Tokyo Design Week Guest Blog at The Design Files

Photobucket

Sandwiches, I am guest blogging over at The Design Files this week sharing some of my favourite highlights from Tokyo Design Week. A new post will be updated daily so please pop on over and have a look at some of the amazing things on show during Design Week in this incredible city.

I hope you will enjoy!

Thank you lovely Lucy for this little introduction. I blushed when I read it! xoxo


Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Kandagawa

Photobucket

I once read about it in gaijin's favourite magazine 'Metropolis' whilst sitting on the Narita express train from the airport. It's a river that stretches 24km from Kichichijoji's Inokashira Koen, taking in Suginami, Nakano and Shunjuku before flowing into the larger Sumida river in Taito-ku. The article said the river makes for beautiful bike riding along the river side path.

I first stumbled upon Kandagawa by accident after ignoring the directions suggested by my icrew and instead taking the 'more interesting' backstreets. Although it was approaching evening when I first rode along Kandagawa, I vowed to return soon to take Sandwich photos. So today, taking advantage of this beautiful sunny Tokyo weather, I set out with fellow Australian Tokyo resident Miss Wong (who takes the most beautiful Tokyo photographs) on a lovely slow ride along Kandagawa. There is nothing more fun than riding bikes with someone who loves stopping to take just as many photographs as me!


Photobucket

Photobucket

There are just so many things I love about this river path. The colourful fences (in colours like Tiffany blue and coral) which change colour at almost every road break.

Photobucket

Photobucket

I adore the multi-coloured scallop patterns adorning the bridges.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Hello Fuji-san!

Photobucket

Baby blue and pale pink floral fence palings.

Photobucket

The best thing about this river path are the paintings of Pandas on the side railings that are painted with impressive perspective so that visitors can make out the Panda as they are riding up to it, but it disappears as you get closer.

Photobucket

Another feature of Kandagawa are the illustrative tiles scattered throughout the pathway.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

The gardens lining the river are also not to be overlooked.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

レモン

Photobucket

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tokyo potted garden as sweet as this.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

And this cactus garden brought both Miss Wong and I to a strong skidding break on our mamacharis to take some photographs!

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

If you are in need of some slow time, I can highly recommend a ride along Kandagawa, and right now the weather is just perfect. Do as Miss Wong and I did and eat handmade onigiri in Inokashira koen.

Bike Riders in Tokyo will also love recently launched iphone application 'Navinko'. This application uses social networking to allow members to pin point ‘landmarks’ to share with other riders via GPS tracking and sound alerts. Fascinating Stuff!

I hope you had a lovely weekend Sandwiches.

Love Love
Sando
xoxo

I'd like to live at Dictionary Club

Photobucket

Photobucket

Dear Dictionary Club,

I hope you won't mind if I take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Ebony Bizys, but you can call me Sandwich.

I visited your D ♥ Y market on Sunday and didn't ever want to leave. Stamping workshops, magazine presentations, emoticon doughnuts, mulled wine, a knitted octopus, and a new love heart currency? Um, can I please move in?

I look forward to a reply at your earliest convenience.

Kindest regards,

Sandwich

xoxo


Photobucket

Cutest shoes ever!

Photobucket

The woolen watch making workshop.


Photobucket

Hot mulled wine has been popping up everywhere I go in Tokyo lately. With the cool chill coming over Tokyo, it smells so cosy and delicious. I think I need to have a mulled wine + kotatsu + nabe party soon!


Photobucket

Photobucket

These little heart tokens were used as currency instead of ¥. Adorable no?

Photobucket

My dear friend Mogu-chan's new Omoshiro zine.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Caffe latte hotto de = 4 love hearts

Photobucket

Hello emoticon doughnuts!


Photobucket

Visitors could make their own ceramic 2011 year cups with the help of designers Satoko Sai and Tomoko Kurahara.

If you're in Tokyo, be sure to attend an event at Dictionary Club!

xoxo

D ♥ Y Dictionary Club Tokyo

Photobucket

Photobucket

There are some amazing things happening in Shibuya this weekend at the D ♥ Y Dictionary Club Craft + Art + Food Festival!

The festival includes a market, an exhibition, workshops and a selection of artist / designer talks. If you love creating, you'll love D ♥ Y Tokyo!

You can find the event timetable here.

October 30, 2010 (Sat), 13:00 to 22:00
October 31, 2010 (Sunday) 11:00 to 19:00

Venue:
Club Dictionary
1-2-5 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 〒 150-0041

Visit media club king for more information.

Admission: 1000 yen (each day)


「D♥Y (読み:ディーアイワイ)」は2010年に東京でスタートした、体験、共感型の新しいイベントです。お店とお客、作り手と受け手といった一方向の関係ではなく、相互が作用しながらその場でしかできないモノやコトを生み出す場所が「D♥Y」です。クラフト、デザイン、アートやフードといった垣根を超えた、あらゆるジャンルから「D♥Y」的な活動をする人たちが参加する、DOとYOUを♥でつなぐDIYなイベントです。
日時
2010年10月30日(土)31日(日)(雨天決行)
10月30日(土)13:00-22:00
10月31日(日)11:00-19:00
会場
ディクショナリー倶楽部
〒150-0041 東京都渋谷区神南1-2-5
http://www.clubking.com/
入場料
1000円(各日)
※会場で使用できる独自通貨「♥(アイ)」5♥(500円相当)付
D♥Y通貨「♥」について
D♥Yでは独自通貨、「♥(アイ)」を発行します。1♥=100円で入場者に10枚単位で販売します。
会場内にて独自通貨「♥(アイ)」をご購入いただく事で商品購入や各種イベントへの参加にご利用いただけます。

Thank you lovely Sirena con Jersey for the heads up!

Also worth seeing this weekend in Tokyo is Tokyo Design Week and Tokyo Design Tide!

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

Tupera Tupera Workshop (Momiji Ichi Markets)

Photobucket

Today's fantastic Tupera Tupera, 'Let's make a cardboard city together', workshop at Momiji Ichi Markets.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

The rest of the Momiji Markets were so much fun too! Here are a few other pics of the rest of the market below.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

This is a model of the market layout. Have you ever seen a market model so cute? Only in Japan!

Photobucket

A mini city shoe display? You won't find anything so cute at Glebe markets!

Photobucket

Photobucket

A pretty Tanabata-like tree filled with drawings held up with mt washi tape.

Photobucket

Click here to watch youtube movies of the Momiji craft makers in action.

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

東京の秋 (Autumn in Tokyo)

Photobucket

Today was such a lovely day! I went to Studio Ghibli with my friend and met Totoro! Afterwards we drank the cutest coffee ever at Hattifnatt Kichijoji. If you click here, you can watch a 360degrees tour of the cafe. I usually sit upstairs in the loft tree house. It's so pretty looking out beyond the mini Tokyo potted garden in the window. And one of the best things about the loft is you get to order through an intercom system. Needless to say you get pretty good at Japanese pretty fast if you sit upstairs. There is no pointing to the menu up in this little Tokyo tree house!

Lately it's been getting pretty crisp here in Tokyo. My first winter living in Tokyo is just around the corner. I felt the chill in the air today when getting off the Keio Inokashira sen at Kichijoji. Suddenly my cravings for Hiyashi chuka have been replaced with cravings for Ramen and Udon. I wonder how long I can go without turning my air con or heated toto toilet seat on! がんばってエボーちゃん! When I first arrived in Tokyo it was so hot I couldn't bare to stand over the gas stove top, but now I love to simmer things for hours just so I can get warm by the stove. Although I've been holidaying in Tokyo in it's coldest month February almost every year for the last ten years, imagining living here through an entire winter is sending me into a slight panic! Shops are filling up with heated blankets and kotatsu and I feel like I should stock up now while I can still go outside, before it starts snowing like last year and then hibernate in my mini-me Hello Sandwich HQ until March! Secretly though, I am pretty excited!!! I secretly love wearing Hokkairo packs and drinking hot green tea and I am very much looking forward to...

...Buying my very first kotatsu! (more kotatsu pics over at いいね、これ).
...Snuggling under the kotatsu and watching Japanese Drama on MySoju.
...Hosting my first Nabe party under said kotatsu.

And so, while it's still possible to leave the house without a fluffy-lined Muji flammable jacket (or two) this is my suggested things-to-do-in-Tokyo-list for this weekend!

Opening Friday night: Misaki Kawai's exhibition at Tokyo Opera City. (I have had an art crush on her ever since this). Let's just hope I don't get all star struck and speechless like when I met Yoshitomo Nara!

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

(All images via Misaki Kawai Studio)



Tupera Tupera craft workshop on Sunday at Momiji Ichi Autumn Markets. It's going to be so much fun! Oh yes it is.

Photobucket

(Tupera Tupera Image via Momiji Ichi Markets)


Workshop Information:

当日の参加も可能ですので、ぜひいらしてみてください。
■日時/10月24日(日)
10:30~14:00/まちづくりタイム!
(当日参加の方は何時からでも参加できますが、最終の受付は13時です)
14:00~15:00/絵の具乾かしタイム!(休憩)
15:00~ /パレード!!(もみじ市のラストを飾る大パレードです)




P.S. I was on J-Wave radio here in Tokyo yesterday speaking the teeniest tiniest bit of Japanese. Thank you so much J-Wave and Mariko Mizuami for including me in this special 'foreigner's perspective on Tokyo' feature. You can read about my favourite place in Tokyo on the J-wave blog (also pasted here below):

今週のFIND TOMORROWは4日連続のSpecial Edition。
『異邦人たちのTOKYOガイド』

異邦人、つまり、東京に暮らす外国人たちによる、東京ガイド。
オーストラリア、シドニーからやって来た、グラフィックデザイナー、エディターのエボニー・ビジズさん。
現在は、デザイン関連の仕事をしながら、東京の生活からインスパイアされた“出来事やモノ”を綴った『ハローサンドイッチ』という名前のWEBマガジンとZINE(ジン)を自ら発信しています。

Ebony Bizys
エボニーさんがエディターのとってもCUTEなWEBマガジン『ハロー サンドイッチ』はこちら


<My inspiration from Tokyo>
何もかもが、とっても新鮮!スーパーマーケットに行くことも、私にとっては興味深い旅なの。お店の中を歩き回って、カラフルな値札に目を奪われたり。あと、店員さんの言う、「ポイントカードはお持ちですか?」とか。そんな日常の一瞬一瞬すべてが、発見で、刺激的なの!

<My Favorite Area in Tokyo>
下北沢は、可愛いカフェとか、個性的な本屋さん、ライブハウスとか楽しいお店が沢山あって好き。実際、住んでいるし(笑)。いっつもママチャリに乗って、シモキタ・クルージングしているの学生や若い人が多いから、外国人たちにフレンドリーな街ね。

<My Hang out Spot in Tokyo>
大好きなカフェがひとつあって、『モアカフェ』というんだけど、古い家をリノベーションしたカフェで、とってもシモキタっぽい。奥まったところにあって、私のリラックス・スポットね。



Happy Tokyo Autumn Sandwiches!

Love Love
Sando
xoxo