Going Abroad Locally

Posted on 03/25/2022 Last updated on 05/30/2022

Japan’s own intercultural communities: Food

In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have found ourselves in a situation where international travel is difficult and even discouraged. But if one looked closely, there are many places in Japan with a high percentage of foreign nationals converge.

In those communities, one may enjoy the feeling of being in a different country, even if it`s just outside the main cities. We’ve written before about the best Indian food in Yamanashi. Here are some places in Kanto that offer such excitement.

Oizumi (Gunma)

Oizumi (大泉町), situated south of the city of Ota, is a well-known Brazilian community in the Kanto region. Initially settled by the Brazilian workers employed at the nearby Subaru factory, Oizumi has become a thriving hub of Brazilian expatriates and Latin Americans in general.

Upon disembarking the train at Nishikoizumi (西小泉), visitors will immediately notice a façade of signs written in Portuguese. The best places to visit are scattered around the station.

However, “Super Mercado Takara” is a recommended first stop. The store offers most of the imported products available in the town, and the restaurant offers Brazilian delicacies such as the famous churrasco. Also, the bakery near the store offers authentic Brazilian breads such as the pao de queijo.

Access: 1 hour 30 minutes from the Asakusa Station on the Tobu Railroad.

Nishikawaguchi (Saitama)

Looking for a distinctively Chinese atmosphere? Forget Chinatown. Nishi-Kawaguchi (西川口) is the place to go. Originally notorious as a red light district, Nishi-Kawaguchi is now home to a heavy concentration of Chinese and other Asian expatriates.

Upon exiting the station, one may see a flood of Chinese and Vietnamese-owned businesses and restaurants. The personal favorite of mine is the Lanzhou Beef Noodles. Developed by the Chinese Muslims, it offers halal alternatives to Japanese ramen, which often uses pork.

There are as many as three restaurants serving this delicacy (though more are expected to open in the future), but the one closest to the station is a restaurant called the “Togyu” (唐牛).

As with all the other restaurants, the noodles are custom-made by hand upon ordering. Also, one may choose other options such as the amount of cilantro and how spicy do you want your bowl to be. One piece of advice is that Japanese is almost never used, and you might need help ordering by a tablet, which is all in Chinese.

Access: 20 minutes from Ueno on Keihin-Tohoku Line

There are just some of the examples of foreign communities in Japan. But there’s almost always an expat community in the major cities. There, one may easily experience being in a different country all within the confines of being in Japan. So next time you feel like traveling, why don’t you try going abroad locally?

Photo Credits

Top Photo: Alexei_other via Pixabay