Little Tokyo in Makati

In the heart of Makati City lies a small slice of Japan aptly called Little Tokyo. It's maybe about 2,000 square meters of restaurants with a garden plaza at the center that offers al fresco dining by some of the surrounding Japanese establishments. Once you walk through the long entranceway, you are greeted with wooden structures, garden patches, Japanese-inspired paper lanterns, and other colorful lights and fabric. I've been to Little Tokyo maybe 5 times, and it's usually filled with Japanese diners in white shirts with sake or Asahi beer in one hand and either chopsticks or a cigarette in the other. In Manila, where there are foreigners, you have a few women too. Physically, the preference for women is perhaps "mestizas" or those with more Caucasian features than Malay. At least that's what I observe. I have to add that "escorts" are usually seen at the entrance and not necessarily dining inside.

Since the entire place is really a dining destination, with the exception of maybe 1-2 establishments: a club/bar and a Japanese grocery, my photos reflected that. Cuisine here is authentic and traditional Japanese. None of that fusion variety. You'll typically spend P600 (low-end) per person or approximately US$ 13.00. This time, as with my last visit there, I dined at Hana for Takoyaki and Urameshi-ya for Japanese barbecue/grill or Yakiniku. What was different in this instance was the volume of non-Japanese or Filipino diners and a long queue. Unfortunately, the place is so busy you can't make a reservation in advance. The buffet-style Japanese charcoal grill includes, among others: wagyu cubes, scallops, and large shrimp dipped in chili-garlic soy sauce. From the miso soup to sake, this is a place that will really satisfy even very discerning palates.

Here are photos to give you a glimpse of the scene that evening. Shot with my nifty fifty (Nikkor 50mm/1.4g).​​​​​​​