Takao-san

Yesterday three of us set off from Shinjuku to climb Takao-san! Such a super fun day. Fresh air. Cicadas. Amazing views. The sweet smell of hinoki. Dragonflies. Incredibly beautiful trees.









Probably one of my favourite spots of the day. That mesmirising water.



You could look any which way and see something amazing. Little kids seemed to spot all of the teeny insects scattering around on the ground.









The hike, although nothing like climbing Mt Fuji, was not without effort.



Great to see civilisation closer to the peak.





Chu-chu wine. So many good points!





Up some stairs to a beautiful temple.











It must be so beautiful here in Autumn, too.



Soundtrack for the day - the sounds of cicadas.







Ah, Japanese Summers! At least there is Kakigori to enjoy! I can't believe I haven't had one this year yet. Must remedy that.








Top of Takao-san! Yatta!



I really want these sponsored drink benches in my apartment! Really, really.





And, after all that hiking, it was time for Nomihoudai and Tabehoudai at the Beer Garden! YATTA!!! I can't tell you how awesome it was having that first frozen beer!





The view of Tokyo from the Beer Garden!

Thanks for a great day Takao-san! You're beautiful!

If you have the chance, please enjoy climbing it one day. It's only about 50 minutes and ¥370 train trip from Shinjuku.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Weekend Start!

Such a lovely start to the weekend!

We had a mini dinner party last night with Luke-san and Takashi-san.

This afternoon (feeling slightly groggy) we all took off to the Andreas Gursky exhibition at The National Art Center. AMAZING show! If you're into photography, and are in Tokyo, you really won't want to miss this! Next, we were off to have some hangover cure burgers at Omotesando Hills' 'Golden Brown' (some of the best burgers in Tokyo!). We popped into Vacant in Harajuku, spent a couple of hours relaxing and chilling out listening to Bill Evans at the Omohara beer forest rooftop space (above) then strolled down to Shibuya for some computer shopping at Mac and digital camera shopping at LABI.



Back in Shimokita now, and I found this awesome magazine in Village Vanguard. Bicycle x Camera. This magazine combines two of my favourite things! The mag contains tips on where to go to take cool night shots, recommendations on two cameras (Fujifilm X20 and Ricoh GR) perfect for cyclists, a peek inside some camera and bike lovers bags (love seeing what they pack), not to mention I spotted one of my favourite go-to fonts used in the issue. The only thing missing, for me, was the lack of any mamachari bikes. Too daggy for them, I guess, but I adore my mamachari.

Hope you're having a nice start to the weekend!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

'Yebisu Style' Magazine Photo Shoot

Love you, you mega-city Tokyo! This is the view from the 39th floor of 'Top of Yebisu' (in the Yebisu Garden Place in Ebisu). Hanging out in 'local' Shimokita most days I sometimes forget that this city is just crazy huge! Can you spot Shinjuku in the background there? That's about a 9 minute train trip from my place. Worlds busiest train station!




I was asked to be in the next issue of 'Yebisu Style' magazine which is a magazine published by Yebisu Garden Place. There will be a spread of 'Hello Sandwich's Ebisu', a kind of osanpo (walking) tour, and also special select page of cute items from Mitsukoshi Department Store and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography Shop.

By the way, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography are showing some great shows at the moment, if you're in the mood for some inspirational Japanese photography. The museum will be closing in 2014 for a year to renovate! Oh no! (And by the way, there's an Andreas Gursky show on now at the National Art Centre in Tokyo)




We all set out, the Editor, Writer, Photographer and myself, on a 34 degree heat day (plus some crazy Japanese Summer humidity) to take photos around town. I'm not sure if you could call it 'work' though, it certainly didn't feel like work. More like friends going on a walk together exploring the city.









Ebisu is a wonderful little suburb with such diversity. One minute you can be viewing Tokyo from a fancy rooftop restaurant at Top of Yebisu, and the next, you can be wandering around back streets such as this.



If I could live here (and wasn't scared of earthquakes in old buildings) this would be the perfect house, no?

I really wish I could peek in through the window, to see if there was a kotatsu with a mikan sitting on it, a stack of old manga, a pink tiled bathroom, or tatami floor with floral slippers in the genkan. A serious Japanese home. That's where I'd like to live. Extra points for a retro serious Japanese home where the previous owner just decided to walk out one day, and I moved in the next, the place left exactly as is. That's my dream.




So, please stay tuned for the release of the next 'Yebisu Style' magazine next month!

Thank you Mika-san for inviting me to be a part! 楽しみにしています！

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Fragola Exhibition

Remember my cute friend Mami-chan? She's having an exhibition of her amazing cookie brooches (made from clay) at Shibuya's Violet and Claire shop. It's on until 24th August, so please don't miss it if you're in Tokyo!











Mami-chan also made some adorable embroidered bags (remember this Hello Sandwich one ?) which are also for sale at this special exhibition. 






And, when I visited the gallery on Saturday there was still one copy of my Tokyo guide left (which are now sold out through my online shop).



Oh, Mami-chan, you're such a cutie!

P.S. A message just in from Mami-chan and most of the cookie brooches are almost all sold out! Please be quick to visit if you'd like one!


Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Boco-chan's Studio

Hanging out yesterday at Boco-chan's studio, mucking around with some cameras, eating Dean and Deluca sandwiches, painting our nails with glitter varnish, looking through photography books, talking about zines and, at times, using a white retro Japanese - English dictionary to communicate! Love her!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Daikanyama Picnic

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.




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！



The grass in this park was so tall, it was like sitting on a mattress!




Kanpaiiiiiii!





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

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Shibuya 4am

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'.





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).








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.



Stillness just behind 'drink alley'.







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



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



Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo