This time, I had a little errand to run and went to Ueno Station Ecute. The errand was to buy a small gift (for work), and as I walked around the various shops in Ecute, I stumbled upon something at the storefront of "HANAGATAYA" - it was Asakusa's Manngandou's "Imokin" (¥1,080)! Imokin... it's my favorite! I was thinking, "Well, I'll go with this for now," but then I suddenly remembered. Yes, the regular Imokin has a shelf life of 24 hours!!! So I had been hesitant to buy it for long-distance gifts. But since they were selling it at this shop, I thought, "Could it be?" I checked the label on the box, and sure enough, the shelf life was 30 days! And it wasn't just regular Imokin, it was called "Thin Skin Imokin." I thought, "Oh, it's a new product with a longer shelf life." So I decided on this as the gift this time! I bought it right away. (But there was also a note saying to finish it on the same day once opened.) * Of course, I handed it out at work, and everyone was full of praise! (Is that an exaggeration? ^^) As the one who gave it out, I felt proud too!!! ^^ But the shop where I bought it, HANAGATAYA Ecute Ueno Store, besides this Imokin, also sells bento boxes and various famous sweets and souvenirs from different places. It's a really convenient shop with a great selection. The next time I'm in need of a "gift," I'll definitely check out this shop first! I thought that they have such a wide range of products! ^^

I had a business trip to Tochigi on this day. I decided to take the Shinkansen from Ueno Station, so I bought a bento at Ecute. It is calmer than Tokyo Station and there are plenty of shops to choose from, which makes it enjoyable. My boss and I looked around and each bought our favorite bento. I immediately liked the Naniwa sushi from Furuiichi-an, so I bought it. At ¥896, it's a great deal. The pressed sushi is lively and colorful with dishes like battera, anago, tamago, salmon, shrimp, takana, pickled daikon, kohada, and crab. The rice is tightly packed, so it's quite filling. I also bought an asparagus and prosciutto salad from RF1, thinking of having it for dinner, but it was so filling that I might not need dinner after all. It's less than an hour to Utsunomiya. I enjoyed it slowly while looking at the scenery outside the window (even though it was raining).

Received the first dose of the vaccine at work. A female doctor told me sternly, "It's fine to take a bath, but please refrain from drinking alcohol." Ugh, so cold. I'm not good with this kind of attitude. "Can I have just a little drink, maybe?" I ask, revealing my true colors. The doctor replied, "I do not recommend it," without any kindness. Well, I guess that's to be expected. Fine, I'll have a day off from alcohol then! I had been planning to enjoy a trip-like experience at home by watching a DVD while eating a station bento, so this might be the perfect opportunity to do so. After getting the vaccine, I checked that "Siumai bento" was in stock at "Sakai-ya" in Ueno station, where I was planning to buy it on my way back from having lunch. But alas, within an hour and a half, they had put up a sign saying "awaiting stock." What a disappointment... So, I decided to check out "HANAGATAYA," a place that sells station bentos. I found it, I found it! I easily got it. It cost 860 yen. The price seems to have gradually gone up. Not good. Until 1998, there was a night train that ran from Tokyo Station to Takamatsu via the Seto Ohashi Bridge, and I watched a DVD of it while enjoying my dinner with the "Siumai bento." I poured soy sauce over the Siumai and enjoyed it. "Siumai" I had before in June, but it had been a while since I had a "bento." It was a long time no see. The taste hasn't changed. The timeless taste. The presentation is still the same as before. "Unchanging" is nice. Really nice. The rice cut into 8 pieces for easy eating. The Siumai, which remains delicious even when cold, along with a variety of side dishes. Overall, it hasn't changed much from before, but I feel like the bamboo shoot stew has become a bit lighter in taste compared to before. I remember it being sweeter and saltier before... The fried chicken is good, and the tuna teriyaki is slightly salty and good. The tamagoyaki looks like a ready-made product from a manufacturer, but it tastes complex and delicious. The green crispy plum stimulates the appetite. The pickled ginger and kelp tsukudani also have a modest presence. The dried apricot at the end. The acidity of this refreshes and tightens the mouth. The night train from Tokyo to Takamatsu, a 10.5-hour journey, cuts the unchanging midnight scenes to about 20 minutes, ensuring a highlight of crossing the Seto Ohashi Bridge, making it a well-structured highlight. Watching the DVD while enjoying the "Siumai bento" was a perfect match. The night train connecting Tokyo to Takamatsu still exists, but all rooms have become private, and it has lost some of the unique atmosphere and emotional appeal of a night train. It is comfortable, but it lacks something. There have been rumors of it being discontinued in a few years, so it might be a good idea to take an early ride to enjoy the nostalgic ride before it's too late, especially for my udon noodle eating tour in Kagawa. Anyway, the long-awaited "Siumai bento" was great. I am completely satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

I was relieved to have successfully bought a cream bun from "Hachitendo" as a souvenir, and all that was left was to take the train back home. As I started to think about how to spend my time on the way back, the idea of enjoying an adult drink came to mind. I found a shop in Ecute that had a variety of bottled beers, but I opted for a canned drink since I felt a bit hesitant about drinking on the train. I came across a familiar brand with "Kagoshima" written on it and decided to purchase it. I boarded the limited express train and chose a seat in an area with no other passengers after checking the reservation status on my phone. I made sure no one was around before I started drinking. Of course, I followed the pattern of removing my mask only when drinking and putting it back on afterwards. Before taking a sip, I suddenly remembered where I had seen this can before, perhaps in a supermarket. As I opened the can, the aroma of sweet potato shochu filled the air. While I am not a big fan of sweet potato shochu, I found the drink surprisingly enjoyable. The can had a message that said, "Sometimes, you just have to go for it," which inspired me to reminisce about Kagoshima and enjoy the drink. I savored the drink, imagining myself traveling to distant places through the flavors of local canned drinks. It was a delightful sweet potato shochu highball experience.

I visited "Hanagataya" in Ecute Ueno inside JR Ueno Station on a certain holiday in April 2021, after 12 o'clock. Hanagataya sells souvenirs and bento boxes. I purchased the classic Sakai Hanakien "Shumai Bento" for ¥860. I took it back to the office to eat. The bento came in a wooden container, with the familiar shumai. I started by trying one shumai with mustard and soy sauce, which was consistently delicious and comforting. The chewy rice was enjoyable, along with the sweet and savory simmered bamboo shoots. The bento had a great balance of side dishes, including seaweed, ginger, fried chicken, tuna, tamagoyaki, and fish cake. Eating the shumai, the rice, and the side dishes was a perfect combination. Five shumai was just the right amount. I was impressed by the perfect balance of side dishes and rice. Just before finishing the side dishes, I had some apricot which had a nice sweetness. I find myself regularly craving the Sakai Hanakien shumai bento. I look forward to eating it again soon. It would be nice if the price could be a bit lower.

"Mini shrimp cutlet burger for eternity / ¥248 - Mini menchi cutlet burger for eternity / ¥151 - Mini fish burger for eternity / ¥216 - The size is just right for onigiri. The shrimp cutlet is plump and juicy."

Working in Tokyo, I got my lunch at Ueno Station! Inside Ecute, there is a place called HANAGATAYA that offers a variety of items, but the twin panda children's lunch box is so cute! The package features a drawing of twin pandas sitting together eating lunch on a Shinkansen two-seater. Inside the lunch box, there are marshmallows with panda prints, along with hamburger, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette), ebi fry (fried shrimp), and Napolitan pasta - a classic children's lunch combination. It was delicious!

On a holiday, I stopped by a shop to buy a souvenir for my family on my way home from work. There were many stores selling sweets inside Ecute, but buying for the whole family can get quite expensive. I buy souvenirs frequently, so if I can find something reasonably priced and with enough quantity for my family, it's a win for me. I bought the "Funawa Sweet Potato Yokan" for 648 yen (tax included), which was cut into exactly 5 pieces. Each person in my family gets one piece. The taste was amazing, as expected from Funawa. It really brings out the natural flavor of sweet potatoes, like they scooped out only the best parts. I am completely satisfied. Thank you for the meal. m(_ _)m

They sell delicious souvenirs from various regions. I bought and ate cookies that taste like Gorgonzola cheese. The name might have been something like Tokyo Cheese Factory.