Katie in Tokyo

Flask hoodie

2012-02-16T17:02:00.002+09:00

I'm always amazed at the amount of effort that goes into dressing up in Japan, from the women who are preened to within an inch of their lives, to the dogs that can't leave the house without wearing a tutu or some other silly attire. Obviously the same applies to inanimate objects like this flask I saw the other day. Not only is it donning a rather fetching puffa jacket (they come in many shades, by the way), it also has a detachable hood for easy access!

Lunch at Kanikousen

2012-02-15T20:16:00.000+09:00

Yesterday was my friend Penny's birthday and she decided to celebrate by inviting a group of us along to Kanikousen, a fab Japanese restaurant in Hibiya, specialising in crab meat. The restaurant is decorated in the traditional Japanese style, with stone pathways leading you over a wooden bridge to individual private tea rooms. This is quite disconcerting when you realise you are actually on the 9th floor of an office block! We had our own room, where shoes were taken off before entering and a polite kimono-clad waitress knocked on the door each time before entering. Luckily we were able to order the set meal, so didn't have to deal with translating the menu with our random knowledge of hiragana and katakana, and it was scrumptious!

The room was decked out in tatami mats, a lacquered table and little seat backs resting on the floor. There was also a foot well, so no kneeling necessary - phew!

Our waitress kindly helped us through the drinks menu.......

We each received a tray with a wonderful selection of tempura, sushi, gyoza, miso soup, as well as others....

We had an individual room, but there were also open rooms that you got to via a stone pathway.

Stepping stones leading through the restaurant.

National Foundation Day Festival

2012-02-14T11:47:00.001+09:00

There is always something going on in Tokyo and on saturday, we stumbled across this parade in Harajuku. We soon found out that it was actually in celebration of a national holiday and February 11th is the day of the foundation of Japan! Ceremonies are held at the Imperial Palace as well as at Shinto shrines throughout the country and this procession was making its way to the Meiji Jingu shrine near Harajuku.

Snowboarding - Sapporo

2012-02-08T18:14:00.003+09:00

A trip to Sapporo would not have been complete without a trip to the slopes, so I decided to take myself off there and see if I could still remember how to snowboard - it had been about 8 years since I last did it! Luckily it was only an easy train and then bus ride away and the slopes were pretty empty, so I was able to amble along and take my time. The first few runs were pretty awful, accompanied by a lot of swearing, but I soon got the hang of it and it was great!

The view from the base of the mountain.

No action shots I'm afraid, just one of my mug on the chair lift.

The slopes were pretty empty and this one was nice and wide for my slow meandering boarding.

Snowmobile Land - Sapporo

2012-02-08T18:08:00.001+09:00

We had also read about Snowmobile Land, a set-up just outside Sapporo where you can be a boy-racer and charge around the surrounding mountains on a snowmobile. It was too tempting to pass off, so we booked ourselves in for an hour session. A bus came to collect us and took us to the shack where the base is. We were kitted out in fetching attire and after a quick practice session with our guide, we were off. It was very exhilarating and the views were stunning.

Snow shoeing in Moerenuma Park

2012-02-08T18:03:00.001+09:00

We had read about Moerenuma Park, a sculpture park just outside Sapporo, so decided to head out there on the bus and check it out. The ground was thick with snow and it seemed to take a long time to get there on the bus, as well as a long walk at the other end, but it was well worth it as we got to try out snow shoeing!

We were greeted by this rather awesome glass pyramid, which looked quite dramatic standing in the snow. It housed a gallery and performance space.

The inside was beautiful, with cathedral-like acoustics and views over the snow.

We rented our snow shoes from a woman at a little desk inside the pyramid and after repressing our fits of giggles, shuffled off into the snow.

It was quite amazing being able to walk on top of what was probably about four feet of snow. The surrounding forest was magical and led us to random sculptures around the park.

I love this shot of Neil being action man, charging off through the forest - a man on a mission.

Snow and ice sculptures - Sapporo

2012-02-08T17:53:00.002+09:00

It really is quite hard to explain the enormity of some of the snow and ice sculptures. Hopefully you can get a feel for the scale of some of them in these photos.

Popular cartoon characters.

Mickey Mouse dwarfs the surrounding buildings.

Me and Pingu.

Neil makes a new friend.

Aizu Tsuruga castle.

National Palace Museum, Taiwan.

Mickey Mouse as the "Magician's Nephew".

Snow Aquarium - Treasures from the Sea.

The Taj Mahal.

Setting up - Sapporo

2012-02-08T17:44:00.001+09:00

Last weekend we headed off for a fab weekend in Sapporo. Every year, at the beginning of February, the whole town comes alive with massive snow and ice sculptures that line the streets of Sapporo. It was started many years ago by a group of school children, and has now become a massive festival where the sculptures are enormous and the size of buildings.

The festival lasts for a week and we decided to go for the first weekend, where we would also get to see the sculptures being set up.

The "smaller" sculptures start off as big blocks of snow. We were intrigued to know how the blocks got there in the first place....

The design of each sculpture is first mapped out on the snow block using a spray paint as their drawing tool. This was the exhibit of Malaysia.

An implement consisting of a length of barbed wire with a wooden handle at each end is used like a cheese slice to shave pieces of snow off the block.

The finishing touches were being done to this one.

Fuyuko Matsui

2012-02-03T18:18:00.004+09:00

This afternoon I went to see an interesting exhibition by the work of Fuyuko Matsui, a Japanese artist who paints in the nihonga method - a traditional style of Japanese painting that uses pigments made from powdered natural ingredients such as shell, coral or semi precious stones, bound together with a glue solution.

Nihonga was originally used on hanging scrolls and Matsui uses a lot of scrolls in her work, but instead of creating pretty scenes or still lives like the traditional ones, she produces rather dark, psychological ones. Many of her themes address death and decay, as well as depression and the supernatural. You can read more about her here.

Florence and the Machine

2012-02-02T13:00:00.001+09:00

I went to see Florence and the Machine last night at Akasaka Blitz (along with the whole of the Tokyo foreign community!) and I have to say, she was fab! She came on stage donning her vibrant auburn locks and milky white skin, wearing a soft pink kimono and then opened her mouth and wowed us all with her amazing voice. To top it all, she come across as a really lovely person who enjoyed every minute of it, just as we did. Well done Flo!

Sad snowmen

2012-01-30T18:04:00.002+09:00

The snow from last week has pretty much gone now, but there are still some small patches remaining, as well as some forlorn-looking snowmen who are gripping on to their last breath......

Sunday in Yanaka

2012-01-30T17:50:00.002+09:00

On sunday we had planned to go out of the city and do some hiking in the hills outside Tokyo, but in light of the FREEZING weather and the snowfall last week, we decided to stay in the city and visit Yanaka, a favourite area of ours that retains the old Tokyo feel with small, low buildings and many temples to dip into. Despite the cold, it was a gorgeous sunny day and perfect for a meander.

Saturday meanderings

2012-01-29T09:06:00.003+09:00

My first proper saturday back ended up being a nice combination of playing squash and then meandering round the city, finding my feet again, and followed by a trip to the movies. The skies were bright blue and the sun was out, but it was damn cold, so we had to keep dipping into warm places to regain strength!

First of all we found ourselves at Tokyo Midtown where the ice rink was still going strong, along with the christmas lights. It all looked quite magical with the remains of the snowfall from last week still scattered around. We then headed to Roppongi Hills to catch an action movie - Mission Impossible, one of my guilty pleasures. We had decided to go for the Premier seats and weren't sure what to expect, but were taken to an entrance we'd never been to before and suddenly found ourselves in what looked like a nightclub bar! We were given a free drink and then found our seats which were like big reclining armchairs with tables between them to put our drinks on. Not a bad way to watch Tom Cruise fling himself from one adventure to the next!

January Morality Poster

2012-01-26T18:02:00.001+09:00

Well, I am now back in Tokyo after a long break in the UK, and am slowly recovering from jetlag and acclimatising myself to life in the land of the rising sun. We've already had a heavy snowfall since I've been back and there are still clumps of it lying around, but it didn't last for long and apart from a rather slippey, slidey journey down the hill to the station the day after, we haven't been affected by it. It's just very cold here now, but the blue sky makes it very bearable!

Luckily I was able to catch the January morality poster, which again, includes cute animals. This time it's a crowd of ducklings and the caption reads "If you are standing near the doors, please make way for alighting passengers".

Ginkgo trees

2011-12-17T17:20:00.001+09:00

Today I went up to Maranouchi and the weather was stunning. I had to spend a minute taking in the stunning ginkgo trees that are in full vibrancy at the moment. We are heading off to England tomorrow for christmas (very excited about it) and this will be our last glance of blue skies for a while I fear! This will be my last posting for a while as I won't be back in Tokyo until 21st January - in time to get a picture of the January morality poster! Watch this space.

Accenture Christmas Work Party

2011-12-17T17:14:00.001+09:00

On friday night, Accenture had their annual christmas party at the ANA hotel in Akasaka. This was the first one I'd been to and I have to say, I wasn't quite prepared for the extent of it. The whole of the basement level was taken up and apparently 2,800 people came - out of the 5,000 employees! There was a massive array food, endlessly flowing drink and (rather strange) entertainment put on for us all - all compered by a man wearing a reindeer hat!

We had a Kabuki-style show put on - the costumes were amazing and I kept thinking they would make nice clutch bags.

The compere was wearing a reindeer hat and took his job very seriously.

Neil and Richard enjoying a drink.

The food was good and there was an amazing array. We were tempted to go straight to the chocolate fountain and skip the main course......

The Accenture baseball team were asked to see how

many people could jump a skipping rope at once......

Heiwajima Antique Fair and sushi lunch

2011-12-17T17:01:00.000+09:00

On friday a group of us went to the Heiwajima Antique market. It was really a pilgrimage for our friend Jane who is leaving Tokyo for good and wanted one last fix! There are over 250 vendors selling everything from armour and weapons to beautifully painted screens and wonderful textiles. Of course, we went for the textiles and I had a rather fruitful day - in fact so fruitful I had to get it delivered back to my apartment! See some of the finds here.

As a reward, we decided to go for sushi lunch and ended up at this gorgeous little place in Ginza. We were so pleased that our friend Michicko, who is Japanese, found it for us and was able to negotiate a table etc. The food was melt-in-the-mouth and a lovely way for Jane to spend her last day in Tokyo.

The sushi was artfully placed out on the counter in front of us.

The chef was a lovely gentle man who was willing to explain each fish to us (through Michiko, our interpreter) as it was placed in front of us.

This was what the outside looked like - somewhere I would never have dared to go into if we hadn't had a Japanese person with us.....

Irving Penn and Issey Miyake

2011-12-15T18:24:00.001+09:00

For over a decade, fashion designer Issey Miyake and photographer Irving Penn, collaborated to create posters of the designer's work, and an exhibition of these posters is showing at the beautifully modern 21_21 Design Site gallery in Tokyo's Midtown. Yesterday I went along to check it out. The main piece in the exhibition consists of an ultra-high definition projector, which projects changing images of Irving Penn's photos in gigantic scale onto the wall. The effect is amazingly dramatic, with the combination of stunning, sculptural clothes and vivid photography.

A colourful sunday

2011-12-11T18:10:00.001+09:00

We decided to take a walk in Shinjuku park today - somewhere we hadn't been back to since blossom season. Amazingly the leaves were still a wonderful colour and with the bright sun and brilliant blue sky, it was stunning. Everyone was out, enjoying the afternoon, and when we got home, we had a stunning view of Mount Fuji from our balcony.

December morality poster

2011-12-08T08:42:00.001+09:00

It's that time of year when over-indulgences tend to happen and Tokyo Metro is obviously onto this. December's morality poster shows (yet again) a very cute furry friend, this time a grey cat, splayed out on a bench. The caption reads "Even if you've had a few drinks, please don't lie down on the train seat".......

Autumn/Winter at the Mori Tower

2011-12-06T16:47:00.001+09:00

I was rushing through the garden at the Mori Tower yesterday afternoon and just had to stop and take it in. The foliage was beautiful and the awesomeness of the tower combined with that was quite stunning. We haven't done much leaf-viewing this year and I forget how late the autumn leaves last here, and how amazing their colours are.

Friendly Fires

2011-12-03T11:54:00.001+09:00

Last night we headed over Chiba way to go to a Friendly Fires concert. It was a freezing night and so we were wrapped up warm. The problem with this usually is that you then get to the venue and have to shed your layers, but have nowhere to put them.....not so in Tokyo! In a very civilised manner, they have lockers provided, so that all your bulky items can be stashed away and forgotten about as you enjoy your evening - love it! The band was really good and we had a fab night out - as did most of the audience. Another nice thing about going to gigs here, is that people around you respect your space, so there is no trampling and no "beer down your back".

Note the early starting time, and when they say it starts at 7pm, they mean it! No hanging around....

Girlie night out

2011-12-03T11:28:00.001+09:00

Thursday night was a good old girlie night out with 7 lovely ladies. We started off with a bubbly cocktail at the bar at Salvatore in Omotesando Hills and then trotted downstairs to see the fab Vivienne Westwood shoe exhibition, which is showing until 9th Jan and displays 200 pairs of weird and wonderful shoes. There was an amazing array of footwear, ranging from the mid 70s to today, as well as film footage of her past fashion shows, which included models such as Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Carla Bruni! You forget what an influence she had on so many aspects of fashion over the years, and it was great seeing each item up close.

After soaking up the exhibition (and being glad I was only wearing 2" heels!) we headed on for a slap up dinner at Mosaique. A lovely night all round!

The shoes that Naomi Campbell famously fell over in, in one of Vivienne Westwood's fashion shows.

It was great to see "normal" model-sized shoes with sizes I could relate to!

Love the buckle and lace-up combo.

This is a great colour combination.

These shoes make the shoes I wore to the ball last saturday positively flat in comparison!

"Shoes must have very high heels and platforms to put women's beauty on a pedestal"

Vivienne Westwood

Mastering the art of the kimono

2011-11-30T10:20:00.001+09:00

Since coming to Japan, I have fallen in love with the kimono and spent many hours foraging in antique markets and tiny kimono shops for the perfect design to use in my bags. Although you are often aware of women wearing kimonos here, they are usually only worn by the older generation for tea ceremonies or weddings, and the sad fact is that the art of kimono-making is diminishing. We recently came across an interesting piece on Radio Four that reports on the efforts being made to revive the popularity of hand-crafted kimonos and ensure that the ancient skills are not lost. You can listen to it here.

Washi washi

2011-11-29T21:03:00.001+09:00

Yesterday I did a lovely class in washi paper-making, something I've wanted to do ever since I got to Japan. It was a simple class and just a taster of an hour and a half, but was a lot of fun. It was held in the beautiful washi paper shop called "Ozu Washi" in Nihonbashi.

We learnt how the pulp is formed from the inner part of the Kozo tree branches. The branches are cut and steamed in a cauldron, and while the branches are still warm, the bark is removed by hand. The inner layer of the bark is what is used for washi paper. The inner layer is then washed and boiled with soda for a few hours. The soda helps to loosen the binding of the fibres of the branches.The bark is washed again, and then mashed with a wooden hammer. The mashed bark is then put into water in a large container called a sukibune and a slimey liquid called Tororo-aoi is added to help bind the fibres. This is where we joined the process......

First of all the teacher showed us how to use the "sugeta", a sieve-like structure that scoops up the fibre in the water. You have to swing the sugeta backwards and forwards about 20 times (twice) to disperse the fibres evenly across the structure.

You can then open the sugeta frame and take out the "matting" that holds your newly formed fibres.

The newly formed paper is then rolled out onto a mesh screen to dry.

We were given an array of paper items to decorate our washi paper with. These get sandwiched between two pieces of paper.

I loved the pretty colours of the washi paper so decided to arrange the cut paper in rows. It is placed on the wet paper which is still sitting on the mesh screen.

Once it has started drying (and with the help of a big hoover contraption) the paper is then taken off the mesh screen and placed on a heated plate to completely dry, using a big wallpaper brush.

Once taken off the hot plate, the paper is slightly curly so is then flattened for a while.

We were then each given the chance to "display" our creations in front of a light ........

St Andrews Ball update

2011-11-28T17:50:00.001+09:00

Well, the St Andrews ball was a raging success! Neil and I got our glad rags on and trotted off to the ANA hotel in Akasaka for a night of good food, lots of drink and a host of reeling to live music, performed by bagpipers, drummers, a pianist and some fiddlers - one of which was my friend Sanna who did an amazing job. Much fun was had by all and it was a great excuse to get dressed up.

Note the use of a Cheeky Leopard clutch bag! I was able to fit all the essentials in it, including some sensible dancing shoes.....

I think we'd had a few drinks by this point........

The evening began with an amazing performance by the Tokyo bagpipe group.

Our friend Naoko played the piano while we ate.

Not a bad looking bunch!

Eye on the ball

2011-11-26T17:10:00.001+09:00

Well preparations for the St Andrew's Ball are under way. The shoes have been chosen (killer 6 inch heels that I won't be able to walk in, let alone do the Highland Fling!), the clutch bag has been selected (Cheeky Leopard of course!), and the hair has been styled - in true Japanese fashion - an up-do at the local salon. Better get going!

A quick observation

2011-11-25T16:57:00.000+09:00

We have always been amazed at how safe it is here in Tokyo. People leave their bikes unchained, knowing that they won't be swiped and if you go to a restaurant or bar, you can leave your bag freely to your side, knowing no-one will run off with it. You can even leave it there when your trot off to the loo if you want! This also means that Japanese people are very trusting.

The other day I was in Shibuya and decided to have lunch at a coffee shop. I had ordered my lunch and my big, juicy sandwich had just arrived when I realised with horror that I have forgotten my purse. I was mortified and very embarrassedly tried to explain in my caveman Japanese, what had happened. The waiter was very sweet and said, "No worries, just leave your phone number and come back later with the money". I was about to jump up and run home to get it and he said, "No, stay and eat. You can get the money later"! I was amazed at his trust in me. Needless to say, I ate the sandwich in record speed and raced home and back again in more record speed, and they calmly took my money as if nothing had happened.....

A new addition to Daikanyama

2011-11-24T18:06:00.005+09:00

We live in an area of Tokyo called Daikanyama and consider ourselves very lucky to live there. We have a wonderful selection of shops and cafes to choose from and have the rather smart area of Daikanyama to choose from, as well as the more neighbourhood area of Naka Meguro down the hill, with the canal running though it.

Daikanyama consists of a big development called Hillside terrace, which was critically acclaimed when it was built. For a long time, a piece of land has sat empty next to it, waiting for something to be built. I wrote about this piece of land last year as there was a sunflower "field" planted on it, which you can see here and there is a picture of the sunflowers below. We were dreading a monstrosity landing there in the form of heavy concrete and faceless glass, but they have actually done a nice job and the complex, which is almost finished, has a really nice feel to it. I love the wall formations, and they have landscaped the surroundings really nicely. We look forward to the "Grand Opening", which is imminent.

Before

After

The Child Within Us

2011-11-21T14:05:00.005+09:00

The relentless rain on saturday was a very good excuse to dip into an exhibition. There was one that I'd wanted to see for a while at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Ebisu, so Neil and I decided to go.

This is the third exhibition in a series of three, that uses images of children to document our changing world. The images were carefully chosen from over 26,000 photographs, from World War II to recent times. This specific exhibition portrays how images of children during times of war have been used to provoke reaction and emotion in viewers, and was broken up into themes. One theme just focused on children's eyes and the knowing or emotion that seems to emanate from them, but the overriding feel was the innocence of children and their ability to laugh and play, even in extreme circumstances.

A day in the sun

2011-11-20T16:18:00.009+09:00

The weather generally this time of year is stunning, with blue skies and sunny days. Yesterday was a major exception where the skies opened and rain poured and poured all day - pretty horrendous. The nice thing is the rain usually only lasts for one day and then the sun comes out again. Today was stunning and v warm, so we ventured out to Meiji Jingu shrine to soak up the rays and the atmosphere. We were lucky to catch some sort of festival going on where the young girls were dressed up in their finest kimonos looking absolutely gorgeous. I was able to get some lovely shots.

November Morality poster

2011-11-16T19:37:00.005+09:00

The morality posters just keep getting cuter and cuter and this month's is no exception with a cute little hamster/guinea pig typing away on his mobile phone.......

The captions reads "Please be considerate of passengers around you when using your mobile phone". Quite right!

Kimono Clasp Bag

2011-11-14T16:12:00.008+09:00

I did a chirstmas bazaar recently and it was a roaring success. People loved the cosmetic bags as well as the kimono fabric clutches - which I love making! This Japanese lady was looking at my wares and I realised that she was wearing a kimono that would go wonderfully well with one of my clutch bags. I couldn't resist getting a photo of the two of them together.....

Organised mayhem

2011-11-14T08:37:00.002+09:00

We went to a party on saturday night and this was the carnage that met us when we went to leave! Naturally, everyone takes their shoes off when they enter a home here, which makes a lot of sense. Luckily it was all rather organised, so we were able to locate our shoes pretty quickly at the end of the night.

Curry and a concert

2011-11-04T08:43:00.005+09:00

On wednesday evening I met up with my friends Tatsuya and Arthur to go and see a White Lies concert in Shibuya. Before hand we fuelled up by popping into Go Go Curry, an institution in Tokyo that serves up cheap and cheerful Japanese-style curry and tonkatsu in a vibrant yellow environment. You order your dish via a vending machine at the front door (luckily Tatsuya was able to point me to the right button), it prints out a ticket which you hand to your friendly server, and then 10 minutes later, a steaming curry arrives. Not bad! Oh, and the concert was very good too!

Gusto e Vino

2011-10-31T18:48:00.005+09:00

On saturday night, Neil took me out for a lovely birthday meal. We went to a restaurant in Akasaka that had been recommended by a friend and was called Gusto e Vino. Little did we know, we'd be the only ones there that night. Normally, this would feel a bit strange, but it was a wonderful experience.

The restaurant is run by Naofumi Ito, a Japanese chef who has trained in Florence, Siena and Sicily, as well as New Zealand. He's a very outgoing man and eager to tell stories of his travels as well as share tidbits about his cooking. The restaurant consists of one small bar and can only sit about 8 people at the most. The diners sit along the bar and watch Naofumi as he creates these wonderful dishes. Being the only ones there, meant that we got to talk to him about how he makes each dish as well as share in his delights in other world cuisine such as Indian (where he brought out a scrumptious-smelling Indian relish for us to smell). It was a truly unique evening and something I will remember for a long time....or until we go back there again!

This is the restaurant - just one bar.

Naofumi is the chef and has worked extensively in Italy.

Naofumi took this photo of us and emailed it to us yesterday. I'm looking a bit dodgy, but put it down to extreme jetlag.....

October Morality Poster

2011-10-31T18:36:00.003+09:00

I made it back just in time to catch October's morality poster and it's so blooming sweet! The animal theme is still in full swing and this time it's an image of a kitten looking in a mirror. The caption reads, in a rather old-fashioned way " Please be aware that applying make-up on the train may be bothersome to others".

The Highland Fling

2011-10-03T08:53:00.009+09:00

We went to the 29th annual Higland Games yesterday - as you do when you're in Tokyo! It was held out at Kanda University in Chiba and was a rather random affair, but a lot of fun. There was haggis and fish and chips to eat, ale to drink, as well as all the traditional events that go with the highland games - throwing the weight, tossing the caber, and highland dancing. We were amazed at how many Japanese people were involved and how good they were at most of the events!

Sketches and Paintings from the Edo period

2011-10-02T08:58:00.003+09:00

Yesterday I met up with my gallery group and we went to a lovely little gallery out in Itabashi. It's an area I'd never been to before and it was great to go somewhere new. The Itabashi Art museum is situated in a serene park. The crickets were still chirping and locals were enjoying the balmy afternoon.

The exhibition showcased about 40 works created towards the end of the Edo era when Japan was experiencing a huge shift in its visual culture. This was due to influences and techniques from Europe and China. The interesting thing was that the Japanese either didn't understand the way Westerners were depicting subject matter, or chose to keep some of their traditional techniques, so that the pieces ended up being unique works, rather than imitations of Western art.

The exhibition had a really lovely selection, some of scenics, which were beautifully intricate and involved, as well as more scientific/biological pieces. The latter ones were my favourite, with beautiful renderings of fish, flowers and animals. This turtle was particularly impressive and I can see why they chose to use him for the ticket! He was painted onto a traditional scroll and measured about 7 feet high!

Sumo saturday

2011-09-26T17:04:00.008+09:00

On saturday we went off to watch the sumo wrestling, a tournament that has been going on for two weeks and ended yesterday. We were up in the gods but still had an amzing view of the intriguing proceedings. The "fights" go on all day, but only really get exciting when the top blokes come out from about 2pm onwards, and it's a lot of fun.

The stadium is massive and if you want to sit near the front, you have to book cushions on the floor. If you're too near the front, you risk getting squashed! The "ring" has a temple-type roof over it and I'm wondering if this is because the area is sacred.

The top wrestlers come out in a dramatic ceremony. Each of their names are read out individually and they climb up into the "ring" in their full regalia, to massive cheers from the onlookers.

While they wait for their turn, each wrestler sits at the side of the ring. Some have their own cushion which is dutifully brought in and out as they need it.

There is a lot of showiness before the fight. Salt is thrown several times and the classic leg lift and thigh slap is also done to great effect.

Once both wrestlers have their fists on the ground (please excuse the copious amounts of bum shots) the match begins.

The matches are often over in seconds, but can be quite dramatic. The loser is the first man to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet.

Sometimes it looks pretty painful - especially when you've got a two ton sumo wrestler hurtling towards you!

Celebration time

2011-09-22T13:01:00.006+09:00

In our limited time here in Tokyo, we've become aware of the many festivals that happen over the year. One that I love is the o-mikoshi festival. This is usually held in the depths of August where the humidity is at its worst. For some reason, they are being held later than usual and we've seen many over the last few weekends in our neighbourhood. On sunday we came across this one in the heart of Shibuya. I love them as they are loud, fun and friendly affairs which create a carnival-type atmosphere that usually ends in a huge drinking session. I'm not sure how you get involved, but everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as they carry the portable shrine (this varies greatly in size and is thought to be a vehicle for gods) on their shoulders, chanting loudly. The tradition is said to date back to at least 749 and I hope it lasts for many more years.

Raffles Hotel - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:13:00.003+09:00

Last week Neil was in Singapore for work, so I decided to join him for a few days and soak up what the city has to offer. We were lucky to be staying pretty centrally and opposite the famous Raffles Hotel with its beautiful Colonial-style architecture and oases of tropical gardens. My mum was reminding me that we visited Singapore many years ago and the hotel was still surrounded by lush lawns and tropical trees. Sadly this has all now gone and busy roads have taken the place of the serene gardens.

A boat trip - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:12:00.005+09:00

One of the first things we decided to do was to hop on a boat trip and pootle around the waterways of Singapore. It was nice to do as the weather was hot and humid and it was good to be out on the water. One thing that struck us straight away was how built-up Singapore was, but also how it had a slight feeling of Disneyland about it....

Night Safari - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:10:00.005+09:00

Before we went to Singapore we got lots of advice of things to do from friends who had lived there. A lot of people raved about the Night Safari, so we headed over there on sunday evening for the 7.30 opening time and lined up with everyone else to get on one of the organised trips. I have to say, it was very well organised and beautifully landscaped. Each animal is in an area without railings (there is a very large, deep trench between you and them) and only slightly lit, so that they don't get too disturbed. It was fab to be up close to the lions and tigers (and tapirs have become my new favourite animal - I never realised they were so big though!), but it is still essentially a zoo where animals are kept captive - something that doesn't quite sit well with me.....

Marina Bay Sands - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:09:00.005+09:00

Soon after we got to Singapore we became aware of this monstrous building looming over the waterfront. It gives the impression that an enormous wingless airplane, or liner has landed on top of three buildings and is precariously balancing there! It is the Marina Bay Sands hotel and as well as staying there you can see shows, dance in the nightclub, gamble in the casino or get your cultural fill at the Art Science museum. We didn't visit the hotel, but got to see the nightly light show from the bayside.....

A view from the top - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:07:00.004+09:00

While I was in Singapore I got to see a two exhibitions. One was a fabulous photography exhibition by the photojournalist Abbas, an acclaimed photographer who has spent the past 45 years roaming the world and documenting major political and social events. Each black and white photo tells an amazing story.

Another exhibition I saw was very different to Abbas and was the work of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist whos very bright, very spotty art covers feminism, minimalism, surrealism, pop art and abstract expressionism.

This exhibition was held in an exclusive building on Orchard Road, so after seeing the show, I went and saw the view - quite stunning.

Little India - Singapore

2011-09-20T12:05:00.010+09:00

What I loved about Singapore was the mix of different cultures that have amassed on a relatively small island. One thing that must be done in Singapore is a trip to Little India, where it is like stepping into a pocket of India. All the shops and restaurants are Indian-owned and there is an amazing array of wares, foods and smells to check out.

Botanical Gardens - Singapore

2011-09-20T11:52:00.008+09:00

A trip to the Botanical Gardens on saturday were a welcome break from the hustle of the city and obviously somewhere where many Singapore residents like to hang out. Families came with picnics, joggers were trotting around the circuit, and there were some beautiful plants and foliage to check out. We loved the garden dedicated to orchids and were amazed at how many famous people had an orchid named after them, including Maggie Thatcher!

Chinatown - Singapore

2011-09-20T11:49:00.010+09:00

A trip to Chinatown on saturday night was a feast for the senses. We had been recommended to try out a hawker centre, and so decided to try out a well-known one in Chinatown. Hawker centres are places that have all sorts of restaurants under one roof and you buy items from many different ones and then sit at a communal table to scoff it all. We had a popular dish of chicken and rice washed down with a cold beer, and then went to watch a stunning dragon festival celebrating autumn.

September morality poster

2011-09-08T07:46:00.005+09:00

Anyone who comes to Tokyo and rides the train will be well aware of the copious amount of snoozing that goes on. I've always been amazed at how many people do it and how easily they do it. There is often a lot of head-lolling and you never know when you might get a sleepy stranger's head veering towards your shoulder. This is why September's morality poster is so fitting....and very cute too. The caption reads "Please be careful not to lean against the person sitting next to you should you fall asleep".

Netsuke

2011-09-05T15:21:00.007+09:00

I recently finished reading a book called 'The hare with amber eyes'. It is written by Edmund De Waal and tells the history of his family through the journey of a collection of netsuke which his family owned. They started in Japan, where one of his relatives bought a collection of over 160 of them. They then went to Paris, Vienna and then back to Japan, passing through the generations and surviving the second world war en route. It was an interesting way to tell a story as well as a history of the 20th century.

A netsuke acted like a toggle, and was attached to a cord that simply fastened the kimono in place. They were originally simple, utilitarian wooden toggles, but they became more elaborate as time went on and became intricately carved. By the 18th century, all sorts of materials were used from ivory and bone, to coral, jet, amber and even metal. Many subjects were carved, but most depict characters from Japanese history.

Yokohama Triennale

2011-09-04T19:14:00.015+09:00

Yesterday I had a bit of a sore head after my Bulgari outing, but I met up with my friends Tatsuya and Arthur for a trip to the Yokohama Triennale. It was a really lovely day of meandering around the two main galleries that were showing works from artists from all over the world. Each gallery was quite different to each other, with one being the Yokohama Museum of Art and the other was the Bank Art Studio, an old warehouse on the waterfront. We started off there and I loved the space - a raw, open area that showed off the work amazingly well. Our favourite piece was by Christian Marclay who created 'The Clock'. It is constructed out of moments in movies when time is expressed or when a character interacts with a clock. He has excerpted thousands of fragments of film and edited them together so that they flow in real time. It was amazingly done and quite compelling, especially with big sofas to lounge on!

I loved this tree idea where the tree 'grew' through three floors of the art space.

From a distance this wall looked like it belonged in a nightclub. Up close I realised it was hundreds of pushpins/drawing pins meticulously lined up to create a disco wall.

This cluster of beautiful blue glass globes looked like enormous teardrops suspended from the ceiling.

This exhibit was very tactile and I loved the swirls of colours. It turns out that each swirl consisted of cut up used clothing and was inspired by cans of film, evoking the notion of a 'life film'. The core is made from underwear fabric, followed by a t-shirt, blouse, and ultimately reaching the jacket - like a slice cut from a tree. At first you just see the interesting colour choices and appreciate the layouts, then as you look closer you see Nike labels and zippers sticking out, which makes it become more everyday.

These sculptures were made from sea salt and looked like sea urchins suspended in mid air.

I'm not completely sure what this was meant to portray, but Arthur enjoyed getting a steaming.

Friday Night at Bulgari

2011-09-04T19:05:00.005+09:00

On friday night I was invited for a posh night out with the girls at Bulgari! Not my regular friday night haunt, but fun to dress up for and sample some tasty food and quaff some fine wines. We started the evening sipping champagne on the patio overlooking Omotesando (where we saw the dance-off last sunday) and then trotted in to the dining room to plough through five courses of scrummy food, with each one served with a different glass of wine.....

Hoodie...

2011-08-31T17:05:00.002+09:00

I saw this fetching item in our local supermarket here in Tokyo the other day and am intrigued to know what it's for! It was nestled in with all the summer items - fans, cooler bags etc. I have to say, it's not the first thing I would reach for on a steaming hot summer's day. If anyone could shed some light on this, I would be very grateful.....

Omotesando Dance-off

2011-08-30T20:08:00.018+09:00

On sunday we went to what I can only call a dance-off! It is actually a style of dancing called yosakoi and is a traditional summer dance. It is highly energetic and combines traditional Japanese dance movements with modern music. The choreographed dances are performed in large teams with a "caller" shouting out prompts on a microphone. I have to say, it was pretty spectacular and team after team took their turn to dance the length of Omotesando dori in beautiful costumes in the sweltering heat, without breaking their smiles once.

Everyone was out to view it, including yukata-clad youths (yukatas are cotton kimonos worn in the summer by both men and women).

I love these beautiful traditional hats

A team preparing to dance. Each team consisted of men and women and some even had tiny children joining in.

Most dance teams had a flag waver that followed up the rear. It was quite an amazing sight to see their massive flags being whipped around dramatically.

Ramen

2011-08-26T11:45:00.004+09:00

I have to say, it's taken me a while of being in Japan to embrace the whole noodle thing, but I finally have and yesterday I think I had one of the best dishes yet. It was just a local place, but very busy (always a good sign) and luckily the friend I was with knew what to order, otherwise I would have been lost. It came in a massive steaming bowl and smelt divine as we sucked it down with vigour, enjoying every spicey, meaty mouthful. I have to say, I am still in awe of the volume that some of the slurping gets to in these little restaurants. The tables and chairs are all very close to each other and there's no avoiding the "glorious" sounds that emanate as people suck up the noodles. I have tried to embrace the slurp action, but years of being told it's rude to slurp, makes it pretty impossible for me to do!

I am ashamed to say that Neil and I then went out for dinner last night and chose an Italian restaurant where we had divine spaghetti. It was still being slurped by the locals with the same vigour as with any noodle dish - love it!

August Morality poster

2011-08-25T09:04:00.003+09:00

The subway "morality posters" are still using the animal theme to convey their messages and this cute little chappie is August's pin-up. The sign reads "Please keep the volume low to prevent sound leaking from your earphones".

Shimoda - White Beach

2011-08-23T12:17:00.008+09:00

Last weekend we decided to take off to the beach and headed for White Beach in Shimoda. We took the Shinkansen from Shinagawa and then the scenic train from Atami to Shimoda. As we headed out of the city an almighty rainstorm blew in.

We stayed at the White Beach hotel, a nice little place at the far end of the beach, that served good food in a relaxed setting.

If you didn't feel like lying on the beach, there were nice areas to laze around the hotel.

We were bemused by how small the doors were. On entering, it felt like you were disappearing into munchkin land. To our relief, the room was perfectly normal on the other side, and we had a view of the beach.

There were some nice walks to do along the beach that we did after breakfast and before dinner. The weather wasn't great, but probably a relief for our delicate English skin.....

The area is scattered with rocky outcrops which makes the scenery quite dramatic.

It was wonderful to be by the sea and away from the hustle and bustle (and humidity) of the city. Hopefully we'll head back there soon.

Vending mind reader

2011-08-17T09:09:00.002+09:00

We came across this vending machine the other day that reads your mind and decides what you want to drink. We couldn't resist it so gave it a go. You stand in front of the machine and it reads your face and deduces from that what it thinks you want. Neil's was right and gave him a bottle of water. Mine, not so good and offered a fruity option.......

Summer Sonic

2011-08-15T19:01:00.009+09:00

On sunday we went to one of the massive music festivals that are held here. I'm afraid I'm not a camper, so we opted for the more urban version that is Summer Sonic. I'm used to hearing stories of mud soaked fields and rancid toilets at most festivals, but this was like nothing else I'd experienced. The whole festival was held in a convention centre! In true Japanese fashion, it was highly organised, and after getting over the shock of watching the bands in a concrete environment, I really enjoyed myself. I always find it amazing how you can see so many bands, from so many different genres under one roof. We went from pop (Two Door Cinema Club and Friendly Fires) to hip hop (House of Pain) to funk (Bootsy Collins) to Britpop (Suede), with a bit of Johnny Rotten thrown in - now looking a tad older, but still gave an amazing performance.
We popped our heads into the main stadium to watch "X Japan", one of the biggest bands here. I'm embarrassed to say I've never heard of them but it was intriguing seeing them play and watching the crowd get into them. Apparently they were quite hard core when they first started, but now they look like a big hair band from the 1980s....

Bootsy Collins gave a great performance on the beach, with the waves crashing on the shore.

A rather amazing sunset on the beach.

Johnny Rotten, still going strong.

Baseball

2011-08-15T18:53:00.007+09:00

On saturday we found ourselves becoming fans of the Hiroshima Carps. Our friends had two free tickets to a baseball game at the awesome Tokyo Dome and had invited us along to partake. The chance of watching some baseball in an air conditioned space whilst troughing hotdogs and quaffing beer was just too tempting to pass up, so we trotted off to meet them there. What we didn't realise was that we were going to be in the away team section and suddenly found ourselves supporting the Hiroshima Carps rather than the Tokyo Giants. I have to say, it was a lot of fun. There were special songs/chants for each of the players and they's brought along trumpeters, drummers, flag wavers and even a coach to help them chant! Sadly the carps lost, but the fans remained upbeat to the end.

The Tokyo dome is quite an awesome building although, considering the recent cut down on power outage here, not sure how pc it is....

Being a Hiroshima carps fan is a serious business

We love the beer girls that come around selling beer from a back pack with a hose attached, and a wad of notes in their hands.

Foodie delights

2011-08-15T17:54:00.010+09:00

There are always some weird and wonderful foods to try here in Japan and our friend Tatsuya is very happy to introduce us to some of them. On friday night he came round for dinner - he and Neil were the guinea pigs to my new vegetarian Indian meal, learnt last week at my cookery class. I think their faces dropped a tad when they realised it was all vegetarian, and also looked way too healthy, but it seemed to go down well. As a dessert, Tatsuya kindly brought along some Japanese "sweets" in beautiful shapes. They are not as sweet as desserts we're used to and the filling in some of them was bean paste....

One looked like a peach, whilst another looked like a carp fish pond with fish swimming around in a jelly. It even had decorative "rocks" made from a bean with gold leaf on top.
On sunday, Tatsuya introduced us to some egg desserts that were much sweeter and rather like creme caramel. They came in an egg carton and were beautifully presented in their shells, with the top cut off to reveal the cream.

Hang-o-bar

2011-08-11T10:42:00.003+09:00

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this bar sign on my way home last night. I'm not sure they should be advertising an unquestionable hangover before you've even gone in there........

Evening swim

2011-08-11T10:37:00.003+09:00

Yesterday was a hot one! It was one of those days when you find you are dripping in sweat two minutes after leaving the house and it's difficult to think, let alone walk far. The perfect antidote to that is a dip in a cool pool, so I headed to the Tokyo American Club where they have a pool on the roof. When I got there, the sun was just about to disappear and the sky was a stunning shade of pinks and purples. By the time I left, all the lights were on and Tokyo Tower was standing over us in all its glory.

Hot and spicey!

2011-08-09T15:35:00.010+09:00

Today I went to a cookery lesson where I learnt how to cook hot and spicey food. The class was taught by Hema, a Mumbai native who has lived in Tokyo for over 20 years. She taught us in her home and showed us how to make some beautiful Indian vegetarian dishes from northern India. We then we got to sit down and sample them all. Heaven!

The meal!

Sizzling Aloo Vada

Chana Masala

Beuatifully coloured aromatic spices sizzling

Chickpeas - before and after soaking

Just some of the ingredients needed for our feast

Hot and hotter

2011-08-09T15:33:00.003+09:00

Well it's hot, hot, hot here in Tokyo. The kind of heat where you can't even think, let alone aim to walk anywhere too far. Hence, when I saw the sign for this hairdresser earlier, as I was crawling along the street, I couldn't resist taking a photo of it!

Afternoon tea

2011-08-01T15:18:00.008+09:00

I have an English friend here in Tokyo who has started a new business venture - to teach Japanese ladies the art of English tea-making, whilst learning English at the same time!

On friday, she did a trial run with some willing guinea pigs and it was a lot of fun. We spent the first part of the afternoon learning how to make scones, as well as cucumber sandwiches and bright pink cupcakes. We then had the fun bit of sitting down to a table swathed in lace, and bedecked with an array of traditional English cups and saucers. The food was scrumptious, and was washed down with a perfectly brewed cuppa, of course. I think this new venture will do a roaring trade with anyone wanting to learn the fine arts of English afternoon tea in a fun, relaxed setting. You can view her website here.

Another trip to Tsukiji

2011-07-29T07:36:00.013+09:00

I've only been to the iconic Tuskiji fish market once before and that was in May when my friend Laura was visiting. It was a lot of fun, but we didn't get there until 10.30am when most of the place was closing down. Apparently the best time is about 5 hours earlier when the auction is in full swing.

Yesterday, I went with my friend Michiko and we turned up at a much more civilised time of 8am. This meant that the market was still in full swing and a hive of activity as the sellers flogged their wares and busied about with the morning chores. It was such an interesting experience and we capped it off with a scrumptious sushi breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

The tunas are lined up ready to be cut up. Each one has several steaming blocks of ice on it to keep it cool. One of the workers uses a long-armed spike to drag the fish over to the saw.

Another man operates the saw, which is like something you'd find in a timber yard. It's a high speed, rather frightening contraption and he has to put quite a bit of force behind the fish to guide it through the blade.
Another man catches the sliced pieces at the other end and removes the remainder of the spine of the fish.
Our reward at the end was a scrumptious breakfast of sushi, eaten sitting at the bar of a little restaurant on the outskirts of the fish market.

July Morality Poster

2011-07-27T18:27:00.003+09:00

I am now back in Tokyo and just in time to catch the July morality poster. They have carried on with the animal theme and this time it's penguins forming an orderly line. The caption says "Please stay in line and do not push your way onto the train".

Adios!

2011-06-15T06:25:00.003+09:00

Well it seems that Neil and I are off to Blighty today! We're very excited about seeing friends and family, and we'll be celebrating dad's 70th birthday, as well as our one year wedding anniversary! I'll be back in mid July for more Tokyo shenanigans.......

Art museum - Nagasaki

2011-06-13T19:18:00.005+09:00

The wet weather meant that we tried to find as many things to do inside as possible and luckily there was a Miro exhibition on at the Nagasaki Art Museum, a splendidly airy building straddling a river and situated on the waterfront at Dejima. I really enjoyed the exhibition and loved the way that the space was used in the museum. We sat in the "straddling" section for lunch where we had a foot warming beef curry.

Dejima - Nagasaki

2011-06-13T19:16:00.007+09:00

Japan was closed to foreigners for over two hundred years during the 17th and 18th centuries, due to a fear of the spread of Christianity. The only place that was kept open to outsiders within that time was the tiny island of Dejima, just off Nagasaki. This was first inhabited by Portuguese missionaries and traders, but when they were banned from Japan, the Dutch took over and Dejima played a fundamental role as the only open window to the West. It was a centre for trade and also housed the Dutch employees who conducted trade. Influences from both Holland and Portugal seeped into Japanese culture, just as certain Japanese cultural elements were taken back to Holland. This model village shows how the island may have looked and many of the houses and warehouses have been beautifully restored.
This is how one of the houses would have looked and is a reproduction of a model that was taken back to Holland to show to the Dutch how the Japanese lived.
This was one of the living quarters of the head clerk.

Food - Nagasaki

2011-06-13T18:54:00.009+09:00

Outside influences mean that the local cuisine in Nagasaki is quite varied, with dishes such as sara udon, champon, castella (a sponge-like sweet from Portugal) and pork in bread.There is a bustling Chinatown in Nagasaki and we decided to head there for lunch and sample the glorious sara udon that we'd read about.
We found a "Chinees" restaurant, but decided to head to Kouzanrou that had been recommended.
I ordered the glorious sara udon noodles and was not disappointed. It consists of a thick sauce with vegetables and meat over a bed of gloriously crispy fried noodles.....
This is the mysterious dish that is pork nestled in a pocket of bread. In England we would call it "Pigs in Blankets".
In the evening we headed back to Shianbashi for an early evening drink. The narrow lanes were very quiet at that time, but I'm sure they got a lot more lively as the night went on.... We decided to slip into a local izakaya to sample some yakitori (chicken skewers) washed down with cold beer, before heading to the waterfront to wolf down some yummy tonkatsu (breaded pork) and rice.....washed down with another cold beer....
One of the local delicacies we didn't get to try was champon - morsels of seafood, meat and vegetables served with a dollop of thick noodles in piping hot soup, although Neil did contemplate this one at the airport...

The Atom Bomb museum - Nagasaki

2011-06-13T18:32:00.008+09:00

Of course one of the main reasons that Nagaskai is famous is for being the second place in Japan to be hit by an atom bomb. It happened only three days after the Hiroshima bombing and obviously completely destroyed a thriving city. The museum was our first stop in Nagasaki and naturally quite a harrowing experience, but we felt it needed to be done. Over 73,000 people died immediately from the bombing and over 74,000 were injured, and many of their personal stories are related in the exhibition, along with detailed accounts of the events and recovered items from the carnage.

The approach to the museum is surprisingly serene, along a weeping willow-flanked river.
Brightly-coloured garlands of origami storks greet you at the gates. These have been donated by children visiting the museum, in memory Sadako Sasaki. She was a girl who developed leukemia ten years after being exposed to radiation from the Hiroshima atomic bomb. She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes, her illness would be cured. Sadly she died, having folded 964 cranes. Sadako's friends took over the task of folding 1,000 paper cranes and it soon became a symbol of the worldwide prayer for peace throughout Japan and also overseas.
The building is impressively designed, with a light filled spiral hallway that leads down to the exhibition.

Rain, rain and more rain - Nagasaki

2011-06-13T18:23:00.005+09:00

Last weekend, Neil and I decided to head down to Nagasaki in Kyushu, the furthest point south on the south island. We'd heard a lot of nice things about it and were intrigued to find out more. As it was, our biggest worry whilst there, was whether we were going to get trench foot or not! It didn't just rain, it didn't just pour, we had torrential rain, pretty much solidly for the whole of the two days we were there. We have now had our first proper experience of the rainy season and never want to experience it again! Having said that, I can see how Nagasaki is a lovely city. It has a wonderful tram system (quite romantic) which we enjoyed taking around the city, and there is quite an eclectic feel to it as there are many foreign influences.

June morality poster

2011-06-10T14:30:00.002+09:00

June's morality poster depicts another cute animal, but I can't help thinking it's taking the message a little too far. The caption underneath says "Please be careful that your wet umbrella does not drip on others". I'd love to see someone on the subway do what this dog is doing.......

Plastic food

2011-06-02T20:56:00.005+09:00

I have always been bemused by the amount of plastic food that is used here. Many restaurants use it for display purposes oustide their buildings or proudly shown in a glass case or in the restaurant window. This is often to show a visual for potential customers, but has often proven very useful for me when my limited caveman Japanese is not enough to convey what I would like to eat. I just point at what I want and hope for the best. I have to say, most of the plastic food looks pretty unappetising, but I'm always amazed at the artistry involved in making it.

On saturday, Laura and I found ourselves in Kappabashi after the fish market. It is a whole street full of shops that offer everything for the kitchen, and amongst those are shops catering to the plastic food clientele. I was amazed at how expensive these pieces are, but I guess some people would see them as almost works of art. We were lucky enough to catch a demonstration going on of how to make a lettuce.

It turns out that the "food" is made from wax. It starts out as melted wax and is in separate pots depending on colour. A ladle-full of the wax (in this case, one of green and one of white) is placed into hot water. It is then quickly submerged and the two wax colours merge and become "wobbly". This wobbly piece of wax is then quickly lifted out of the water and wrapped up in a small ball to resemble a lettuce and then quickly dunked in cold water to set it. The finishing touch is to cut the "lettuce" in half. This lady looks very proud of her achievement!

Tsukiji

2011-06-02T19:48:00.007+09:00

On saturday morning we decided go to a rather famous institution in Tokyo - Tsukiji fish market. We have been meaning to go ever since we arrived in Tokyo, but the early start had always put us off. Basically we were told that to see it at its best, you had to get there at 5am to watch the auction in progress. This is when all the massive tunas are laid out as well and is meant to be quite a dramatic sight.

Sadly, Laura and I weren't quite organised enough to get there for 5am and rocked up at 10.30, expecting not to see much. Most of the market was pretty much packed away by that point, and all the little motorised trucks were racing round, finishing off their day. We did however manage to find one sweet man (with a very big knife) in the process of slicing up a tuna. He invited us to stay and watch and even gave us a sample of the raw, freshly cut fish to eat, washed down with some green tea! Quite an experience.

After the fish is cut into pieces, each piece is carefully wiped down and then wrapped up in layers of paper, to be kept in the freezer until it's needed. He told us that he supplies to restaurant near us in Daikanyama, so now we'll have to go and sample its delights.....

Tasty Tonkatsu

2011-06-02T19:40:00.009+09:00

On friday night we met up with our friend Tatsuya again and he took us to a tasty tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) restaurant in Nishi Azabu. Both he and Laura are big foodies, so there was much feasting to be done and the food was gorgeous. The best part was that we got to try five different kinds of tonkatsu, with choices of Japanese pork as well as Eritrean and Hungarian. Each piece had a little flag stuck in it to show where it was from and we had a good time deciding which was our favourite - all washed down with some good old Hoegarden beer.

Rollicking Risotto

2011-06-02T19:14:00.004+09:00

I have been horrendously bad at keeping up with my blog recently, but there has been good reason as my lovely friend Laura paid me a fleeting visit over the weekend. There was much merriment, even though the weather was diabolical (it poured down every day she was here), and we had a fab time trotting around the city, exploring new places and revisiting old ones.

On her first night we wanted to go to a famous izakaya in Shibuya, but it was booked up, so we went to our lovely local Italian restaurant instead, run by a husband and wife team. We have always wanted to try their trademark dish - parmesan risotto - so both of us went for it and it was gorgeous. They prepare it at your table and actually mix it up in a massive half round of hollowed out parmesan. First of all they set light to the inside of the parmesan, using 95% proof Polish vodka. This helps melt the cheese. Then they pour the risotto rice into the parmesan and give it a good mix around to soak up all the cheese. They then dish it out and it's ready to go, washed down with a glass of red wine - scrumptious!

Friday Night

2011-05-23T11:28:00.007+09:00

On friday night our friend Tatsuya took us to a great little eatery in Ebisu. I couldn't tell you the name of it and I would only just about recognise it from the outside, but it was a rabbit warren of lots of different little restaurants under one roof, where most of the seats were made of crates and the tables were makeshift boards on crates. There was a great atmosphere and a tasty selection of food from okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), to yakitori (food on skewers), to beef sashimi. It was all washed down with nama birru (draft beer) served in tin cups.

Afterwards we trotted down the road to an ice cream shop called Ouca that specialises in Japanese ices, with flavours such as green tea, sweet beans or miso. With this you also get a cup of hot wheat tea which has a wonderful roasted flavour, and a pinch of salted seaweed flakes to cleanse the palette after the sugar intake.

Japanese Cut Paper Class

2011-05-21T15:16:00.007+09:00

Last week I did a taster class in Japanese cut paper art. This is a traditional Japanese technique where layers of paper (usually washi paper) are cut into to create a picture. Most of them tend to be very involved and intricate, and take years to master. Luckily we started with a relatively easy piece and our lovely teacher had set it all up ahead of time for us, so that we just followed exactly what she told us to do. She had chosen an image from a piece of art by the artist Sharaku and she had drawn out the template of where we should cut, so that there was little room to go wrong. The template is placed over about 5 layers of paper which are stapled together and then we cut out sections of the image, depending on what colour we want and where. I have shown the steps below. I was rather pleased with the result!

Taking it too far?!

2011-05-20T10:53:00.003+09:00

We went to a friend's apartment for dinner the other night and as we were waiting for the lift, we were bemused to see a lift button with a dog picture on it. When we got in the lift, there was another button with a dog on it and a sign saying "Please press the pet button first when you are with pets". When we asked our friend what this meant, she said that if you get in the lift with a dog, you have to press the dog button which then alerts fellow lift riders that you are "with dog". They can then choose whether to get in or let the lift ride on by!

Naughty Trousers

2011-05-19T10:12:00.002+09:00

I found these trousers yesterday and had to share them. The idea is great - the back pocket, when lined in a fab pink colour, becomes a smiling mouth. Then turn the pocket inside out and it becomes quite rude!

Glorious Geta

2011-05-17T18:31:00.009+09:00

There appear to many forms of flip flop here in Japan, the most famous one being the geta that resemble both clogs and flip flops.

The geta are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong. This keeps the foot well of the ground and helps to keep the foot dry in wet or snowy weather.

Zori are flat flip flops and can be made of cloth, lacquered wood, leather or rubber and the thong is attached centrally so that the shoe can be worn on either foot. They are usually worn with the more formal kimono, although many women wear them in the summer with yukata (cotton kimonos). The men wear more casual zori and they are often just black or white thongs on a plastic or cork sole. I love the way that the men "slop around" in their zori. At first I thought this was just laziness, but apparently it is a sign of strength and "cool" if you do that!

There are also cloth zori which you often see - a rather more ecological approach.

I have to say, my favourite geta were the ones we saw in a museum recently, attached to some ice skate blades. I can't imagine how you even begin to get your balance on these!

Yurakucho Antique Market

2011-05-15T21:46:00.013+09:00

Today I went on, what seems to have become, my monthly pilgrimage to the Yurakucho Antique market at the International Forum. It was another stunningly sunny day and a lovely way to spend a few hours when you are a fabric junkie and in need of a fix. I went with my friend Becky and we did a good bit of foraging and came back with some wonderful finds.

A Day At The Races

2011-05-15T21:42:00.014+09:00

On saturday we went to the races! After a pretty terrible week weather-wise, the sun came out and it was a glorious day. We got dressed up and went with a group of friends who had organised the trip, with a coach to take us there and back. When we got there we found we had our own room on the top floor of a very grand stadium that overlooked the stunning green of the track below. We had lunch and afternoon tea laid out for us, and we even won enough money for a taxi ride home at the end of the day!

Ikebana

2011-05-15T19:56:00.009+09:00

I have always been intrigued by Ikebana - the Japanese art of flower arranging. Flower arranging has never majorly grabbed me, but the Japanese way of doing it is so beautifully minimalistic that I was intrigued to try it out. I did a one hour lesson on tuesday and have to say, it's definitely not my forte.......

The teacher was a lovely Japanese lady called Mrs Matsudaira who deftly demonstrated the floral arrangement we were going to do in seconds flat. Irises were the main flowers used as they are traditionally associated with the boys festival that was just celebrated on 5th May. We also had white blossom, and some Pinks to add a bit of bright colour.

With Ikebana, there are strict rules as to which angle the flowers have to be placed at and what lengths each flower has to be. Traditionally the flower arrangement was only seen from the front as it was placed on a tatami mat in front of a scroll painting in the Japanese home. But this one was a table arrangement , so had to look good from every angle. The teacher explained that you had to start with three flower stalks (the Irises) as the main points of interest. The flowers were placed in oasis and the first and longest one had to be facing out at 15 degrees, the second one was slightly shorter and at 45 degrees, and the third was the shortest and had to be at 75 degrees, all forming a triangle shape in the oasis. You could then fill your arrangement around these three stalks, using the other flowers and the leafy foliage provided, constantly turning the pot so that you made sure that it always looked good from every angle......mine didn't.

I felt like I came home with a rather scrabby Easter basket, that looked even more sorry for itself once it had been on a journey through the rainy streets of Tokyo to home. I'm really glad I tried it out, but I think from now on I'll just admire the masters!

Giant Pandas

2011-05-15T19:54:00.004+09:00

On tuesday, after having a cultural morning of seeing a Rembrandt Exhibition in Ueno Park (which I was pleasantly surprised about and really enjoyed), my friend Ali and I decided to head to Ueno zoo and join the crowds of children and tourists to view the giant pandas. They are wonderful animals and quite unreal looking with their big black eyes and baggy bottoms. There were two pandas and, while one looked rather unhappy and that was a bit upsetting to see, the other was thoroughly wallowing in his endless supply of bamboo shoots, lying on his back and letting his big brown stomach hang out!

May Morality Poster

2011-05-11T18:03:00.004+09:00

I often wait with anticipation to see what the month's subway morality poster will be. For months and months (in fact the whole time we've been in Tokyo) the posters used somewhat disconcerting cartoon characters with googly eyes as their mascots. Last month I was very thrown off to find the googly-eyed people had been replaced with a cutesy photo of a lounging cat! This month's was no exception and we now have the cutest dog possible, running at top speed. The caption below him says "Please Take Your Time When You Ride The Train". Love it!

I recently read a book called "Confucious Lives Next Door", a very interesting insight into the lives of Japanese people and what we Westerners could learn from them. The morality posters were actually mentioned in this book and it turns out they are actually called "Manner Posters" and have been going for years. Every now and then Tokyo Metro commissions an artist, illustrator, or photographer to portray their view on the etiquette of subway riding. Apparently they even have exhibitions of past posters every now and then - I must look out for the next one!

Cheeky Monkeys

2011-05-08T17:05:00.004+09:00

While we were in Kamikochi, we saw many monkeys who happily live in the wild around that area, but seem very happy and comfortable with humans around. They were often hidden up a tree, scavenging for tasty morsels, but we were lucky to see some up close too. I have always wanted to go and see the snow monkeys. You can check out some images of them here. They really are amazing and obviously love to wallow in the hot waters when it's cold outside! I am hoping to do a trip to visit them in the winter.....

Golden Week - Kamikochi

2011-05-07T18:43:00.014+09:00

This last week has been Golden Week, one week of the year where the whole country takes time off to travel to see relatives, see other parts of the country, or just chill out at home. We decided to head to Kamikochi, a beautiful mountainous area of Japan that has been called the Japanese Alps. We decided to break up the journey and spend a night in Matsumoto first. It is a small town with a big castle and was nice to spend a night in. We sampled the local delicacies - soba noodles for lunch, which are served cold, as well as sushi and some sake that evening.

Kamikochi was a small train ride and then a one hour bus ride from Matsumoto and is only open during the summer months. Even then, it is closed to private cars, so the only way to get there is by bus or taxi. Our hotel was right in the centre and was overlooked by the stunning surrounding snow-capped mountains. During the day, the hoards of hikers and day trippers seemed to descend on the small village and it was rather chaotic, but as the last bus left at 6pm, the locals (and local monkeys) and over-nighters breathed a sigh of relief and silence overcame the area. We spent each day walking and passed through some gorgeous countryside. We also passed a lot of very serious hikers, with crampons and ice picks etc. We later realised that most of these people had literally been mountain climbing and made their way to the top. Pretty impressive! We took it easy and did day hikes (none of that camping milarkey for me) followed by a wallow in the onsen and then a 7 course tasting menu at our hotel each evening.......

Matsumoto Castle was a rather awesome building and I would have loved to see the beautiful wooden interior, but it was a 90 minute wait to get in, so we just enjoyed the grounds instead.
Soba noodles have never majorly appealed to me as they are served cold, but we felt we should try them as they were one of Matsumoto's local delicacies. It was beautifully presented on a wicker tray and tasted amazing!
That evening we sampled some beautifully fresh sushi at Kura, a 90 year old Meiji-era warehouse converted into a restaurant. It was all washed down with some lovely sake.
One of the walks we did in Kamikochi took us through leafy forests and much of it was decked out in a wooden walkway that took you through the trees.

Wherever you looked, the surrounding mountains were always in view. At one point we passed w oman with a telescope and she pointed out some hikers at the top of the mountain. That was when we realised why the people we saw were so heavily kitted out - they were actually mountain climbing!

Kodo - Fragrance Listening

2011-05-01T14:52:00.001+09:00

I had never realised the importance that incense had on the Japanese culture until I went to an exhibition completely devoted to it the other day. The exhibition was held at the University Art Museum in Ueno and it showcased a wide variety of tools and implements, as well as paintings, associated with the Japanese incense-smelling ceremony, known as Kodo. The tools and activities that surround it are similar to those of the tea ceremony and it is just as valued an art as both the tea ceremony (chado) and of flower arrangement (ikebana). I love the fact that the phrase for appreciating incense is called "fragrance listening" - it evokes a feeling of incorporating all the senses.

I learnt that there are two ways of using incense. One is to mix several ingredients together to create unique fragrances, the other is to import natural fragrant wood. This is seen as a transient act and was used by samurai society at tea ceremonies. Incense pillows were often used to make kimonos and hair fragrant, and even incense games (Kumiko) were popular. Participants took turns in smelling incense and had to guess the incense material.

Painting also incorporated the art of "fragrance listening" where the image evoked a certain smell, such as a flower, fragrant trees, a beautiful woman, or even soil and rain.

Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T09:59:00.002+09:00

Well, we even got caught up in the Royal Wedding fever over here in Japan and last night a group of us met at a friend's place to drink tea and watch the event on BBC World, followed by champagne and English chocolate. It was a lot of fun seeing it from afar and watching the day's events unfold. The weather amazingly held out, even though rain was forecast, and I think we all agreed that Kate's dress was rather lovely!

Quilting in Tabata

2011-04-26T20:04:00.005+09:00

Yesterday my friend Jane took me to a lovely little kimono store in the middle of nowhere. From outside, it looked like nothing and I would have walked straight past it. Inside, it was a treasure trove of beautiful fabrics and kimonos of all hues and colours and absolute heaven for any fabric junkie. When we got there, the shop owner beckoned us over to the the corner of the shop and asked us to contribute to a quilt they were making to send to the earthquake disaster victims. We each had to sew 5 squares of silk together which would then be added to this beautiful quilt. Even though it was a small gesture, it was really lovely to be involved with something like that. Needless to say, I also came home with a bag of gorgeous fabrics to play with...

Sunday in Kichijoji

2011-04-25T09:29:00.008+09:00

Yesterday we went to Kichijoji, a lovely suburb of Tokyo and only a 20 minute train ride out of Shibuya. Saturday had been a horrendously wet and windy day, but sunday couldn't have been more different. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and everyone emerged to enjoy the day. We ended up in Kichijoji park, which really is lovely. There were people busking, boaters on the lake and everyone was soaking up the wonderful atmosphere.

Okonomiyaki

2011-04-24T09:43:00.004+09:00

It was a really horrid wet and windy day yesterday, and perfect for scoffing okonomiyaki - a savoury Japanese pancake containing a number of ingredients, that is grilled on a hot plate. You can sit at the bar and watch the chefs make them, or sit at a table with your own hotplate and the pancake is brought to you here it sizzles away until it's scoffed! We went with our friend Tatsuya who recommended it, and then on to Krispy Kreme to wash it down with heavily frosted doughnuts.........

April Morality Poster

2011-04-24T09:38:00.004+09:00

Every month I take a photo of the morality posters that are posted up around the subway stops in Tokyo, warning passengers to be considerate of others around them. I grew quite fond of the gooly-eyed people that were used to demonstrate each no-no and I am actually very sad to say that they have been binned! In it's place is this rather smug puss who's taking up more than his fare share of room on the seat.

This guy has obviously not taken heed of the warning!

Lilliput

2011-04-21T14:16:00.004+09:00

I often feel like a giant in the land of small people here in Toyko - hitting my head on low-slung doorways and squeezing myself into tiny train seats. Yesterday was no exception. I had lunch with my friend Suzy at a lovely little local restaurant run by some very friendly Japanese ladies. After squeezing my long, hefty legs under a stupidly small table, we ordered a coffee each and we were brought these doll-sized jugs of milk. I couldn't resist taking a photo of them.

Critters

2011-04-18T09:38:00.006+09:00

There's a great vintage clothing store near where we live in Daikanyama which has been interestingly styled using old wood and quirky American iconic images, an old boot has become a flower pot and tin cans made into windmills. They have always had a bandana-clad lizard chained up outside the store. I have to admit, when I first saw it, I thought it was alive - it's not! They have now added a family of critters made ingeniously from found objects. I love the turtle with his toenails, bandana and stereo-sound shell.