minä perhonen x torafu @ CLASKA

Monday, 18 January 2010

All images are from CLASKA.

Over the weekend, I went to the exhibition of a collaborative furniture project by mina perhonen and wonderful torafu architects at my very favourite shop/gallery in Tokyo -DO in Claska. Some very interesting new furniture pieces were exhibited including prototypes, and also there were some really lovely cushions and tablewares for sale. I could not resist that hasami-yaki ceramic (from Nagasaki) grey coffee cup & saucer seen in the top picture! (I'm seriously considering for going back for more.) It came in a pretty grey box too :) This exhibition will be going till the end of January, so if you will be in Tokyo check it out. You can also buy these wonderful items at CLASKA's online shop (Japanese).

Also, now the mina perhonen exhibition "The future from the past" is held at the Kanazawa 21st Century Museum until the end of May, so hopefully I will get the chance to go see it!

And for all mina lovers, do check out this and this (wonderful magazines full of mina perhonen!).

New posts here too ;)
Comments: 14

Just saying Hi and sharing some great links!

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

My yearly BIG work project is now at the most stressful stage and I haven't been able to put my mind toward this blog or properly check my blogrolls. To make things worse I got a cold but now I'm feeling much better so there is no need to worry. Sorry I haven't replied to your comments but I have been reading each of them and they do make my day (thank you!). One of the good things about getting an iPhone is that I can do a lot of things I could only do in front of the PC before now whenever I get the moment even while I'm sick in bed.

Anyway, I just thought I'd take a moment here and do one post before I hear back from my client (please let me have a quite peace for a while!).

This is kind of like a note to myself which I will come back for good looks later, but I'm going to share some great links here.
A wonderful new blog find The Tokyo Connection mentioned by Aron, Ebony and Bree is something I can't help rementioning here for all Tokyo lovers! Also must check Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide in the book, and check out where Tommy stayed in Hakone from her recent trip to Tokyo! I wish someday in my lifetime I could stay at this beautiful onsen retreat.... and yasu's photos from her recent visit to Kyoto is also not to miss. Other than Japan related, marie is now sharing her beautiful Melbourne life here, and Oly's everyday life in Paris never bores me either! and...last but not least, Ulrika has done a new post on our blog :)

I might come back to add some more but this is it for now, hope you enjoy these wonderful links too!
Comments: 15

Nanakusa-gayu

Friday, 8 January 2010
I meant to post this yesterday, but in Japan 7th January is the day we eat "Nanakusa-gayu" （七草粥） which literally means seven-herb rice porridge. Another Japanese customs/traditions from the part of (or the end of) NewYear Celebrations.

People tend to eat and drink A LOT during the new years in Japan, so to eat something light and healthy like Nanakusa-gayu on the 7th day of the new year is thought to give worn-out stomach a good rest. But actually it is believed to bring longevity and health if you eat it on this day. I do it mainly for the former reason though.

The New Year is really important in Japan and there are SO MANY customs and traditons regarding New Year, but there aren't so many that I follow. This one is nice and easy (and tasty!), the seven-herb is sold at the suparmarkets so I do this every year :) (Actually we are supposed to eat it in the morning of 7th Jan but I couldn't be bothered cooking when i woke up so I cheated by doing it in the evening for a quick and easy dinner.)

The seven herbs (edible wild herbs they are) are:
Japanese parsley (seri), Shepherd's purse (nazuna), Jersey Cudweed (gogyō), Common chickweed (hakobera), Henbit (hotokenoza), Turnip (suzuna), and Daikon (suzushiro).
Comments: 17

At Cafes / Tokyo

Tuesday, 5 January 2010
that chair
cafe
dinner alone
after the mealThese are taken at my favourite cafes in Tokyo. I like spending my time alone in a cafe examining every little detail of the space and smile to myself (in my heart), but it's also lovely to share it with someone of course i need to have that as well :)
Comments: 18

Akemashite Omedeto 2010!

Monday, 4 January 2010
Akemashite Omedeto (Happy New Year) everyone!!!! I hope you're all having a wonderful start to the new year as I am :)

The last couple of weeks of 2009 were just way too stressful for me. On new year's eve I rushed into Takashimaya (department store) to do my new year shopping, I was planning to get some Japanese sweets at Toraya as 2010 is the year of tiger, but as soon as I saw the big big queue I gave up (it was CRAZY!) and settled to Eitaro, another traditional Japanese confectionery. In the new year in Japan, we give "onenga" gifts as the new year greetings usually to parents or the ones we received special cares from - in my case, our landload who always give us fruit and vegetables they grow! Of course there is "otoshidama" too, which we give out to the little ones -pocket money slipped into little pochibukuro (paper envelopes). Being a child it was the best thing about the New Year, but not really as an adult :(

Anyway, when I finished my very last-minuite shopping, it was finally time to relax! We opened a bottle of champagne and had some beautiful sashimi :) And when the new year came, I just made a very shimple ozoni breakfast and then off to our parents homes for never-ending eating and drinking! That is the typical Japanese New Year :)

I also received such sweet "Dear Santa" letter from my friend's little girl from Australia. Yep I was the santa!

I wish you all a very happy 2010 and I really thank you for your wonderful support to this blog, your sweetest comments always make me happy :)

Also, new post here and here.
Comments: 16
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