Last day in Tokyo

It was my last day in Tokyo today, after a fab few days at the International Bazaar. I managed to fit a lot in, including a trip to Kuramae to buy clasps, a trip to Nippori to buy fabric, a trip to my favourite ramen shop for tan tan men, and then a final trip to Loft, where I found some dubious machines to help lose weight.....

The day was finished off by dinner at a superb yakitori place in Naka Meguro. The perfect end to a perfect trip!

 Something to help tone up the mouth muscles....

Even the eye muscles get a workout

And if you really fancy it, a sweaty face

The gorgeously spicy tan tan men

Tonkatsu dinner

A trip to Tokyo is not complete without a visit to a tonkatsu restaurant. Tonkatsu is a dish consisting of breaded pork that is then fried. So naughty but so nice! I went with my friend Tatsuya who is a bit of fiend when it comes to ordering. He went a bit over the top with the variety of choices, but they were all good. The cultlets are tender and crispy and served with shredded cabbage and sesame seeds. The seeds are handed to you  with a pestle and mortar which you use to crush the sesame seeds. You then pour a layer of thick tonkatsu sauce over the cutlet, followed by the sesame seeds. Needless to say, I will not be not be needing to eat for a few days....

Year of the horse

Next year is the year of the horse and there are some fab New Year cards in the shops here in Tokyo at the mo. Here are a few I picked up. I love the simple imagery and vibrant colour.

Tokyo Designers Week 2013

The afternoon was spent at Tokyo Designers Week, a yearly event for designers to display their latest designs. It was held in a series of tents and cargo containers and there was quite an array of different products to see. The choice was overwhelming!

 It was held in the grounds of Meiji Jingu Gaien Mae.

Vinyl toys

 Cuddly toys

Giveaway bags

Decorated toilets (only in Japan)

Canvases that change to seats when you rest on them

Oedo antique market

This morning was spent at one of my favourite antique markets in Japan, the Oedo market at the International Forum near Tokyo station. There is always an amazing selection of items, from antique bowls and artefacts, to kimonos and obis of all colours and prices, all situated in the shadows of the awesome ship-like building. Needless to say, I was on the hunt for fabrics and came back with some lovely pieces to make bags with. You can see some of them here.

I'm back!

I'm lucky to be back in Tokyo for a week, which is very exciting. I've only been here for an afternoon and already managed to fit in a trip to the crazy twice yearly Design Festa. Here are some things I saw.