Yum. That's all I can say.

In good ol' Mike Fish style (he writes me these tomes from Sri Lanka, and I swear the whole things consist of how good Sri Lankan food is...), I'm going to let you in on a little secret. There is something I'm going to miss desperately about Japan. (shh! don't tell!) Here is just a sampling:

Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu. Kaitenzushi. Tonkatsu and ebi fry and all things crispy-fied. Curry Rice straight from the shokudo. Poifulls, Hi Chews and Pur. Agedashi Tofu. Curry Udon in extra large size. Okonomiyaki (though Janesta just doesn't put out). Kareage. Daikon salad. Ramen with seasoned boiled egg. Japanese-style pizza (which has oddly grown on me, despite the lack of crust and insistence on seafood topping). Yakisoba. Croquette. Those little hot dog sandwiches. The ICU Pan-ya and good ol' Shinri. Soft cream (sesame and squid ink flavor?). Ice cream crepes. Dita. Gyoza. Steam cake (sweet love straight from the bini). Mayonnaise flavoring. Pipin' hot! Fried rice. Takoyaki turned from sheets to balls before your eyes. Imagawayaki (filled with creamy). The list goes on and on.

The point isn't that you can't find these things in the States; undoubtedly these things are all SOMEwhere, in Little Tokyo or Uwajimaya or something. The upsetting thing is that they're EVERYwhere here, and I will miss walking down the street, hungry as hell and following my nose to the nearest ramen shop. Or tracing my fingers over every last option at the conbini, because where else can you get such delicacies at a 7-11? Storming the streets of Kichijoji, plastic foods beckoning from every window.

Above all else, it is my mouth that will miss Tokyo.