This Weekend In Tokyo

The first weekend of September in Tokyo is shaping up to be a mighty fine one. If you are out and about in the city these are a few spots we think are worth checking out. If you are loving us from afar be sure to click on the links, read up on the Tokyo happenings and impress your friends with your knowledge of rockin' international events!

- This week over at Ping Mag quite the comment riot was caused when a conversation with Japanese artists Yoshimitsu Umekawa and Kensei Yabuno was posted. Seems their current Fancy Head exhibition at B Gallery in Shinjuku is copping all kinds of reviews. Worth a look to see what the comment hype is about we think.

- The Melting Point Exhibition at Tokyo Opera City Gallery has been recommended to us by a few peeps around town. An interactive immersion into an installation by the Scotish, Brazilian and Japanese artists could be just the adventure we are looking for.

- On a more personal note, this weekend, Saturday September 1, we are having a little gathering of our own. Cocktails and Chandeliers will be held right here in our very own Tokyo apartment. Looking forward to great friends, devine food and a chilled evening of cocktails under the chandelier. Considering September 1 in Japan is National Disaster Prevention Day we are planning for a bubbly yet safe extravaganza.

All this and so very much more. When are you coming to visit?

Happy Disaster Prevention Day!
xx

Vinegar Feet

An oldie but a goodie, I put in on the TOKYOMADE blog. I get so many chuckles out of this. I wonder if others, especially outside of Japan find this funny.
It is an intensely tongue in cheek look at the rules that apply to sushi devouring.

Dip it and enjoy!
TM
xx
p.s. The salt at the door is definitely not for eating, sushi is never made on geta and let me tell you as the lady of this house I don't always pour my man's drink first!
p.p.s I NEVER eat sushi! If you ever look at a real sushi chef's hands you won't either! Rank! Fingers soaked in raw fish and sticky rice all day start to deteriorate, that skin has got to go somewhere. Despite that the sushi in Japan is absolutely exquisite to look at, it really is art much different to the rice wrapped up in seaweed and offered up as sushi back in Australia. Although I must say, before my vegetarianism became more focussed I didn't mind the odd tuna salad, rice and seaweed wrap.

Sleep Update

It is 10:21pm I have 9 mins to get to bed or I will be breaking a promise to myself and my tired puffy eyes...but I just found this! How can anyone sleep with riveting stuff like this on the internet to keep them awake??


Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm goooing!

Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo - Under Water August

This month's Dr Sketchy's Tokyo sketchers were plunged into a stunning subterranean world of mesmerizing mermaids and swashbuckling pirates.



The handmade merwoman attire stunned and amazed, twinkling under the bright lights of the Pink Cow.

In a dastardly act of pirate tomfoolery the aquatic angel was whisked from her basking point and carried off into the night.



Later to emerge from the grips of the pirates as an alluring beauty, no longer a mermaid.



Each week at Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo one very talented artist is scheduled to splash their style onto a piece of canvas to be admired and shared in at a future Dr Sketchy's event. This month is was Tomokuni of Team Extasy that did the honors. A man of many talents he showed a new side to his art with this sleek painting of the mermaid come woman.



The next Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo will be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

**SIGH**

Hear that? It is the sound of an intensely long and drawn out guttural sigh coming deep from within me! Why? A lot of reasons really, but mostly because tonight marks the official closing of my lazy Summer vacation from full-time work. Never fear, the moaning and groaning is not going on in a negative sense, it is more like a physical expulsion of my dirty summer habits. 3am bedtimes, sleeping til 10, moseying around gingerly until the espresso gets into my veins and brain, hour long getting ready sessions, extended shopping expeditions and lots of ice cream.

Tomorrow morn, a Monday morning in Tokyo will be a jolt to my system for sure but I am ready for it (or so I am convincing myself). I don't often do well with lots of time on my hands. I am at my best when kept busy, so it is time to exfoliate the lazing and lounging and get my ass on that express train by 7:22am tomorrow.

Anyone who knows me well enough will know that I don't like to go to bed early, my Mum would go so far as to call me a Night Owl. What I am even less good at is "Mornings". You know the old Snoopy coffee mugs with the inscription "I'm allergic to morning" with poor old Snoop draped over his dog house, I feel a mighty strong connection to that mug (and have been bidding furiously on Ebay to nab a vintage version).

As much as I hate to think about all the good quality internet roving hours I will miss tonight by going to bed early, I have made a promise with myself that I will be in close proximity to my futon and comfy pillow by 10:30 (EEEK) a whole 4 hours before my usual bedtime. Early to bed, early to rise makes a woman healthy, wealthy and wise!! I am going to try it, let you know how I go!

Sweet dreams!
xx

I leave you with some pictures that we took in Ibiza last year. The people in Ibiza don't have to sleep if they don't want to, and as a general rule they rarely do!

This Weekend In Tokyo

Each weekend there are a handful of glorious events that we often wish we could make it to. So to celebrate we have decided to dedicate a blog post each week to the events we think are worth going to in this light filled city!

Some mainstream, some personal and some underground we hope to let you in on a few Tokyo event tips both here and on the TOKYOMADE blog. Will also include lots of links so that even if you are not in Tokyo or you can't get along to these hot spots, you can still egt a glimpse of what they might be like.
Enjoy!

We are off to Hoop Class at the TOKYO HOOPstore. Wish us luck!




In Tokyo this weekend or just wishing that you were? Here are a few tips for this weekend's yummiest events...

Tonight is the annual Azabu Juban Festival, the narrow streets will be filled with Yukata clad sweeties, smokey street stalls and flapping paper fans. If the street squish is not your thing be sure to head to the top of Roppongi Hills for a more glamorous affair. The Mado Lounge is hosting a Yukata Party. Hosted by Raymond Rhinestones with a live performance by Soundaholic, Yukata styling and exhibit by HIROCOLEDGE (stunning Japanese Yukatat). Doors Open 21:00

Not as high in the sky but certainly a rockin', lively event is The Ghetto Tokyo's 1st Birthday Party (which we will be heading to!) Celebrate the love hotel turned skate park/ cafe/ gallery / independent design shop!

Bla Bla Hospital have begun to sell their intriguing range of fashion remedies in the Kera Shop Marui. Go check them out! And of course their healthy range is already showing HERE at TOKYOMADE.

Not to be missed, and trust us most of Tokyo will be there, the 51st annual Awa Odori Festival held in Koenji. Check HERE for an amazing English site about the colorful spectacular. Launched in 1981 with 15 groups dancing, this year the high spirited parade will feature 26 different dance groups.

Weekend wishes to you all!
Love from Tokyo.

Fish out of Water

Finally the shoes that I ordered from Irregular Choice arrived today! Woohoo, cept they are way too pretty to wear! There was a slight mix up with the order but they got it all sorted out quickly and without fuss.
Yes, the green colored heels have a sectioned toe just like Japanese tabi socks. These pretties are called Fish out of Water. The pink animal print sandals are Dirrrty and the black flats are Lea Roma.

I love them all but I spied a new pair of beauties today...I really must have THEM! Oh and how about THESE stunners?!

Mum and I went Tokyo shoe shopping yesterday and the Autumn look has quickly crept onto the shelves. Big. Bold. Ankle boots. *SIGH*

What is a Tenugui?

Not to be confused with it's older sister the furoshiki a tenugui is often referred to as a Japanese hand towel. But we are making a stand, taking it to the streets and shouting it from the rooftops... "A tenugui is so much more than a tea towel!!"

The tenugui is a versatile symbol of Japanese style. Often worn around the head in anime or manga and also used as a head piece by Kendo enthusiasts, the tengui can transform the most dull fashion ensemble into a street fighting fiasco.

While the tenugui does a mighty fine job of mopping up spills and drying freshly washed hands it's underlying ability to add a splash of Japanese style to your kitchen or bathroom cannot go unnoticed. The tenugui is a decorative piece of art repetitively hand printed. Upon entering a tenugui shop, yes there are whole shops dedicated to these trusty pieces of cotton, you will be stunned and amazed at the range of colors and prints on display both contemporary and modern.

Looking for the ultimate Japanese souvenir or needing to add some style to your space? The tenugui has it all. In fact we have major plans to hang our favorite tenugui in our very own apartment this weekend, don't let me forget to take some pics to show you how it is done! The tenugui is so much more than your Grandma's tea towel hanging in the rumpus room!

Check out the latest tees and tenugui by Ichigo Seijin.

This time last year

With mum hanging with us here in Tokyo for the month of August we have been going through old photos. We realised that this time last year we were in a totally different space, soaking ourselves in Mediterranean rays, floating around the islands and sampling all the Greek mojitos we could get our hands on.

Put another dime in the jukebox baby

Karaoke in Shibuya. All the classics from ABBA to Joan Jett, The Village People to Olivia. A superb introduction to the national past time for my Mama.


Can you guess which song we were singing?

We went to the country...

...it was quiet!

Morning yoga with a monk, hiking to find a Buddhist statue to heal a sick ear and sipping nectar from mountain waterfalls, all part of our country life. We tore ourselves away from the city and headed to Nikko for a breathtaking break.

See for yourself. The pics don't do the beauty of these places justice but they hint at the divinity.

Ni Chome Matsuri 2007

Sunday was the Shinjuku Ni Chome Matsuri. An event definitely worth dressing up for!

The streets were packed with a colorful mix of friends, super stars, entertainers and school girls!


Beyonce graced us with a striking performance!


We couldn't let the night pass without some hardcore swinging.


A bodacious afternoon of debauchery




With friends and lovers new and old.

Rainbow Hoops

An action packed day filled with hooping, rainbows and an overload of glitter!

In the 38 degree Tokyo heat today it wasn't just my hoop that was getting a workout!

Today was the 6th Annual Tokyo Pride parade.

We braved the scorch and trekked close to the start of the parade so as to get prime position for pictures, poses and pouts!


Tomorrow night will be a fantastic and no doubt feathery party here in Tokyo. More pics to come...

My mum is a Geisha

I had blindly dismissed the Katsura Studio as a load of touristy garbage.
How wrong I was!
Having seen adds for the Geisha transformation and photos of friends I had never thought seriously about the process of turning an everyday tourist into a fine Japanese princess.

Simply fascinating!

While mum was being taken care of by the super friendly, highly skilled and professional staff at the Katsura Studio in the backstreets of Harajuku, I scanned the walls of Geisha pics. Falling even more in love with the place when I spied a photo of Dita Von Teese as a Geisha.

I wanted so badly to play with the makeup in the fully stocked studio. I wanted to fondle the fabrics and try every one of the stunning wigs!

becoming a Geisha for a day is definitely a worthwhile and exciting experience for any one interested in make up artistry, Japanese arts or fancy cosplay.

I so badly wanted to be painted and pampered, alas I did not inherit the ways of the Geisha.

And while mum was being made up, Masao and Mark made a new friend!


and played a little...