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/ Treasa Ní Chonchúir

国会議事堂National Diet Building

東京Tokyo

I went to Tokyo with Brady in in . It was my second visit.

the view from the Narita Express

We were there to attend a Service Workers meeting at Facebook’s office in Roppongi.

We got stuck in the office lobby for a few hours while they tracked down an exec who could give us permission to enter the building without signing an NDA. (This, kids, is why you don't host standards meetings in such offices.)

I tried some new (to me) local beer while in town, including a sakura-infused wheat ale from YYG (left) and a Belgian IPA from Swanlake (right).

This was my first post-transition trip to Japan. I visited 新宿二丁目Shinjuku Ni-chōme—Tokyo's gayborhood—for the first time. I tried to go to どろぶねdorobune, a cute sake and お好み焼きokonomiyaki spot for the sapphicly-inclined, but that night there were only Japanese speakers, so Satoko walked me over to her partner’s bar, Rainbow Burritos Dōmo.

This turned out to be my first of many visits there—Rainbow Burritos became my home-away-from-home every time I’m in town. I met Mamiko, the owner and Satoko’s partner, that night. Her mom was there too. The three of us had a lively conversation—her mom insisted I visit 小石川後楽園Koishikawa Kōrakuen for before flying home. I’m so glad I did! It’s gorgeous:

I had two bowls of ramen while in town—a very greasy one from a nondescript neighborhood joint, and my first bowl of yuzu shio ramen from AFURI.