Daikanyama Picnic

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Such a lovely Summer picnic in Daikanyama with Hiki-chan last night. We ate potato and blue cheese focaccia, quinoa and lentil salad, carrot and ginger salad, hijiki salad, camembert, olives (OMG so rare to find good inexpensive olives in Tokyo!) and drank Spanish sparkling wine.

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Spilling wine, trying home remedies to ward off the mozzies, opening presents, crying, laughing...

I'm so lucky to have the best friends living here in this incredible city! 本当にありがとうひきちゃん!
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The grass in this park was so tall, it was like sitting on a mattress!


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Kanpaiiiiiii!

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"OMG Look they are on the exact same settings!"

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo


Shibuya 4am

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I set my alarm for 3:30am this morning!

Was on my mamachari by 3:47am and in Shibuya by 4:03am. I'd always wanted to see what it looked like before the trains start, and as the sun comes up.

It's amazingly fun riding your bike at that hour, taking over just a little too much of the road. Swerving slightly as you gradually wake up. Feeling chuffed that you'd 'caught the early worm'.

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From what we could see, some of the popular options to kill time while you wait for the trains to start include karaoke, ticket ramen, or just kicking back on the street (skateboard riding optional).

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To add to the ghetto feeling of being in Shibuya at 4am, it seemed to be rubbish day. Collections of discarded objects huddled together in little clusters on each corner.

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Stillness just behind 'drink alley'.

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There is always the option to just take a nap on a flower bed while you wait for the trains, too.

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It was so pretty as the sun started to rise while the night lights were still glistening away.

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Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo


Shimokita to Nakameguro Summer Night Ride

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Just about the only time it's really pleasant to ride in Tokyo at the moment is during the nights, when it starts cooling down a little. (Today, it's 37degrees teamed with some crazy humidity!)

Luke and I took off around 9pm last night. I rode along this Nature Walk listening to this on my way to meet him. (Thanks James) I was on some kind of high, night riding through Tokyo's backstreets, running my hands along the tops of bushes as I rode past, wind in my, well, fringe. Love you Japan.

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A quick stop for some Family Mart essentials.

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Straight into the DIY esky.

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We couldn't believe it when we found this very convenient table riverside in Nakameguro! In true Ghetto style we sat here, drinking our beers, talking about all sorts of things. Painting, creating in general, boys and girls... A pretty awesome Tokyo summer night.

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"Look at it with squinty eyes"



"OMG it looks like space!"

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View from said riverside table.

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Lucky it wasn't a school night.

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Trying to get the hang of the night time F1.8 Av business thanks to my awesome sensei. だんだん. Bit by bit.

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The Friday night cool kids were still hard at it.

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But it was bed time for this Sandwich.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo


And the prize for the Worlds Cutest Beer Can goes to...

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Yo-ho Sorry!


What an incredible design team - who managed to combine all of those different kanji and hiragana fonts and a mix of red, tiffany blue, buttercup yellow and grey all at once...gahhh.

Apparently they use bonito flakes in this new beer?! Clever bunnies. 


This Nagano based brewing company statement is  “Provide tasty ales and make people happy!”  To be honest, you could put dishwater in that can and I'd still be happy to drink it with packaging like that.

Oh man! Japan! You kill me!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich

xoxo

Overgrown Tokyo Summer

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Yesterday was cans, bottles and paper recycling day in Shimokitazawa. I'm a little fascinated with ゴミの日, you might remember this post? Something about how tidy and neat Japanese are with their rubbish, and the mesh nets that come out on rubbish days.

I was a little sad to see the cute pink striped flower box that was sent to me go to it's new little home in the recycle center, but it did look lovely sitting neatly next to the colourful かん and びん crates for a short moment in time.

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I woke up at 5:55am yesterday in order to go 'looking for shots' before it got too hot.

This overgrown house was first on my list.


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A favourite scene just outside my local Lawsons.

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On my way to meet my friend I spied these cute Japanese fruits and vegetables glasses sitting in a pile of rubbish. (I love how Japanese say plural 'fruits', like 'fruits juice' or 'peanuts butter') I'm not usually one to rummage through other peoples garbage, but there were just so many of them, probably from a closed down restaurant or something, and I couldn't resist.

Moments later, and after a little chat with a neighbour who confirmed that yes, they were indeed 'かわいい’, he kindly rushed back into his house to get me a big bag to carry them home in. Love You Japan.

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We had lunch just under these trees in Yoyogi Koen. Escaping the heat a little. Sitting on teeny cartoon-like fake log stools. The sound of the cicadas - amazing!

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I accidentally forgot to enter through the Torii off-center, which is a bit of a religious no-no as the center should be where the gods enter through.

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Back on my bike by now, heading home.

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I've always wanted to make these crates into chairs for my apartment, or in a Hello Sandwich warehouse studio. Top one with a ditzy floral cushion cover, and the other in a plaid pattern, and you'd have yourself a cute set. Or maybe this cushion? Or this one? Perfect for informal meetings or for pulling out onto the balcony for afternoon white wine spritzers, no?

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Sunny Sangengaya streets.

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We're back in Daizawa now. Just around the corner from my apartment.

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Do you recognise this?

A hint.


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Love You Japan.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo