Thursday 5 December 2013

Strange Shop Names

There is really no end of these so just a few of my favourites so far:

For when you urgently need a suitcase
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Sadly the cafe was decorated in neutrals
Shop Sign - Mauve
For clothing that makes you feel snug and protected
Womb shop

Something I have yet to understand is why the Japanese associate everything french with the ultimate in refinement and chic. I can only assume it is because France is quite a way away from here and so they haven't been. The number of shops with french names - restaurants, cafes, book sellers, clothes stalls, chemists - is quite astounding. But then I asked someone if the Tokyo Tower was supposed to be a replica of the Eiffel Tower and she seemed quite confused.
Tokyo Tower from Mori Helicopter
More than a passing resemblance though, right?

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Daiso on Takeshita Street

Now that we have a move in date for our new flat I am becoming quite single-minded about furnishings. We're trying to do it all on a budget and so I headed for Daiso on Takeshita Street, which is one of the huge 100 Yen shops. These are like the UK's pound shops but everything is about 80p.

The street it's on is like Camden Market - lots of small shops with their wares spilling onto the pavement selling things aimed at the youth market. You can get your psychedelic sweatshirt...
Trippy Clothes Shop
...next to a store selling gothic vampire lolita outfits.
Goth/Punk Clothes Shop
Among many other shops there is even one packed with everything you never knew you wanted to do with Tamagochi. Remember those little keyrings with digital creatures in them that ate and poo'd then died? Yes those, except they evolved.
Tamagochi Shop
I happilly admit to not knowing what was going on in that shop except that there were some 10 year old girls who were really excited by it all.

Back to Daiso - 4 floors of poundshop goodness.
Daiso
I shopped until my basket overflowed and I started wondering about how to get it all home but will need to go back for the cleaning things. As well as my own needs I was shopping for presents for my sister, sister-in-law and I Love Lucy Bee recipient. And in that order left to right here's what they are going to get.
Present Mosaic
Remember all of this was 80p per item. On top of all that and the boring stuff like plain mixing bowls, measuring jugs, teaspoons etc I got kitchen things:
Colourful Kitchenware
Bins and clothes hangers:
Colourful Clothes Hangers
It is going to be a colourful flat!

Daiso also does all sorts of things to do with pets, stationary, gardening, food and crafts - the latter being of most interest to me! Here is the yarn aisle (yes, a whole aisle! And not bad quality either.)
Yarn Aisle Inside Daiso
Plus all hooks, needles etc. Then opposite that are the sewing things.
Sewing Notions Inside Daiso
I'm not saying this is the same quality as an actual craft shop, but it's above what we get in the UK from what I've seen so far.

Among the other tourists inside were quite a few russian women - when you think about it it's not that far to travel for a holiday if you live in the east of Russia - and when I finally went back outside there was a group of beefy Russian men scowling up at the shop and clearly waiting for them to come out. I could easily see Pooch standing among them were I so unwise as to take a trip here with him with me. It must be part of me turning into the perfect housewife that I would never think of doing such a thing and am making sure he's unbothered by the domestic shopping - leaving him to concentrate on earning the money I'm spending. I must make sure I do not get used to this...

Sunday 1 December 2013

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Pooch and I spent Sunday afternoon strolling around an idyllic part of Tokyo.
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This park originally started in 1590 and belonged to one of the Shoguns during the Edo Period. Some of the trees were clearly hundreds of years old but it has been extensively landscaped since the original and is now a kind of cross between Regents and Hyde Parks in London. There were lots of family groups picnicking as well as pensioners painting the views (very well too) and young couples and groups of friends walking around. It is 200 Yen to get in so about £1.30. Definitely worth it!
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With autumn, the leaves were changing and you got the most amazing colours and effects with the sunlight.
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Lots of people were as fascinated by the sunlight's effects as I was so you got little groups of photographers all in the same places - as in to the left of the photo below.
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The variety of plants was amazing. Apparently there are 64 varieties of cherry tree alone so the blossom in the spring will mean this is somewhere I will definitely be coming back to.
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And yes, the weather does continue to be rather splendid! About 16 degrees and clear blue skies yesterday.