Necro post, but I was in the UK at the time of writing

Back near Ikebukuro now and am a frequent visitor of many authentic restaurants :) It’s often funny as the staff don’t even speak Japanese in some of these places xD

Went back for a bit and at first it was great, especially: “I can talk to people in my native language!”

But it didn’t last long before I was missing my 麻婆豆腐 🤣

I can identify with what the OP was feeling

Flying back home and at Heathrow I honestly thought “why is everyone fat?” Then I got to enjoy someone’s 30 minute speakerphone call on the train’s ‘quiet coach’