MUJI x LEGO

Tuesday, 17 November 2009
All images are from MUJI
MUJI has launched their new innovative product line called "Playing with paper and LEGO", a collaborative project between MUJI and LEGO. There are 4 sets, each includes 120 LEGO pieces and 10 sheets of coloured paper all contained in a box. You will need to get this special puncher to make the holes that matches with logo pieces. Looking at these images, I think they are so much fun not just for kids but for grown ups too, don't you think!? They will be available for purchase at Muji stores and Muji Online Store (I am not sure if they will be available in stores outside Japan) from 27 November and you can reserve them at the online store.
Comments: 15

Yokohama (from late September, yes very late.)

Thursday, 12 November 2009
Obviously I haven't been taking photos so much lately, I finally got the two films developed which had been staying in my two cameras for a while. And these are from Yokohama when I went there with Stephanie on a very nice hot day in late September. I remember sitting in the sun at the top of osanbashi terminal drinking beer and chating with her like it was only a few weeks back. But the season has changed and now it's almost winter, time flies don't they.

Anyway, Yokohama Minato-mirai is a waterfront city that is only about half an hour on the express train (Toyoko Line) from Shibuya and is a very nice place to spend a day exploring around. The contrast between the futuristic skyscraper of Minato-mirai and the Yamashita/Chinatown area oposite from it is quite interesting. My favourite way to explore is to start from Minato-mirai Station and walk around towards Akarenga-soko (Red Brick Warehouse), to the osanbashi terminal, walk through the Yamashita Park and head to the Yokoham Chinatown which is said to be the biggest Chinatown in Asia and one of the biggest in the world. The night view of Yokohama minato-mirai is spectacular when it's all lit up, so stay till it gets dark!
Comments: 6

Shichi-Go-San

Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Shichi-Go-San literally means "7-5-3" and is an anual event in Japan which parents celebrate their childrens' growth when they are 3, 5 and 7 years old. (3 and 7 for girls and 5 for boys.) And these photos are from my Shichi-Go-San when I was turning 7 taken with my brothers and mum. I really loved my kimono my grandmother had made for me, I still have it somewhere in my parents house. If I ever will have a daughter I want her to wear it for her Shichi-Go-San :)

November 15th is the original date for this festivity, but most people do it on the closest weekends to this day. So if you are in Japan this weekend there is a good chance you might see cute little children dressed up in their kimonos going to the shrines with their parents!
Comments: 14

Makoto Kagoshima Exhibition @ biotope

Friday, 6 November 2009

All images are from biotope.
I went to an exhibition of a Japanese ceramic artist Makoto Kagoshima held at a lovely little shop called biotope in Gakugeidaigaku. I first saw his plates at aaA of yu (she has a great collection!) and later at ii-ne-kore. I instantly fell in love with his works and I did get to go to a little exhibition at the spiral but there weren't so many left there though I got a little plate for myself :)

At biotope today, I was literally surrounded by all his works from beautiful plates, bowls-big and small, coffee cups, vases, cute little objects and paintings! (you can see what it was like here) It was marvelous and I got really excited!!!! I liked many of them and didn't know which one I should get so I ended up not getting anything at all. The ones I really liked were too expensive for me anyway (30,000yen+). But I might go back soon as the exhibition will be going till Sunday, hmmmm.
You can buy them online here too, though am not sure they'd ship internationally.

Well, hope you will have a great weekend!!

biotope
5-14-1 Shimouma Setagaya-ku Tokyo 154-0002
Open: 14:00-19:00 Weekdays / 12:00-19:00 Sat&Sun&holidays / Closed on Wednesdays.
*biotope has moved to aoyama
　
Comments: 14

Japanese Folk Crafts in [nid].

Wednesday, 4 November 2009
[nid] is another wonderful lifestyle magazine that introduces "all good things of Nippon (japan)". And this current issue of [nid] features Japanese folk crafts and all the images of beautiful tablewares, kitchen tools, furniture, etc in it are just making my eyes sparkle!

Each Japanese prefecture (there are 47) has its special folk crafts and I've been enjoying to collect little bit of each when I visit different places in Japan. Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture is the next destination I'd love to visit for the beautiful Kurashiki glasswares!

In the [nid] website they have an online shop and you can buy some of the items that are seen in the magazine which is wonderful! These are some of my favourites:
"Onta-yaki" (小鹿田焼) from Oita prefecture, "Enkoji-gama" (延興寺窯) from Tottori prefecture.

Wooden potholders and coasters from Asahikawa, Hokkaido.
Comments: 9
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