Ashley Takehara Brothel ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

About Saitama

So, brothels—grimy, loud, smells like sweat n’ cheap perfume. Been around forever, right? Like, ancient Rome had ‘em—called ‘em lupanars, wolf dens, ‘cause the girls howled for coin! Haha, savage, huh? Makes me laugh, but also—kinda sad, y’know? These folks, hustlin’, survivin’. Gets me all worked up—angry at the world sometimes. Why’s it gotta be like that?

Shibu Onsen Yumoto Ryokan

Mitarai: read a guide to the port town of Mitarai on Island in Hiroshima Prefecture. Mitarai used to be the largest brothel in the Inland Sea.

After that, I hit up the Takehara Art Museum. I’m not even an art person, but they had this exhibit on local artists. Some of the stuff was wild! Like, one painting looked like a cat threw up on a canvas. I’m standing there, trying to figure out if it’s genius or just plain weird. I’m laughing to myself, and this lady next to me gives me the side-eye. Chill, lady! Art is subjective, right?

Sacramento chef Craig Takehara with Binchoyaki named as a semifinalist for James Beard Award