Hippari This is not a big place. This is not a fancy place. But, this is a VERY gaijin friendly place. I always go there when in Nikko. It is small, with one 'big' table to the left of the door and three smaller ones to the right. What makes it distinctive is the hugh collection of meishi (business cards) and signed papers on the wall - in many languages I can not even RECOGNIZE! (While I only speak English, I can recognize a few words in a dozen or a score of different languages, so that should give you a guess at the place.) During my first visits, the walls were covered with big poster paper where people signed, but slowly that is being over taken by the much smaller but ubiguitous business cards. The menu is pretty straight forward Japanese, big bowls of noodle soup (Ramen), little sticks with meat balls on then, etc. The menu has been translated into English - sort of! Mama San speaks noEnglish (or any other language than Japanese), but is friendly and there never seems to be a problem.
I remember the last time I played tour guide (now that is a story in itself! Here I am, an American, ex-military officer, to boot, and the last TWO times I played tour guide the visitors were from RUSSIA! An American tour guide to Russians in Japan - are we living in a world finally coming to peace!) Anyway, as I was saying, the young man was a fellow member of Mensans in Japan (also an article about me in the MIJ Newsletter), showing his Mother around. We were sitting, eating, when we heard his name being called! Another MIJ walked in with a friend. (These friends were from Findland!) Starting to sound like the United Nations? Mind you, we were the only customers in there at the time!
To find the palce, it if you continue up the street toward Toshogu Shrine from either the train station or the information booth (described here- Nikko) it will be on your left before you reach the Sacred Bridge. It is about 3/4s of the way from the Stations and 1/4 of the way from the Bridge. Their phone # is 0288 (53) 2933 - Japanese ONLY! Map, further review and better directions coming soon.
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