Wintery Tokyo Days

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Another Tokyo day. Another set of front-on Tokyo neighbourhood photographs. I just can't help myself. It's become my most favourite hobby. Even in the cold weather, just riding around super slow, stopping to take photographs of shop fronts or pop into cafes for coffee. I have some lovely bike riding + photo taking friends too.

Today Mark and I rode around Kyodo, Shimotakaido and Sasazuka. I feel extremely lucky to be able to spend my days like this at the moment, to soak in the city and share it with you wherever you may be in the world. Don't you think it's fun to travel around the world through blogs popping up your google reader. At first you are in wintery Sweden and then you're on an Australian beach having a picnic on a handmade picnic throw. The Satorialist refers to this in his latest documentary as sitting on a 'digital park bench'. Ah, the internet, I love you.

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Some other favourite relaxing Sandwich pastimes of late:

+ Wearing up to four Hokkairo heated packs at once. I've become a fan of the shoe ones.

+ Eating super sweet strawberries

+ Taking morning walks along the nature walk with Gracie and our thermos coffee.

+ Visiting neighbourhood markets and watching the locals eat hot sweet potato.

+ Spending hours in Sekaido buying art materials and spending the afternoon drawing.

+ Reading Murakami novels in the morning sun.

+ Painting my nails in colours like 'High Roller' by Kit. Thank you Lauren!

+ Drinking Spanish and French red wine until late at local bakery cafes with cosy ski-lodge interiors.

+ Cooking delicious western style salads from here.

I'm looking forward to Gusto Family restaurant nomihodai drink bar Nihongo study sessions with my friends too.

How have you been spending the start of the year?


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Oh, and today we saw this little Fuji in Sasazuka, and the real Fuji-san from Setagayadaita. Today is such a clear Tokyo day!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Sasazuka

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Hello Sandwiches.

I just got back from a mamachari ride around a nearby neighbourhood called Sasazuka. It's filled with buzzy little shōtengai with obaachans selling fresh yasai and other dinner essentials. I really like it there. I think I'll try and do my shopping there sometimes. It's just a short bike ride from my apartment and it's such a lovely experience buying from the little street shops.


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Bike riding is the best way to spend an afternoon! I had breakfast here with Amy, and then a warm cosy chai here with Ortolan (where I desperately want to work - if only they were in Tokyo!), and then topped of the afternoon with such a lovely bike ride.

I am going to try this cafe out tomorrow. Oh it's a hard life!

Hope you had a happy day too.

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

Smilebooth

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I've always loved a backdrop photoshoot. And thanks to the clever bunnies at
Smilebooth you can hire your own photobooth and fun backdrop - no photographer needed. There are loads of backdrops to choose from, even some pretty special ones designed by Confetti systems. Now I just have to scheme up a party so I can see if they ship the booths to Tokyo!

I first spotted Smilebooth over at Bluebird Vintage.
And how cute are Bluebird Vintage's New Year family shots! Um, Adorable!

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Adorable too was the photobooth at this wedding.

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All this talk of photos...I'm off to ride my bike and take some photos. Be back soon.

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

mt x TEPRA Pro

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Weee! Sandwiches I am so excited about mt tape's collaboration with Tepra Pro (King Jim)!. Together they have released a dymo-like printer that prints Katakana, Hiragana, Kanji and Romanji onto super cute patterned mt tape. Oh my! My kitchen cupboard and stationery section just got a whole lot cuter. Not to mention my envelope labeling system.

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The tape cartridge comes in the above mt tape colours and patterns.

Depending on which country you live in, you can order via Rakuten but keep in mind too the AC point may differ to your country so you may need to swap the adapter.

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

2011

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Image by the clever bunnies at Present&Correct.



Happy New Year Sandwiches! Thank you so much for your lovely Sandwich support in 2010 and I hope you can continue to enjoy Hello Sandwich in 2011.

明けましておめでとうございます!
今年もよろしくおねがいします。

I started 2011 with Japanese tradition. Sending nengajo, Watching kouhaku, soba at midnight, osechi ryori, mochi rice cake, and then Hatsumoude (the first visit to the shrine for the year).

It will be sad to see 2010 end in a way, it was such a fantastic year! But I'm looking forward to 2011! Did you make some New Years Resolutions? I'd love to hear them! I made a list of 17 'goals'. Eeeps! I am going to do my best this year. がんばります。

Love Love
ハローサンドウィッチ

年賀状 (Nengajō - New Year Cards)

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Hello Sandwiches!

I hope you had a gorgeous Christmas. My first Tokyo Christmas was lots of fun and we even had a little Christmas party at Hello Sandwich HQ. Lots of food, mulled wine, Christmas carols, and no Tokyo Christmas would be complete without a tacky Christmas Cake. (Okay I caved in after last minute Christmas shopping in Shinjuku on Christmas eve listening to 'クリースマスケーキいかがでしょうか?’at every corner!). But now it's on to the next big exciting day - New Years Day.

Japan has so many lovely New Year traditions. I'm a little late (they are meant to be in the post before 25th December to arrive by 01/01) but I've just finished designing my (year of the rabbit) 年賀状 (New Year Cards). This year I used a super cute MdN mook to design the cards.

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The mook came complete with a CD-rom of all the cute elements any Japanese-wanna-be girl (Hello Sandwich) would ever need to create a card that looks like it just stepped out of a puri kura print club machine! Think tapes, ribbons, bows and cute handwriting style fonts. This mook is worth every cent.

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For the time poor, or those who are not as comfortable using the computer, the mook also comes complete with a large range of pre-made cards to simply print out.

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There are lots of free printables online (for example here and here) that you could crop and play around with to make your card. Or you could stock up on a collection of BNN pattern books. Either way, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun making your own 年賀状.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo