The last time I was in the Harajuku/Aoyama/Omotesando area it was cold and wet. On this trip, the sun was shining and bathed everything in golden light. Shadows were dense and dancing, and there were covetable bicycles and pretty sights around every corner. So I got a little trigger-crazy.

I need to stop bringing out so many cameras though. Aching shoulder notwithstanding, the juggling really got to me.

Ikebukuro

It was a cold morning.
I sat at the hotel's smoking corner for the free wifi.
Wearing red socks. They kept slipping down.
Decided to buy new socks from IOIO departmental store but it was only 10am.
Ootoya for breakfast? Haven't had the chance to try it in SG.
Yes! It's open.
Had salmon. Was alright.
Sat by window and wondered why such a large group of people was needed to close off the main road. The Japanese do it most methodically. It's like they have a rule book complicating things.
Waiting to cross the road. Drizzling. Two girls discussed in Mandarin how long my hair was.
Holding damp umbrella and wondering if it's okay to spend so much on a pair of socks. But Vivienne Westwood socks come in the craziest designs.
Paid for socks with credit card.
High school marching band! Girls with cute blue capes!
Pictures. 3GS goes black screen. Panic.
Finish taking pictures. Returned to hotel to attempt to revive phone.
100 yen to use the internet.
No phone. Unable to convert yen to SGD, how was I supposed to shop?
Google Apple service centres. Ginza. Which station exit is the nearest?
No way to tell time? What if I miss my flight?
Panic.
Breathe. Mind clears a little. Google black screen iPhone 3GS.
There it is, the solution.
What would I do without Google?
Head towards station.
What's going on?
Lots of people sitting in neat rows on the road, waiting for something to happen.
In chronological order:

Actually there are more of that morning. But the ones on the Golden Half are magical, somehow. They remind me of every single thing that happened - if not for loose socks and a phone blackout, I would have left Ikebukuro before the festivities started. They're like my portkey.

I really like the pictures taken with the 110 Ikimono camera. It makes me feel like I've gone back in time.

LOVE FAKE? UT X miss maki nomiya

Bought this tee today. I also like the studded, knit and fringe versions, which you can see here. But I only saw studded and spangle at Uniqlo.

I love the LOVE FAKE? concept, and that it's the girl from Pizzicato Five.

Well I don't know very much about them, only that I have a couple of their albums in my iPod, and I like listening to their chirpiness. Plus their MVs are kinda weird/ old school/ cool.

Here's a song that always makes my head go bob bob bob.

I'm addicted to 8tokyo.com cos the girls keep posting uber cute things found in Japan, like this toothbrush set. Or sweets and desserts. Like puddings, which I seriously love.

They also have an etsy shop called 8tote.com. There you'll find these:

They're like those baby clothes or doll outfit box sets. I'm more of a 'cute things in small dosages' kind of person, and these are the type of things I'd scold the lawyer for buying. But I like these. These are brilliantly cute.

Links to monkey, rabbit and erm, yellow creature (bear?).

I wish my kindergarten was like that

Saw a programme trailer on CNA which got me googling.

For this amazing kindergarten. Fuji Kindergarten is located in Tachikawa, a suburban part of Tokyo.

(Images from Tezuka Architects.)

Check out this video on Monocle which will take you through some fun aspects of the school. There are also more great pictures.

My favourites are the slide and the classroom skylights which come attached with ropes that students can climb to get to the deck roof.

Cafe & Meal MUJI

From 8tokyo.com.

Sigh. I miss Tokyo.

Paco House

Living in a futuristic cube.

I feel like I'm somewhere in the faraway future looking at these pictures. I'd be doing what the guy is doing if I lived in one of these.

I like how the floors and walls all hide a little something.



There is an air of extraordinary loneliness surrounding it all. Or maybe it's just my overactive imagination.


By Schemata Architecture, via Trendir which has all the details.

...it can be said that each dwelling unit is realized by experience of two rooms and the city when passing along outside stairs. When you go up outside stairs, you will have experience that it is a wonder climbing a big mountain such as a city. It seems that you have your own house in the foot and summit of a mountain, respectively.

By Sou Fujimoto Architects (can't remember where I came by this link). It says the project was supposed to have been completed in 2008. I would certainly like to see the real thing.

Treeless Mountain

I want/hope to see this run in SG.




The director So Yong Kim said in a statement:

Treeless Mountain is inspired by events from my early childhood in Pusan, Korea. My mother divorced our father and left us with our grandparents on a rice farm. She immigrated to America in order to find a better life for herself and to build a future for her children. At the time of these events we were too young to understand and our mother did not tell us what was happening. I began writing the film to search for certain lost memories from this period of my life and also as a letter to my mother.

It makes me think of the film Nobody Knows and the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, both of which are remarkable.

Nobody Knows continues to haunt me to this day because of the terribly sad ending. I can't look at Meiji Apollo Strawberry Chocolate without thinking about the little sister.

Amazing

In May 2005 following a short helicopter ride over Tokyo [Stephen Wiltshire] drew a stunningly detailed panoramic view of the city on a 10-meter-long canvas from memory.

- Official Stephen Wiltshire website

If you don't want to watch the whole video, go straight to 6:49 to see the 10-metre long drawing.

Love Shuffle no more!

Ten weeks of joy have come to an end.

Let's take a moment to look back at my favourite sets on the show.

The foyer as their living room and all the random things they do there.





As well as the cafe/bar where they hang out.








Actually one of the things from the show that surprised me was the use of Eternal Flame as a recurring soundtrack. You get to hear it in every episode, I think.

Eternal Flame by The Bangles was released in 1989. By the time I heard and liked the song, it was long enough after that I thought of it as older than its actual age.

I'm not sure what it is that surprises me. Perhaps it's the vague notion that it has been used in other Japanese dramas before. Perhaps it's the fact that when I first heard it it was under 10 years old but now it's practically an adult.

i LOVE this set

I was super taken by Y.S.K.31's Bento set on Flickr.

They're so lovingly prepared and lovingly photographed.

From one of comments, it appears that the wife made these for him.

I love bentos. Homemade bentos are extra special. Plus these look super delicious.

This is my last set of Tokyo photos

After this I'll have to visit again in order to have more photos to blog with.



I went to Asakusa for the sole purpose of visiting the amusement park. But the Buddhist temple Sensoji was very beautiful too. It was a crowded day.

Before I left I joined the people praying at the main entrance and I noticed coins flying over my head and falling with a ting! into some spot far up front. I suppose no one could get ahead and pushing and jostling were simply not done. I tossed a 100 yen coin over everyone too. It was too infectious seeing all those flying coins.

There were many busy streets flanking the temple. I stopped to watch this amazing string puppet show. So many strings were involved and the movements of the puppets so lifelike it was awe inspiring. The man had to stop after each segment to wipe his perspiration so you can imagine the amount of concentration and energy he exerted in orchestrating such tiny, defined movements.

There was a casual eatery next to this show so I sat down for a tendon. Later I learnt that there was a famous tendon place in the same area but that would have to wait for the next trip.

It was an overcast day and the photos are badly underexposed but just to get a feel of it.

And the reason for my being in Asakusa. The old school Hanayashiki Amusement Park.

I thought it over a really long time before I went on the carousel as well. It was embarassing as the only adults on it were supervising kids. But I told myself no one would recognise me and while the Japanese might stare they don't comment loudly and rudely or point, so it would be okay. Super paiseh but enjoyable too.



















The roller coaster was small but fun. I got a lot of stares for being there alone and taking lots of kiddy rides. But it's okay.

I miss Japan.