There are a couple dozen Japanese restaurants and cafés on Thonglor near the BTS station. This no-frills spot about 200 meters up the road on the left-hand side serves big bowls of soup with noodles they make in the kitchen. It’s simple comfort food that keeps the Japanese businessmen coming back. Try the curry ramen or ramen with prawn tempura....

The Bangkok branch of this Japanese department store has a mix of Japanese, Thai, European, and American brands. On the ground floor, cosmetics brands include Panpuri, Kanebo, and RMK as well as worldwide ubiquities like Chanel. The next three levels have clothes, accessories, Thai handicrafts, and stationery, which is always a fun section to shop in Asia. The 5th floor...

The omelette stuffed with cabbage may not sound tempting but once you’ve tasted it you’ll be coming back specifically for this. That and the fried eggplant. Oh, and the fried tofu appetizer. Plus the saki is only 75 baht! BTS: Victory Monument 5:30pm-10:00pm

Japanese fusion and wood-fired pizza may sound like an unlikely mix, but this place pulls it off. They grow many vegetables for their menus on site in their urban garden, at a hydroponic greenhouse, and at another farm. They also roast coffee and have a pleasant coffee shop during the day. BTS: Ari

There’s a thriving and growing Japanese community in Bangkok, especially around the Sukhumvit sois from here up to Thong Lo. Almost all the businesses on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 are Japanese, and UFM Fuji at the end of the lane sells green tea, shoyu, and many other staples that can’t be found anywhere else in town. E-mail : [email protected]