Beautiful stone shop sign
Just thought I’d share a glimpse of a couple of the lovely shops around here – this handmade wooden stamp shop and gorgeous washi paper shop in the Teramachi arcade have had a few of my Y1000 notes recently…
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Kawashima textile factory visit
A few weeks back I shared a peek into my time at Kawashima Textile School. The school was set up by Kawashima, one of the most respected textile companies in Japan. For decades Kawashima has been entrusted with creating some of the country’s most precious fabrics, including the interior of the Emperor’s train carriage. As a student of the school I was lucky to be given a peek behind the doors of the factory, including the secret room where they make drapes for some of country’s most important shrines.
Kyoto cafes part 2 – Infinity Cafe
I just had to introduce you to this little gem… Infinity Café is tucked away down a leafy lane off a residential street not too far from Sanjo Market.
Just a few minutes from a very busy road, it is like you step into some kind of bubble as you enter through the wooden sliding doors into what is essentially someone’s house.
You are greeted with a tinkling bell and the nutty aroma of freshly baked bread. This is both a local bakery and a front room café which holds no more than six customers at a time, sat around a low Japanese-style table with a view over the luscious garden. That’s what I call close to my kind of perfect.
London 2012 – the real legacy
I took this picture on a UNICEF field visit to Trinidad & Tobago back in 2008, when we were in the early stages of planning the London 2012 legacy programme. Next to the court a young boy was knelt down sharpening a massive knife.
Today sees the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. This was an important date in my calendar for many years, so it is with mixed emotions that I find myself watching it from a distance on the other side of the world.
The Olympics have been a major feature in my life and a source of many adventures. It is an event like no other – there’s a reason they call it the Greatest Show on Earth.
Brave
Brave movie -image via Pixar Wiki
A few days ago, my man and I decided to go to the cinema to watch a lovely new cartoon from Disney Pixar. In Japanese it is called “Merida to osoroshi no mori”. We picked it because we generally love everything Pixar does. We had a couple of spare hours before the film began, so we went to a cafe and ended up having a long and very thought provoking conversation about bravery and courage, topics I have been thinking a lot about lately and which feature heavily in Do What You Love courses.
Fog Linen
Tucked away down a quiet street in the trendy Tokyo district of Shimokitazawa is a shop that might just take your breath away. Its rough concrete walls and wire shelves sit alongside old wooden furniture and quirky lampshades, all playing host to the beautiful products offered by fog linen. Carefully curated to offer delight at every turn, the natural colours of the linen – shaped into clothing, bags, children’s shoes, napkins and all sorts of other goods, are calming and enticing.
Tokyo International Stationery Show
Trade Shows come in all shapes and sizes, and cover every industry you can imagine. What is your dream show? I always thought mine would be a stationery trade show, where you can see what is on the horizon, meet suppliers directly, get ideas and inspiration and generally spend hours walking around a massive hall of gorgeous stationery. And I was not disappointed when I visite ISOT 2012 as research for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. It was huge, exciting and eye-opening.
A little trip to the big smoke
The other day I packed myself onto the super-fast shinkansen (bullet train) and whizzed up to Tokyo for the International Stationery & Office Products Show (more on that later).
Shibuya
It felt so big, bright and noisy after Kyoto, so I also spent some time exploring the quieter, trendy areas of Jiyugaoka and Shimokitazawa. When I first moved to Tokyo I lived in a friend’s spare room in Jiyugaoka for a couple of months so it was lovely to go back and see it.
I met up with lots of old friends, did a bit too much shopping and got a haircut. Fun trip! Here are a few snapshots of the quieter side of the city.
the entrance to the cute little hotel I stayed at in Aoyama
quirky shops in Jiyugaoka
any post for me?
Call for submissions! Take a leap and share your story
Every week this space becomes a place where brave and inspiring souls share their stories about doing what they love – whether they are doing it now, or whether they are still striving to do it. It’s like we are sat around drinking tea and sharing our experiences – except we are spread out all across the world.
I would love to share your story here, and give you this platform to help you reach a new community of tens of thousands of like-minded souls.
The Gion Matsuri grand parade
So here it is – the culmination of many months of preparation, and many centuries of tradition. The Gion Matsuri Grand Parade on a gloriously sunny day in Kyoto…