Breezy Journal Standard

This responds so well to my current mode, of my want to go to a beach but where it's not ultra hot yet, because I want to wear these kind of jackets and skirts... I bumped into this label Journal Standard in Omotesando and picked up a nice flower shirt. I already wore it to the office once and loved it. I will post it someday soon...

I really need to reorganize my closet this week. It's so incredibly hot and humid already, and winter clothes must be put away fast!

Photo credit: Journal Standard

Tokyo sky

Good bye Tokyo for a little bit...

Chidorigafuchi is number one

YOKU MOKU in Omotesando

I am happy to have finally managed to go to the YOKU MOKU cafe in Omotesando. It was a beautiful day with clear blue sky, perfect for a sunny day cafe chat. It's always nice to see people wearing kimono having a nice afternoon tea next to you. YOKU MOKU as famous as it has become today, started from a tiny shop in front of my mom's house in Kanda back in the day. And then they invented the cigar cookie! Now it is sold everywhere except for Hong Kong (so good thing to pick up). Try to stop by before going to the Nezu Museum...

YOKU MOKU
5-3-3 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
+81 3 5485 3330

Yoyogi no sakura

Today may have been a full bloom! Bring your own beer to the park...

Brief dining stop in Tokyo, at Restorante-mondo

Today I made another brief stop in Tokyo, for a very nice Italian dinner in Jiyugaoka at Ristorante Mondo.

My childhood friend Junko’s brother’s friend’s mother’s friend’s etc etc owns the restaurant. The chef has been very well trained in Italy having been with 3-star restaurants, as well as a very well known Italian in Omotesando, thereafter to start his own place.

The food was a combination of very amazing and delicately prepared dishes and traditional home cooked Italian (Japan portion), all served in a course for US$80. I can’t forget the beef carpaccio that melts in your mouth and the dessert made of watermelon bits and yogurt ice cream (photo above). Mmmmmm…



Everything about this restaurant was very, extremely carefully planned. The plates, the windows opening into the different parts of the artistic garden, and the art work scattered there around were so intricate, including this glass object made for the restaurant by a special artisan to warmly welcome guests.



Restorante-mondo
3-13-11 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
+81-3-3725-6292

Revive the artisans with 2k540

There's a very new shopping place in Tokyo called 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN near Akihabara, where they only sell regional Japanese artisan goods. It's a complex of 40-50 stores. The products are all manufactured by traditional artisan families (shokunin) that have been making the same product for 100 years or maybe more.

I picked up a few textiles, kitchenware, and small plates that were genuine and beautiful.

My favorite shops were:

- Nippon Hyakkaten (closest to Akihabara) where they sell small items like plates, textiles, and sake;
- Hacoa where they sell keyboards and ipod covers made of very light wood, and leather looking bags that are made of incredibly strong paper;
- Takumi no Hako where I picked up some kitchenware made of bamboo.

Don't forget to pick up a very nice cup of coffee that will be roasted just for you, at Yanaka Coffee Shop after walking around...

I really like that these craftsman families are aware that they cannot just sell the same traditional product, and that they have to constantly create something new to the likings of the modern consumers. I really hope this place (it seems, developed by Japan Railway itself) can revive these extremely disciplined and innovative artisan families.



Photo credit: 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN

Eating tempura at a counter

For the Japanese, eating food at a counter is pure luxury. You have to commit yourself to pay a lot if you dare sit in front of the chef himself. This is particularly so at a sushi place or tempura place. You choose to sit there when you don't want the food to be 1 minute old but about 5 seconds old when served. And the chef would carefully examine whether you are liking his food or not, and can improvise.

On Saturday, my father took us to a lunch tempura course in this style at Tenkuni in Ginza. The restaurant has been around for 120 years and I always remembered this place since childhoold (it's in front of Hakuhinkan, the best toy store in the world). We ordered the course kiku, which was super luxe but very generously priced because it's lunch time (I highly recommend this!).

It was so nice to taste the freshest ingredients, presented to you in the most simple way, prepared right in front of you.

Ginza Tenkuni
8-9-11 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture 104-0061, Japan
+81 3-3571-1092 | www.tenkuni.com/

My ritual in Tokyo

Last Friday evening, I realized that I was the only one without a plan for this long weekend in HK (moon cake eating holiday in HK or mid-autumn festival), so I decided to fly to Tokyo. This time, I was very fortunate to attend a friend's wedding, so I added this to my usual priorities in Tokyo, which are:

1. Family time
2. Eat mom's food
3. Meet friends
4. Hair salon
5. Eyelash perm
6. Shopping

... but of course, the real and underlying purpose that girls living outside of Tokyo fly back home, is to get a haircut (it's not just me).

The hair salon New Classic was just founded by my old stylist (Akasaka-san) together with 7 other stylists/spa experts. My stylist is extremely scientific and would explain to me in detail what's happening inside the hair cuticle when he's applying three different kinds of perm on me.

I asked that he make me bangs, but he denied in a very scientific manner (direction of my hair, in 3 months, when some part of the striaght perm grow out, against my etc etc -- won't work), so I got half a bang instead. This is how it looks now! I love it.

More shopping from Tokyo

I was in Tokyo last weekend where I picked up a few shoes, accessories, and clothing. I am really liking Marui in Ginza, which is a store I would never admit I go there, but the one in Ginza is super. This headband is really great, making up for any mediocre hair (in case I don't get to fly to Tokyo as often for a haircut).



This white jacket is now my new favorite. It looks similar to the black one from my previous posting, but even more Chanel.

Mitsuo Aida

I came back to Japan for the beginning of my winter holiday, and just randomly stopped by the Tokyo Kokusai Forum in Ginza where I encountered poet and calligrapher Mitsuo Aida's work.

It is simply amazing and so human. He started learning under a Zen monk and learned and absorbed all the sayings from Buddhism. Then he translated that into his own words and into a more human form poetry. His calligraphy also evolved from a sterile perfect writing, into a human, unsecular and touching form.

It's really unfortunate that it is impossible to represent his true work in English. This article explains the painstaking work behind having translated (funny that it is done by a guy who writes English lyrics for Japanese singers, a surprise that those eternally fake English were written by a non-Japanese!).

I've picked up a few below that I especially liked. My feeble attempt to translate leaves much room for improvement (excuse excuse).

It is (up to your action) now and here

Lifelong study (brings) lifelong prime

It is always your heart that decides your own happiness

You blossom your own flower, full of life

I will do it later, yes later. So we say, and the sun sets (this is not written as an admonishment, but just the mere fact that we procrastinate, and that this is a lovable human quality)

We are afterall, human (sort of asking for forgiveness)

The permanent collection at the museum are all brilliant works, so I hope everyone gets to see.

Foliage in December

It was cold but sunny in Japan. Maybe that's why the foliage forgot to fall off before Christmas.

Tokyo shopping

I am always asked where one should go for shopping when in Tokyo.

Rather than the small streets of Harajuku to Omotesando where they do have the best boutiques in the world, I always resort to the department stores. I never have time to go to the small streets as I always MUST get my hair cut and eye lashes permed within the three days that I'm usually in Tokyo, so the convenience really helps. On top of that, there's nobody shopping these days anyway, so you get the entire place to yourself, even in dead center Tokyo!

My favorite these days are Marubiru (Marunouchi Building) and Shinmaru (New Marunouchi Building) in Tokyo Station (the convenience!). FYI, if you face the two buildings with Tokyo Station on your back, the one on the left is more affordable.

I bought the shoes from the previous post, as well as these brown shoes that are from an all made in Japan shoe store called Barclay. I also picked up this blue Paul & Joe skirt and two casual jackets, all in Marunouchi.


Another favorite is Ebisu's Atre. Pricing is completely reasonable and it is best for picking up small items like bags and hair pieces.

Other nice places are Mitsukoshi and Matsuya in Ginza (Mitsukoshi is crowded), Seibu in Shibuya, and and for men the best place is probably Isetan in Shinjuku.

If you want something more high end, Roppongi Hills is always nice. If you want to go cheaper, Marui department stores are everywhere.

I must say, deflation has done so well for shopping in Tokyo that now is absolutely the time to visit! It's literally less than half the price when I used to live there until 5 years ago.