Aoyama - Gaienmae (Quick Tokyo Guide)

Aoyama - Gaienmae (Quick Tokyo Guide)

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

I just had another roll of film developed, which I had kind of forgotten about so these were taken a few months ago but I thought I'd share as a quick mini Tokyo guide. These are all from the area of Aoyama/Gaienmae, all very close by so you can visit all in an hour or two, all very lovely.

1&2: mina perhonen piece - just....love it!!
3: Watarium Museum - small but hosts many great exhibitions, also has a great little museum shop on the ground floor and a cafe downstairs.
4-7: Keith Haring & Barry McGee-created graffiti opposite the Watarium museum - excellent!!
8-10: Pan to Espresso to. - A cute little cafe that serves good coffee and panini.

How to get to Aoyama/Gaienmae: The closest station to this area is Gaienmae on Ginza line (exit 3) but you can easily walk to/from Omotesando.

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Other than the guide I have another recommendation, my friend and a talented Tokyo based zakka/product designer Ros' new website polkaros.com has been launched! She now has a new web shop where she sells her cute products with free shipping worldwide (how generous!)!! And....the web design and development was all done by... me!! I hope you visit her new website & shop and enjoy the total cuteness of the polkaros world :)
http://www.polkaros.com/


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Comments: 12

quick tokyo shop guide by one-use square camera

quick tokyo shop guide by one-use square camera

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

01. KOHORO - a beautiful Japanese style tableware and zakka
(addresses shown at the end of the post)
02. box & needle - full of very exquisite paper boxes made in Kyoto!
(I simply can't get enough of them! They have a really great style.)
03. Tsutaya Shoten - E-v-e-r-y-o-n-e in Tokyo was talking about this new grand book store when it opened in Daikanyama last December. Bit overwhelming but well worth a visit.
04. My all time favourite -Baden Baden which by now you all know
if you've been reading my blog for a while :)
05. "Do" at Claska

and last but not least, my very favourite bento shop (actually a rice shop) near my house who sell delicious home made obento only on Wednesdays.


All photos were taken with disposable square camera.

Addresses:
01. KOHORO
3-12-11 Tamagawa Setagaya-ku (google map)
3 mins from Futakotamagawa Station on Denentoshi and Oimachi lines.
Right behind Takashimaya department store.

02. box & needle
Same address to KOHORO shown above, they are located next to each other.
Both shops close on Wednesdays.

*Futakotamagawa is 2-5 minutes from Jiyugaoka on Oimachi line,
both express and local trains stop.

03. Tsutaya Shoten (Tsutaya books Daikanyama)
17-5 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku (google map)
3 mins from Daikanyama station on Toyoko line.

04. Baden Baden
2-31-7 Chuo-cho Meguro-ku Tokyo (google map)
About 5 minuite walk from Gakugeidaigaku Station on Toyoko Line.
Openin hours: 12：00~20：00 / Closed on Wednesdays
THEY HAVE CLOSED (SAD!!!)

05. "Do" at Claska
1-3-18 Chuo-cho Meguro-ku Tokyo (google map)

06. Hakusan Rice Shop
3-6-10 Jiyugaoka Meguro-ku (google map)
Take away bento lunch boxes available on Wednesdays only.


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Comments: 7

Strolling Around Aoyama

Strolling Around Aoyama

Monday, 26 September 2011

These are also from a while ago, when I had a stroll around Aoyama. It's a lovely area being away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby Harajuku and the main street of Omotesando, charming little shops are scattered around.

ARTS&SCIENCE is one of my favourite shops in this area, simple and good quality items beautifully displayed in a small but tasteful space in a little back street enchants me so much :)
They have many shops now around Tokyo but if you have a chance to go to Aoyama area I recommend you take a little further walk down Kotto-Dori street and visit this exquisite shop! (This one is lady's but their men's store is also not to miss if you like fashion, it's near the Nezu museum in the same neighbourhood)
kolor is also a cool Japanese brand to check out if you are a fashion guru!

Happy new week to you all ;)

　

Comments: 8

Rondom shots of shops.

Rondom shots of shops.

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Comments: 18

Gekkoso 月光荘

Gekkoso 月光荘

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Gekkoso is my favourite art supply shop which has been in Hanatsubaki Street in Ginza for 95 years. Dearest little shop it is!

Comments: 15

yumiko iihoshi porcelain

yumiko iihoshi porcelain

Thursday, 26 August 2010

First 3 photos are mine, the above images of the products are from yumiko iihoshi porcelain.

Yumiko Iihoshi's atelier is my recent favourite space in Tokyo. She has recently opened her atelier in Jiyugaoka as a gallery/shop 3 days a week. Simplicity, tranquility and beauty are all in there, a perfect box to contain her beautiful tableware. Yumiko-san is such a lovely person and that was no surprise to me at all looking at her delicate and sensuous pieces.

yumiko iihoshi porcelain
1-14-7-B Midorigaoka Meguro-ku Tokyo 1520034
open: normally on weekends only but changes every month.
This shop/atelier has closed.

Comments: 23

Cafe 6-Chome

Cafe 6-Chome

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

I realised that I haven't posted about nice cafes and shops in Tokyo for a while now, and I found these photos I took a while ago at another of my favourite cafes in the neighborhood so here it is! It is called "cafe 6-chome" and it's a lovely little cafe&shop in an old showa-period atmosphere. They sell Japanese antique furniture and it is fun just to go in and check out what new items they have every now and then. They are open in the evening during the week and open from the lunch time on the weekends. It's a good 15 minute walk from Jiyugaoka and there is nothing much around so it may not be so attractive for people visiting from other areas but I want to share my favourite space :) (My favourite cafe ikanika is not so far from this one, about 5 minute walk.)

cafe 6-chome
6-6-1 Todoroki
Setagaya-ku Tokyo 158-0082 (google map)

Comments: 9

minä perhonen in kyoto

minä perhonen in kyoto

Monday, 21 June 2010

minä perhonen shops in Kyoto are really so dreamy... Not far from the busiest intersection of the Kyoto city, there it is an old and beautiful building which I would call a minä perhonen paradise. Originally there was only one shop on the ground floor, but they opened minä perhonen arkistot on the level 3 of the same building last year where they stock their beautiful clothing from the past collections. Another shop opened earlier this year on the level 4 is "minä perhonen piece", another gorgeous space they created. There are so many little details which you would not want to miss in each shop like a cute drawings on the windows Mr Minagawa himself did, or sweet little signs hand-written on the walls etc. Wonderful, wonderful spaces!
You can see some images of "minä perhonen piece" here (text is in Japanese).

Shop info in English here.

Comments: 14