacho, here in Chuo-ku, the central ward of Tokyo. How you doing? I'm going to take you on a neighborhood walk. What am I doing here in Kayabacho? This is an area not too far from where I live. In this episode, the neighborhood walk connects with Hachobori, a place I went to about four or five months ago. I introduced you to that neighborhood. Just over there is Shinkawa, another neighborhood with some history.

00:00:35 John Daub: This is a chance for you to walk around, and maybe this is where you stay in a hotel. Kayabacho actually means a kind of grass, a place filled with grass. Kaya is the town back in the Edo period called Minami Kayabacho—Minami meaning south. It was the type of grass used for thatching roofs on old Japanese houses. They had these thatched roofs made with really strong grass. That was this area, right outside Edo Castle walls. Now it's famous for businesses and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which we're going to pass in about five minutes.

00:01:28 John Daub: That's about all the history here. But if you live or stay here, besides the thatched grass and the Stock Exchange, it's very convenient—close to Tokyo Station and central in Chuo-ku, the city center of Tokyo. Lots of alleys we'll explore, and it's famous for izakaya (Japanese pubs) with massive food menus because bankers and business people come to eat after work. The last thing they want is to go home to their wife's—or husband's—cooking. Office ladies, salarymen—tons of places to eat. This is Japan after all.

00:02:38 John Daub: Here's another entrance to Kayabacho Station. The expressions are salaryman and office lady—OL for the ladies in the office. Hey, thank you—he watches the show, very cool. To get here, take the Hibiya Line or Tozai Line. Pasmo cards during the pandemic, although I might have them on demand. I've come here many times for the tax office since I own my own business in Japan. They move the tax offices often.

00:03:47 John Daub: If you go straight, you'll see Eitaibashi. I want to do an episode on the bridges of Tokyo—they're beautiful with history back to the Edo period, like London's bridges on the Thames. That's a story not many tell, so I better tell it. This is Eitaidori or Eitai Avenue—sign across the street to Eitai Bridge, very beautiful. I'll show it in an episode in a couple weeks. I'm using a new gimbal, a little shakier than the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 we called Chelsea because she was moody like a viewer's ex-girlfriend—no offense to Chelseas.

00:05:03 John Daub: Lots of fancy businesses here—like Kao, a company that makes soap or chemical products. This way takes us to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Pre-2008, this area was booming with bankers and money everywhere. Then after the Lehman Brothers shock, banks collapsed, buildings had for-sale signs, and it was deserted—especially around the Stock Exchange. We're going to take a quick look.

00:05:56 John Daub: Hey, mailbox! Important—I have a postcard for Christopher in Maryland. Thank you for signing up to the postcard club yesterday. And one for the people in Chiba Prefecture I took a photo with—I forgot earlier. That's domestic, that's international. Kiki's here—do not forget to hydrate. There's not a lot to see—lots of alleys, some historical buildings. But during World War II, this area was heavily bombed and had to start over, wiping out family businesses.

00:07:12 John Daub: They set up the Tokyo Stock Exchange here—it goes back to the 1880s, but the current building is from the 1960s or before. Kayabacho connects with Nihonbashi—if you go straight, you reach Tokyo Station, convenient for Shinkansen. Getting a hotel here is not bad. That blue line is for bicyclists. I've been riding on the road more—it's against the law to ride on sidewalks, though police do it. As long as you're not super fast, it's okay. You're supposed to ride with traffic for safety—like on Rollercoaster Bridge. Helmets aren't popular here, even for rentals—for better or worse, be careful.

00:08:32 John Daub: We're heading to the Tokyo Stock Exchange—this is the main Kayabacho intersection. Lots of weird laws. Blue lines for bikes—you see that bicycle rider? Supposed to go with the cars. Aloha! Not jumping on that garbage truck. Ryan's in the house—which Olympic sport? Maybe baseball or synchronized swimming. WX Turbo received your postcard—postcards moving fast this month. My neighbor—all right, we're close to the Stock Exchange. If you're a stock trader, this could be a highlight.

00:11:16 John Daub: Red Fusion, thank you for the kind words—this is the next best thing to being in Japan. You're walking aimlessly, getting lost in Tokyo. Arman, thank you—your subscription paid for Adobe Premiere Pro. Here it is—the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Down to the last 20 postcards—we sent out 400. This is where they shout "take my stock, take my money!" Like Ferris Bueller's Day Off at the Chicago Commodities Exchange. Tokyo Stock Exchange—cool, I touched it, now wash hands. All cash changes hands digitally now—no one goes in the building. Closed today?

00:13:30 John Daub: This ends this corner of Kayabacho—straight ahead is another neighborhood. Tokyo neighborhoods are close together. Let's hit some alleys, focus on Kayabacho, then maybe a convenience store for a drink to stay hydrated. Very convenient for staying—highways right here. Hakozaki entrance is five minutes away for north to Tohoku or Narita Airport. Hakozaki has T-CAT buses (Tokyo City Airport Transportation)—more expensive at 1700 yen with foreign passport, but empty, quick, comfortable, straight onto the highway. Kanai and I taxi there for Narita in under an hour.

00:15:12 John Daub: Tokyo Stock Exchange building—not that exciting, post-1960s. Older one was cooler. This gimbal is shakier—ninja walking and still wobbly. Smooth Q2 won't last. Business area with hotels, convenient, quiet with work-from-home. With live streams, you never know what'll happen. Little park here—you hear the semi (cicadas)? They latch on trees and fly at you—creepy. First time in 1998 in Okazaki, dangerous walk to work. Hakozaki 300 meters that way, and Shutoko (Tokyo expressway)—insane, scary to drive. I'll do an episode.

00:18:09 John Daub: Kayabacho Hashi bridge—Shutoko right above, built 1963 pre-Olympics, rushed and ugly. Covered the canals, making it dark and dingy. Tokyo's like Amsterdam—a canal city from Edo period for commerce by boat to Sumida River. After 1964 highway over canals—sad for a traditionalist. Imagine a highway over Nihonbashi or London Bridge—darkens it. Udon restaurant here, yakiniku next. Pork "bacon" around asparagus, karaage—getting hungry. Shochu at this izakaya—maybe Kanai and I come back. She doesn't drink alcohol.

00:21:28 John Daub: Tempura for udon at Hanamaru chain. Torotama bukkake—grated yam and raw egg with soy sauce soup—English not appetizing, but cheap under $4. "Cold soup" sounds sad—needs better names like gyuniku ontama bukkake (beef and soft-boiled egg). Takeout available—should I get one? They have kuroke kare (black curry). Audience says udon fine, but baguette dip sandwich? Homemade tamago sando (egg sandwich), katsu sando, onigiri. Yoshinoya here, airport bus to Narita—empty. Back for udon?

00:25:21 John Daub: Mexico mango sandwich—massive, full mango! Ima no Fruits Factory—peach, fruit sando, grape sandwich ($14), Shine Muscat (premium Yamanashi grapes). Fig (ichijiku) sando. Audience mixed—Kanai likes mango, so getting that. Udon every day at home, but tamago sando? Menu: gyuniku udon, shiobuta (salty pork negi), ontama bukkake with hanjuku tamago (onsen egg). Getting ontama bukkake cold.

00:30:04 John Daub: Bukkake udon, S size takeout—cold. Thank you. Gimbal got freaky inside. To the park with cicadas—Urbann, this is cold soup with egg. Sorry for the shaky ride—pride in premium, but this gimbal's done. Under the bridge for social distancing. Mosquitoes! Got bit—really don't like this gimbal. Forgot the egg—just plain cold bukkake udon. Grated daikon (Japanese radish) good with soy. Udon noodle so wide—beautiful, fresh. Japan eggs fresh, no refrigeration needed—eat soon. Safe raw eggs here, even raw chicken (torisashi).

00:37:23 John Daub: Udon my favorite—simple with tempura. Mango and grape sando intriguing. Getting a drink—thanks Betty. Famima (FamilyMart)—signal loss inside. Mask for others—reusable, washed three weeks. Environmentalists relax—nobody perfect. Hawaiian coffee, pistachio au lait, keema curry. Roast beef horseradish, wraps. Getting pistachio milk—how do you milk a pistachio? Creamy, nutty, 4.7%—good stuff. Itadakimasu!

00:44:43 John Daub: Ramsay Silence—getting Kanai mango sando, confirm which. Another Kayabacho Station entrance—Kao office, izakaya. Straight to Tokyo Station. Kanai wants mango—going back live. Pistachio fighting daikon and udon. Kuro Neko (black cat) delivery carts—shoutout Sagawa too. Luxury fruit: watermelons 5000 yen, Shine grapes 1300 yen, tiny Saga tangerines. Mango sandwich heavy—full mango!

00:50:21 John Daub: Rap music inside—cool shop. Kanai, on the way—thanks Suzette, Ramsay, community. Eitaibashi direction—bridges episode at sunset, great for UK/Europe, awful for US. Started live stream up ahead. Cafe menu boring—bubble teas, iced coffee okay for chill. Avoid Cafe Veloce—worst coffee, smoking. Kinko's printing mask signs, distancing—only in Japan, paper still king. Sushi lunch 1000 yen bargain—otoro, uni, ikura upgrade.

00:54:19 John Daub: Not far from Tsujiri. Jaywalker—freeze! Pigeons weird. Kanai's mango sando—heavy, full mango, little cream. Loves mango—thanks for buying. Kayabacho mini adventure—convenient to Tokyo Station, Nihonbashi, Ginza, Ningyocho, Sumida. Edo grass for thatch (Minami Kayabacho), now Stock Exchange. Watch playback, subscribe, support Kickstarter fireworks—11 days, near 40k, two live shows, stretch goal 5 million yen. See you next live stream—thumbs up!