In high school, there was a classmate named "Shime" who wrote "753" but pronounced it as "Shime". I couldn't understand why it was pronounced as two characters even though it was written in three characters in kanji. - "Mozu" is also pronounced as "Mozu" in "Momozu", so it's the same. This is called "Jukujikun", where the relationship between kanji and reading is not one-to-one, but corresponds to the entire kanji. - I also don't understand why "Right" in "Left and Right" is written as "/" just like "Left". In my mind, I want "Right" to be written as "\" and facing right. - By that logic, "Up and Down" makes sense as they each extend above and below the "_", but in this store, due to its long history, "Down" is facing upwards. - Therefore, today's lunch is at #Shimosoya #Shimosoya Shokudo. While walking around Ryogoku, I found a very retro #diner and felt compelled to enter due to its appearance. - It seems to be a style where you choose your favorite dishes from the dishes lined up in the glass case. I chose Mackerel Miso Stew and Zenmai from the side dishes. - When asked about the rice portion, I answered "normal" and chose "Tonjiru" when asked between miso soup and pork soup. It seems to be a pay later system. - Construction workers who came later seem to have chosen a large serving of rice and two side dishes, and their bento seems to be overflowing. - Looking around the store slowly, there was a hearth, Kenji Ozawa's autograph, and posters of Yami no Ushijima-kun, which seems to have been used for filming. - The #mackerel is slightly sweetened with miso seasoning, and when you bite into the ginger that came with it to remove the smell, it becomes delicious again, making the rice go down smoothly. - The Zenmai that followed had fried tofu in it and was sweet and savory in soy sauce, evoking the traditional Japanese dining scene. - The #pork soup has a gentle taste with plenty of ingredients such as #daikon, #potatoes, #carrots, #konjac, and pork. With rice and miso soup also in the bowl, it is very satisfying. - I deeply felt that there is truly a taste in eating in this space. There was a person under the strip of the menu list, so I couldn't take a picture, but there were also beer and alcohol available. - The strip of the menu only had "Boiled fish 300 yen" and "Vegetables 200 yen" written on it, so if you're nervous about the set price, the bill was 800 yen. - Next time, I would like to enjoy it with beer on a day off during the week.

I went to Ryokoku Shimofusa-ya Shokudo. It is a restaurant located next to the entrance of the former Yasuda Garden. The appearance and interior of the restaurant are not particularly beautiful, but it is a great place to take a break while enjoying a drink at a reasonable price. I chose some pre-made dishes to eat. They also have set meals available. I had two appetizers, a complimentary dish, and two bottled beers for only 1600 yen, which was surprisingly cheap. The food was also delicious.

I was drawn to the unique atmosphere of the shop and decided to enter. I visited during lunchtime on a weekday. I arrived a little after 12 o'clock. Even though it didn't seem crowded outside, I was surprised to find the shop completely full. I decided to wait outside because I was sure the food would be delicious. Since it's a lunch shop, the turnover rate is quick, and after about 5 minutes of waiting, I was able to enter. I didn't quite understand the old-fashioned cafeteria system, so I sat down and waited. Then, the owner came over and told me to choose whatever I liked from the items displayed in the shop, and it was a self-service cafeteria. I picked two items, which came with rice and miso soup (you could also choose pork soup). I took my food to the table and started eating. It was seriously delicious, just like the taste of home. The fried tofu and simmered burdock root were amazing. And of course, the miso-marinated mackerel was outstanding. The boiled spinach was just like regular boiled spinach, but tasty. The pork soup, along with the generous portion of rice, cost only 800 yen per person. The portion was huge, the taste was great, and the people in the shop were lovely. It was a truly heartwarming experience. If there was a shop like this near my house, I would definitely visit it often! By the way, the menu displayed in the shop included beer for 600 yen, and there were also options like sake, so it seems they are open in the evenings as well. If I ever come back to Ryogoku, I would love to visit this place again. I highly recommend everyone to give it a try!

It's been a while, but I ended up choosing the same thing as always - mackerel miso stew, plenty of hijiki rice, and miso soup to finish for ¥700 at a cafeteria called The Showa. I like the system where you can pick your favorite items from a showcase-like area and put together your own menu. Thank you for the meal.

I thought the main dishes would be freshly cooked, but they were also just placed there. The grilled fish was cold and tough, not very appetizing. The rice was also hard and crumbly. It cost 700 yen. I don't think I'll go back again.

I was working in Ryogoku on this day, and I had lunch at "Shimosa-ya Shokudo," which used to be a welfare cafeteria in the past. For more information about what a welfare cafeteria is, please refer to the previous review below: "What is a welfare cafeteria? During the post-war food shortage era, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government designated cafeterias for people living on three meals a day outside the home, such as single workers. The purpose was to stabilize the diet and provide cheap and nutritious meals by setting the selling prices. There used to be over 500 cafeterias in Tokyo, but now there are less than 10 remaining." The interior of the restaurant is very cool and nostalgic, with a strong Showa era and post-war nostalgia. It is said to have been used in many movies and dramas such as "Ushijima the Loan Shark" and "Wakako Zake." There are vintage Sofubi dolls displayed on the shelves that would make any enthusiast drool. When you pick your side dishes from the shelves, the elderly lady at the shop will ask you about the amount of rice (large, medium, small) and the soup (miso soup or pork soup) you would like. Once you make your request, your order is complete. The main dishes mainly consist of popular fish such as mackerel, horse mackerel, and saury, with no beef, pork, or chicken. The payment is made after the meal. This time, I had grilled mackerel, simmered fiddleheads, pork soup, and a small serving of rice for 800 yen. The mackerel had a mild and gentle flavor with just the right amount of salt. It was quite satisfying, so the small serving of rice may have been insufficient. The simmered fiddleheads had a sweet and homely taste, and despite being a supporting dish, it had a unique presence. The side dishes were pre-made and served cold, but the pork soup was piping hot with plenty of ingredients like pork belly, carrots, daikon radish, potatoes, and fried tofu, making it delicious. I left deeply satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

While wandering around Ryogoku, I happened to come across a restaurant I had seen on Instagram and decided to go in without hesitation! The walls were decorated with photos of sumo wrestlers and signed by celebrities, making me realize that this was a restaurant frequented by sumo wrestlers in Ryogoku. There were plenty of menu items written on the walls, but I chose a dish displayed on a glass shelf next to the counter and ordered rice and miso soup separately. I had the miso-marinated mackerel, small rice, and pork miso soup. The thick mackerel marinated in miso and the hearty pork miso soup were delicious, and the set with a bottled beer for 1,100 yen was great value for money. Everything was perfect up to this point, but unfortunately, I encountered a situation that made me go "huh" in terms of hygiene. Without that, this place might have received a higher score like others (sweat)

Sumo wrestler town, Ryogoku, has a diner called "Shimoso-ya Shokudo" - exploring local foods nationwide ☆ Ryogoku Minsei Shokudo edition. There are still many such nostalgic shops in Tokyo. I visited on a slightly chilly day. The simple appearance of Shimoso-ya is nice - with plain table seats, round chairs, long fluorescent lights, and a friendly old lady. I like her unassuming and perfect service. I ordered a beer and picked dishes from the shelf. The miso-marinated mackerel was sweet and salty, and it soaked in well. They warmed it up for me. The home-style side dishes are really good. The thick fried tofu and konjac had a gentle and delicious flavor. My friend enjoyed the pork miso soup a lot. She kept saying how delicious it was while slurping it up. She seemed to like it a lot. We also had warmed sake, stir-fried green peppers, and boiled vegetables with miso dressing. I don't usually eat green peppers, but they were surprisingly tasty. We also had more drinks and snacks like eggplant and potato salad. The snacks weren't greasy and seemed good for the body. We relaxed while looking at the old clock and before we knew it, it was just the two of us and the old lady left. It was a great time!

I went to Shimofusa-ya Shokudo in Ryogoku on a Saturday afternoon in search of a set meal. The elderly couple running the restaurant seemed to be very much rooted in the local community. The lady running the place is adorable. The interior of the restaurant is very Showa era. It is designated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as a welfare restaurant, which aims to provide low-income individuals who eat out regularly with affordable and nutritious meals, as well as to facilitate meal provision for the general public during disasters. This retro and rare atmosphere has been used as a filming location for various movies and dramas. They have a system where you can choose your favorite side dishes. I picked mackerel miso, deep-fried green peppers, and simmered taro from the glass case. I also ordered rice and miso soup. Payment is made after the meal. The restaurant has a nostalgic feel with a concrete floor and various autographs from celebrities like Ozaken and sumo wrestler Hakuho, which tell the history of the place. The customers are diverse, including fathers with children, solo female diners, and even a family with what seemed to be grandchildren on that day, all enjoying their meals. The elderly couple seemed to adore their grandchildren and would engage with them whenever they had a moment. The grandfather even offered a boiled egg to his grandchild to make sure she was full. The little girl was clearly cherished. Oh, the grandfather has a piercing, which seems a bit out of place. I poured myself another cup of tea from the kettle by the stove. Even in such a place, you can feel a sense of nostalgia. As for the taste, I think it's on the sweeter side overall, which suits the taste of people from Edo (old Tokyo). The green peppers were generously coated with sweet miso sauce by the lady, and the simmered taro was based on a soy sauce with lots of sugar. The mackerel miso was large and satisfying, and both the rice and miso soup were served in bowls with generous portions. The miso soup was full of ingredients and made with white miso. The elderly couple, who enjoyed drinking sake and eating during the day, seemed satisfied as they left their seats. By the way, the price was exactly 1000 yen. After taking a moment to rest, the lady sat at an empty table, took care of her grandchild, and arranged the finished side dishes in the glass case. She was busy but had a humorous and lively demeanor. It felt like stepping back in time to the Showa era in this space. It was a comfortable place that brought out the child in me. I left the restaurant after reminiscing about its 90-year history. Grateful to the lovely couple for providing a delightful time. Outside the Ryogoku Kokugikan, there seemed to be a concert by a voice actor group called OrePara today, as young fans were wandering around. I returned from the Showa era to the Reiwa era.

Both countries are not just the Kokugikan. This is the saba-miso and nasu-miso stir-fry at the Tokyo Metropolitan designated welfare canteen, Shimosawaya Shokudo, located in Ryogoku. Today's workout was planned at a gym in Ryogoku, so I came here. While Ryogoku is famous for the Kokugikan, the century-old canteen tucked away next to the arena is also well-known. The system of choosing dishes from the cupboard is like a traditional Showa-era public canteen. And all this for only 770 yen is fantastic. The saba-miso is simmered slowly with white miso, resulting in a deep and rich flavor. The nasu-miso stir-fry also pairs perfectly with white rice. It was a delicious meal.

Next to the Ryogoku Kokugikan, there is one of the few remaining "Tokyo designated welfare cafeterias," called "Shimosa-ya Shokudo." You can choose your favorite side dishes from the shelf. I picked grilled salted mackerel (300 yen) and miso-stir-fried eggplant (200 yen), with a large serving of rice, miso soup with seaweed and tofu, all for 750 yen. The strong flavors make the rice go down easily. The atmosphere of the restaurant is truly comforting. I love this cafeteria.

-Saba miso simmered & eggplant & tonjiru (800 yen) Visited on a weekday at 12:18. 3 groups of customers already seated, no customers waiting. The restaurant is called Shimofusaya Shokudo. I happened to pass by the front of the restaurant and thought it had a traditional look, so I looked it up and found out it's a historic diner. I visited the restaurant on another day. The history and other details can be found in other reviews. You can choose what you want to eat from the showcase at the back of the restaurant and they will place it on a tray for you. Fish options include grilled fish, simmered fish, miso simmered fish, and more. They added miso to the miso simmered fish before serving, and reheated the grilled fish for me. There are about 10 types of vegetables to choose from. You can choose between tonjiru or miso soup. The prices are written on strips of paper. I enjoyed the delicious saba miso. It had a slightly sweet miso flavor, not too salty. The eggplant was also flavorful and delicious. I ended up wanting more rice because it was so good. The vegetable side dishes are served in large portions, so it's difficult to choose a variety. I'm curious about the other options as well. The bell peppers, for example, looked incredibly appetizing. The showcase selection system allows for quick service, and the variety of vegetable side dishes can be cooked in large pots and stored, reducing waste and making it a sustainable restaurant with minimal waste. (Having been in business for 90 years, they have already achieved sustainability.) Don't forget to return your dishes after your meal. I look forward to visiting again. Thank you for the meal.

I really like the nostalgic Showa-era atmosphere of this diner, so I decided to visit again. I couldn't decide what to order, but since the fish dishes are delicious here, I chose the simmered mackerel with miso and hijiki seaweed. I was happy to see that they had pork miso soup, so I ordered a small portion of that as well. I also opted for a small portion of rice. All of this only cost ¥700! It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I chose my favorite side dishes from the showcase: grilled mackerel and horse mackerel, simmered mackerel in miso. The mother asked if I wanted pork miso soup or rice, in medium size. She said we can pay after finishing the meal. It's nice to eat lunch slowly in this time-stopped space, savoring each bite. The total bill was 800 yen. I wished I could have a beer.

This is a revisit. On this day, I chose two types of blue fish. The old-fashioned dining room is just the same, with a nostalgic feel as you pick from the case. The atmosphere is also good. I had marinated mackerel and salted and dried horse mackerel. The marinated mackerel was very delicious. It was a relaxing meal. Thank you for the feast.

I had always wanted to try dining at a nostalgic-style cafeteria. When I entered, there was a neatly displayed menu on the wall that looked very appetizing. The system was to choose your favorite items from a glass case and then pay at the counter. I remembered that there used to be many cafeterias like this in the past, and it felt nostalgic. Before I knew it, I had chosen a double portion of fish, but I didn't regret it. The old lady even gave me a pickled plum as a service, and it was delicious. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

There is a dining establishment in Ryogoku that has been around since before the war. It often appears in scenes from TV dramas and movies. The location is past the Ryogoku Kokugikan, next to the entrance of the former Yasuda Garden. The retro building has been around since before the war, with the sign "Shimosawa-ya Shokudo" missing a letter. This is a popular dining spot, designated as a Tokyo municipal welfare cafeteria. The dining experience is self-service, where you choose your side dishes and then order your main fish dish at the counter. You also specify the amount of rice and whether you want miso soup or tonjiru. I ordered saba-miso (mackerel simmered in miso) as the main dish, and healthy side dishes like simmered kombu (kelp) and thick-fried tofu. I opted for tonjiru instead of miso soup. The portions were quite generous, so I chose a small serving of rice. The saba-miso cost 300 yen, and each side dish was 200 yen, which is very affordable. The portions were quite substantial, and one side dish was enough. The saba-miso was delicious, with the flavor soaked into the fish. The fatty mackerel was cooked perfectly, and it went well with the rice. The simmered dishes were also sweet and tasty. I thought I had taken too much, but the deliciousness made me finish everything quickly. They also seem to have beer and sake available, which I will try next time. Payment is made after you finish your meal by bringing your tray to the counter. And that's it. Thank you for the meal.

During a quiet afternoon just before the start of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, I finally visited the Gesoyashokudo restaurant located between Ryogoku Kokugikan and the former Yasuda Garden, after being disappointed by its closure during my MJS days. The restaurant is run by a veteran white-haired mother, but surprisingly, a 60-year-old chef with a black surf look and a left ear piercing was handling the cooking in the kitchen. Despite it still being early for lunch, there were already three groups of customers, with two groups enjoying beer and side dishes, as well as rice. Another customer, who seemed to be a market buyer, was chatting with the mother and the chef while having his meal. The menu consisted of grilled fish, simmered fish, simmered dishes, and natto. There were no fried dishes, and the only meat option was pork soup. Alcohol choices were limited to large bottles and local sake. I selected the following items from the menu: - Large bottle of beer (600 yen tax included) - Grilled salmon (300 yen tax included) - Stuffed bell pepper (200 yen tax included) - Simmered eggplant (200 yen tax included) I also added a cup of local sake. The chef occasionally came out of the kitchen to chat with the mother and the market buyer, discussing topics such as the lack of change in customer numbers during the Sumo Tournament season, the nearby pachinko parlors frequented by certain sumo wrestlers, the high price of potatoes due to a poor harvest, and the upcoming festival season. Overall, the food was satisfying despite the lack of meat options, and I would definitely like to revisit this unique restaurant with a slightly ominous atmosphere due to the Ushijima-kun posters on the walls.

When sumo season is about to start, I tend to get off at Ryogoku station because I see the banners. As I get off at Ryogoku station, I am greeted by Chiyonofuji, Musashimaru, and Kaga station with their big banners welcoming me. Even Hakuho feels nostalgic now. There seems to be a crowd in front of the Kokugikan for some event, maybe the unveiling of the championship banners of those three brothers who won their first championship. Next to Yasuda Garden, there is a building that doesn't seem well maintained, like a neglected cultural property. There is a surviving old diner called Shimosa-ya Diner, which is not as popular as Nogata Diner or Nagano Diner. The building looks like an abandoned house, but people still go in. Inside, there is a glass case with various side dishes made by an old man, which you can combine with rice and miso soup to make a set meal or pair with beer. I wanted to eat grilled fish, but there was only mackerel, which looked like a food sample but was real. I wanted freshly grilled mackerel, so I flaked it, added dried tofu and hijiki, and put it on a rice bowl, like a breakfast at a guesthouse. There are many restaurants with white signs like "○○ Diner" scattered around, but Shimosa-ya Diner is like a modern version of them, focusing more on the Showa nostalgic interior and exterior rather than the food itself. It seems like this nostalgic atmosphere is popular in movies and dramas.

For lunch on this day, I revisited "Shimosa-ya Shokudo" for the first time in about 2 years. It is located a 3-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station West Exit. It is a popular diner tucked away on a back street behind the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Established in Showa 7 (1932), the very existence of this place is like a relic of the Showa era. The faded indigo noren curtain and the signboard with the first character "下" turned half a rotation exude a sense of history. Upon opening the creaky sliding door, the interior is bright and clean. About 6 tables are spaciously arranged. The plate shining on top of the side dish case reads "Designated Tokyo Welfare Diner," a treasure for Showa enthusiasts like me. It was exactly 3:00 PM. There were no other customers, and the grandma (the proprietress) in the back was dozing off... Zzz. Perhaps it was break time. She seemed quite elderly, but I truly admire her for running the place all by herself. Fish (¥300) and vegetables (¥200) are priced uniformly, and you can choose rice and miso soup to go with them. On this day, I selected grilled mackerel and boiled komatsuna. ✔️Grilled fish ¥300 ✔️Boiled vegetables ¥200 ✔️Rice and miso soup set ¥200 You choose the side dishes from the case and hand them to the proprietress, who then serves rice and miso soup. The mackerel had a crispy skin and juicy, tender flesh with just the right amount of saltiness. The boiled vegetables had a refreshing, gentle taste. Dining at such a long-established diner is not just about eating the food but also about savoring the exterior and atmosphere of the place. Visit date: 2022.02.14, Tabelog rating: 3.49, Number of reviews: 56.

◆Starting off the New Year in January 2022 with a mini trip during the New Year holidays♪ A one-night, two-day drinking trip from Ryogoku to Tsukiji. As I arrived at Ryogoku Station, snow began to fall and the Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) was lightly dusted with snow. Right next to the former Yasuda Garden, I found a charming restaurant called "Shimosoya Shokudo" with its sign having the character "下" (shimo) upside down. It was just before noon, with only one customer inside. I was asked, "Would you like a large or medium serving of rice, and how about miso soup?" I expressed my desire for some sake and proceeded to choose two dishes from the food showcase before taking a seat at a table. This restaurant is designated as a Tokyo Metropolitan Welfare Cafeteria, one of the rare 10 such cafeterias in Tokyo. Celebrating its 90th year in business this year, the atmosphere was filled with so much history that cannot be simply described as a Showa-era cafeteria. I got a large bottle of beer (¥600), grilled mackerel (¥300), and simmered daikon radish (¥200). The dishes complemented the slightly warm beer perfectly, and I was delighted to find some dried persimmons alongside the beer. The food showcase offered a variety of side dishes such as grilled fish, simmered dishes, pumpkin, bamboo shoots, and taro, all of which were delicious and homey. The thick and juicy mackerel with just the right amount of fat was delicious! The daikon radish simmered with kombu, red pepper, and a gentle dashi broth was so comforting. As the clock struck noon, regular customers started to trickle in, selecting their main and side dishes to complete their own set meals. It felt like a scene from the post-war era where this sight was commonplace. I was grateful for this encounter with a cafeteria that was fitting for the start of my journey. With a satisfying meal, it was time to bid farewell - thank you for the feast! Good luck!