00:00
Welcome to Kevin's English Room Podcast!
I'm a little bit quiet right now.
Yeah, yeah, softer than usual.
Because we're outside and there's quite many people around.
Right!
We are at Koenji.
It's one of the crowded city in Tokyo.
And first time here, right? You.
Right!
Me, it's like second time here.
You know, it's really like too many people around.
I know, I know, right?
So many bicycles.
So we have to be careful.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I once thought about living here, but I did not.
Why?
The bookend that I saw in this place,
too high of a Gokiburi potential.
So that was a no.
Okay.
No for me.
Wow, but it's a quite good town.
Yeah, I think it is a good town.
I like this kind of little shopping street.
You always end up loving the city that you're living in, right?
Right.
Like the city that we're in right now, I personally don't like it.
Really?
Because there's not many stores around.
I wanted to be more of a Tokai.
Really?
But you're enjoying it, right?
There's so many stores around us, like fashion store.
Oh, no, I'm talking about the one I'm living in right now.
Ah, right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, that was a really tiny little countryside city.
But you liked it, didn't you?
I did.
You did, right?
Yeah, it was so calm.
Yeah, I know.
Comfortable to live in.
I think I like everywhere.
Yeah, you're such an ultimate optimist.
You're such an optimist.
I do.
Which is pretty good, which I think is a good thing to do.
Thank you.
Wow, look at this.
ISSH.
I-S-S-H.
Wow.
How do you pronounce that?
ISSH.
Damn.
It's a beauty salon.
Yeah, there's a beauty salon called ISSH.
It looks like a jungle.
I know, right?
Right.
So, have you decided your new house?
You know what?
I'm moving out next week.
I'm moving out, but I have not decided where to move in.
It has not been decided yet.
Can you believe that?
A week before the move-in, my new house has not been decided yet.
You still don't have no idea.
No idea.
Where to go.
Well, I mean, I have some idea.
I have options, but they're not fixed yet.
I'm not certain.
It must be really fun, maybe.
Yeah, I know.
It is.
I am.
But hopefully, I think it'll be okay.
Come to my house.
Thank you.
Like for a while.
With all my stuff, right?
No.
I have all my stuff to move with.
By yourself only.
By yourself.
I'm sorry, but I already...
No place for you.
I already reserved for a professional move-out.
03:00
Okay.
Which means that I have to take my place somewhere.
Oh, right.
Which you just accepted me in, so I appreciate it.
If I can't find my house, I'll move my stuff to your place.
Thank you very much.
Much appreciated.
Oh.
I mean, I think it could fit in your house, really.
Oh, shit.
Look at that, man.
Have you ever seen this?
Wow.
We are standing in front of a vending machine.
And they're not selling drinks, man.
Obviously.
They're selling everything natto.
Yeah.
Like...
Wow.
Like, look at this usual natto like this.
Right.
They got the one you find at the supermarkets, right?
Yeah.
And they're also selling with dry natto.
Right.
What the fuck's a dry natto?
It's a dried natto.
Oh, shit.
Yeah.
It must be dried natto.
That was an eye-opener.
Fuck, man.
What is this?
That's a natto which is covered by, you know, papers.
Ah.
Like, not papers.
It's a...
So they're different.
Right.
A little bit.
They're different, right?
Like, taste-ly.
They taste different?
I think so.
When they're covered in paper?
I think so.
Wow.
I'm not a professional.
You know what?
Look at this.
Donuts.
Wow.
It's like one of a vending machine.
Right.
Sendaiya?
Yeah.
I think that's the name of the owner of the vending machine.
Right?
It's not just Sendai.
Yeah, right here is a Sendai natto cobo.
I don't know.
Wow.
And what is this?
Wow.
Hyakuen service hin.
What the fuck's a service hin?
What is that?
Number 17.
I think it's number 17.
Oh, there's nothing.
No, there's nothing inside.
Wow.
You want to try one?
No.
Okay.
I'm not a fan of it.
I'm not a fan of it.
I'm not a fan of it.
I'm not a fan of it.
No.
I don't know.
I mean, if you want to, you can go ahead.
Do you want to try one?
Uh, no.
No.
I mean, we're just not in the mood for this right now.
I mean, it was a surprise, but I don't.
The relationship I have with money is very strict right now.
Right?
It can't be like a spontaneous event.
Wow.
But this is very interesting.
I think a lot of foreigners would love these kinds of machines.
Do you like natto by the way?
I do like natto by the way.
Yeah, I do.
Do you know what it is?
I know what it is.
Like have you ever tried?
I've tried it so many times, you know, like it goes good with gohan, right?
Yeah.
I'm sorry that I treat you as that.
Yeah, like a foreigner, right?
Wow, that sounds really good.
You just like the woman inside.
Don't say that, but I do.
Look at this cafe.
You know I like coffees, you know?
Of course.
Right, you love coffees.
I do.
You're drawn because of the coffee, right?
I do.
06:00
The espresso, the coffee.
Yeah.
And the interior is really like, oshane, right?
Yeah.
Let's give a shout out to the store.
The store's name is Clouds.
Clouds?
Is that English, right?
Yeah, clouds, like kumo, right?
Gallery and coffee.
They're selling t-shirts, white t-shirts with black printed logos.
I guess maybe, a little.
Maybe logo, maybe not.
Print.
Alright, thank you.
Yep.
Oh, you sure you don't need to try one?
No, no.
No?
I just wanted to see the inside.
How much would you pay for the coffee?
For a cup of coffee, how much would you pay?
Depends on the quality, but I'd...
Right.
Maximum 1000 yen.
That's a lot of money.
Right.
That's a cup of coffee, right?
That's a lot of money.
I would pay that for like, usual daily basis.
Got it, got it.
If it's like a special occasion, like a special coffee time, right?
Expensive one, like really tasty good, then I would pay that.
Are there some stores that sell 1000 yen coffee?
Like where?
Can you give...
Do you know like a name of the coffee shop or something like that?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I don't know the name.
How about Furugen?
What?
Furugen?
Fuguren?
Fuguren?
Sorry about that.
Fuguren was...
Do they sell 1000 yen?
No, no, no.
Like 500, like that.
Around that.
I'm sorry about that.
Different story.
Have you had nitro coffee?
Uh...
Nah.
No?
Nah.
I've had one.
It was really good.
Starbucks?
T-site.
T-site?
T-site, Shonan.
Oh, right.
It was good.
Oh, really?
Really good.
How different was that from the other coffees?
So, they're pumping in nitrogen, I believe.
Oh, okay.
I don't know.
But like it was more creamy.
Oh, really?
Not as in milk-ish creamy.
I'm talking about like...
What?
The more bubbles.
Oh, really?
I know there's no bubbles in normal coffees, but I felt there's a lot of like micro sized
bubbles in the coffee, which made the coffee really smooth in your tongue, right?
Oh.
Yeah.
What is that?
I don't know.
How is...
I don't know.
They're pumping...
I'm assuming they're pumping in nitrogen inside coffee.
Okay.
Which I don't know how that would translate into the good quality coffee, but like that's
what I'm assuming they're doing.
Okay.
But it was good.
Then I have to try it out?
Yeah, I want to know how you feel.
Right.
I want to know your console when you drink that nitrogen coffee.
Yeah.
So, do you know where we are?
Like...
Yeah, I am...
No, I actually don't.
I just don't know where we are.
The station would be that way, right?
I was so focused on this podcast and lost where I am.
Must be over there.
Yeah, I was thinking I could just like follow these people.
Maybe we'll get someplace.
Right.
That's a great idea.
Let's go.
They're all coming out from the station.
09:00
Right.
Oh, look at that.
Damn.
I like this kind of cafe.
I really love that.
Do you hear the BGM?
Right, the soul.
Like, can you guys hear the soul music there?
Can podcast guys, can you hear that guys?
No, I don't.
Yeah.
They've got them concert show me, candles on the table.
This must be Luther Vandross or someone like that.
Really?
I don't know who that is, but I'm assuming it's like a soul singer.
Soul singer?
Got it.
Okay, let's give a shout out again.
The name of the store is Yummy.
Wow, that's great.
Yummy Cafe.
Tokyo Cooling Gene.
I think it's new.
Look at that.
They've got the flowers, the opening flowers.
Is that existing in the United States?
No, no, no.
To send flowers to the stores that open?
Right.
No, I don't think so.
Wow.
Wow.
Do you think these shops sell good quality coffee?
Well, I think so.
Or are we just...
being fooled?
Like both sides can be.
It's possible both sides.
It depends on the owner.
Right.
I have to try once and see.
This place is really like music-oriented, music-based cafe.
I want my house to be like this.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Isn't it a little bit like too dark?
A little bit, but...
Have you visited my place when I lived in Kyoto?
No.
Oh, yes, once.
Once?
For when you moved out, right?
Right.
But it was after you've taken down all your stuff.
It was like this.
It was that dark.
You've got all your records and your shelf and all that stuff.
I didn't have records, but I had books like that.
Ah, gotcha.
In the shelf.
And like this kind of darkness, like little concerts.
Oh.
I like this, like...
You like the atmosphere here.
Right, right, right.
I mean, it's nice, right?
Yeah.
It's good.
It makes you want to get some coffee.
Right.
Right?
And relax.
Yeah.
Wow.
Wow.
Oh, this town is pretty good place.
Yeah.
Recommended?
Yeah.
Yeah, right?
Wow.
Wow.
Look at that.
Look at that.
Cleaning place.
Wow.
Cleanly cleaning place.
Have you ever seen that?
No.
Wow, look at that.
Laundry room.
Laundry room.
Laundry room.
Koenji.
Wow.
Look at that, man.
It's really stylish, by the way.
It is stylish.
There's so many mechanical things.
Never seen laundry rooms that are like this stylish.
Wow.
It looks like a...
Looks like a cafe, you know?
Right.
Like if you just look at this wall right here on the left side, it looks like a cafe.
Right.
It looks like Starbucks kind of machines.
Right, it looks like a huge Starbucks espresso machines, right?
Right, right.
I got you, man.
Wow.
And it's open 24 hours.
Wow.
Yeah.
You know, it's kind of a Machibura location.
12:07
Yeah, that's what...
Yeah, I'm a silly.
Have you ever seen that TV show?
Yes, I have.
I have.
I've seen like...
And I love that TV show.
Oh, really?
When it's on, I always look at that.
Oh, really?
Yeah, I do.
I do.
I love the Machibura kind of thing.
Who do you know?
I know Jun.
Jun Sanpo.
Who is that?
Takada Junichi.
Oh, Takada Junichi.
Right?
Right.
And I know there's more, but I don't know.
I forgot the name.
I know like two more.
Like Chi San.
No?
Chi Sanpo.
Right?
I think I've heard that before.
Right.
Chi Sanpo.
What else?
What else?
I don't know.
Okay.
But I love those TV shows.
Right, right, right.
So this time it was Koenji?
Yep.
This time it was Koenji?
Yeah.
Next time we're gonna do Kyoto.
Yeah.
Okay.
I really want to go there, but...
I mean, it would be so fun to do this walking kind of show in Kyoto.
Right.
Right.
Okay, so that was it.
Koenji episode.
All right, thanks for listening again, guys.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
