shinjuku

I went to Japan in 2019 and spent a few days in Tokyo wandering around the city by myself. While in Shinjuku one afternoon, I sat down in a quaint restaurant for lunch, and the host promptly approached my table with a small woven basket, which he set down on the ground by my feet. I don’t speak Japanese, so I couldn’t ask him what it was for, so I decided that it must be for discarding dirty napkins during my meal. About halfway through my vegetable and tofu hot pot, the host returned to my table and knelt, removed about eight disgusting napkins, and then, with a small nod of his head, took my purse off the back of my chair and placed it in the basket. Nothing like Japanese hospitality. I didn’t take a picture of the basket, but I did take a photo of my lunch. #travelshorts

My amazing meal in Shinjuku.