Not the biggest sucker for sweets; if I’m gonna eat them, it’s gotta be worth it- rich, decadent, and doubtlessly dessert. So far in Japan, many desserts have left me longing for more- and likely to contain bean paste which is weird for us Westerners, granted that’s beginning to change (7-Eleven’s dorayaki with whipped cream?).

Netflix’s Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman, drew me in though, to take a bigger bite. The Salaryman has an intense passion for sweets, enough for him to change careers, becoming a salesman in Tokyo. His sales trips are merely a cover for his mission of sampling Tokyo’s best. But too good to keep to himself, he spills on his blog.

The series is plush with what has come to be called food porn, questioning the morality of enjoying such a show.

There are more groom, more synoptic trailers; this was the only one with English subtitles.

But it’s all dessert. Oishii sou! I decided I’d follow in Kantaro’s footsteps and take to the streets in search of the heaven he’s made his way to. in the episodes. Problem is the streets of Tokyo are a bit of a ways away from my street. So while I make the effort to visit these Tokyo spots, I will feature some of Yokosuka’s offerings of the same desserts as I find them.

Some blogging wisdom I’ve learned- again- from this fellow blogger, the salaryman:

Have a plan. In line with his assignments, he has a mental map of all the desserts and dessert shops to visit within range of his sales visits. When he arrives to the neighborhood, no time is wasted deciding where will he eat. He does waste a bit of time deciding what to order with all the options. In an effort not to waste time, he gives up and just picks one- only to finish it and decide why not another?!

Work hard; eat good. His to-eat list fuels him through his to-do list. He’s the top performing salesman at his company, accomplishing the work as quickly as he can so he can have as much time as possible for his sweet affair without questions being asked back at the office- sometimes going to excessive lengths, like running through the sweltering humid streets in his suit and tie to heighten his appreciation for kakigori- shaved ice.

Write fast and fresh. Kantaro, writes anonymously in his blog- “Sweets Knight”. His great habit of writing his review and posting moments after visiting the restaurant (granted its a fictional story) threatens his anonymity and his ability to indulge during working hours as one of his coworkers notices that the blog’s posts coincide with his sale times and locations. Just hit the button!

This will be no film or television critique (you can find that here), but rather a journey through the world of Japanese sweets guided by Kantaro. In line with writing fresh and fast, I won’t forsake the pursuit of literary masterpiece or pristine culinary linguistics but will take you along for the journey as I get better and quicker at it.

So let’s go! And as you go, hashtag it! #SweetToothTokyo and show us what you find. Tell us what you think.