Tokyo 2018

I had been meaning to blog about my Tokyo trip straight after the Kyoto post, but I have been too busy since we returned from visiting our new home in Canberra at Easter. So here it is at long last: Tokyo post! 

We travelled from Kyoto to Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train. The train ride was enjoyable. Our son and his family were with us. We were well prepared for our train trip. The grand-kids got books and toys to keep themselves occupied. I had a bag of sewing and some snacks for all of us.

In Tokyo, I planned to visit The Tokyo International Quilt Festival. It is held in the last week of January each year. I also wanted to take DDIL to Amuse Museum to see the BORO exhibition that I had visited 5 years earlier. Our son wanted to take the children to Tokyo Disney, but he was keeping it quiet until the end to surprise them. 

An extra bonus for me was to visit the Saori studio and spent a lovely day weaving using the Saori loom. You can't go to Tokyo without visiting Nippori Fabric Town. I also wanted to babysit the grand-kids so our son and DDIL could go out and see Tokyo's nightlife. 

We were expecting an early snow in Tokyo and we weren't disappointed. The day after we arrived we all went to Yoyogi Park to let the children and adults play in the thick snow. We had a super fun time.

BORO bag DGD made with vintage fabric we
bought at the Kyoto's flea market. 

Uniqlo Ginza, window display
goes up as tall as the eyes can see!

Park benches in the snow

We made snowmen

A peek at cherry blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo manhole cover, my favourite so far

Tokyo Quilt International Festival day out. I took DDIL and DGD with me to the festival with me. I bought our tickets online. When we got out of the train station at Tokyo Dome and saw a long queue of people waiting to get into the festival I thought, OMG! We would never get in there today! To our surprise, the queue moved so fast and we were able to enter in less than 15 minutes. While we were standing in the queue DGD attracted a lot of attention from the Japanese quilters (they must be quilters!) with the boro bag she carried with her. She proudly told them she made it herself. "Kawaii", they were all saying to her. 

Korakuen Amusement Park at Tokyo Dome

View Tokyo Dome at you enter

Colourful Circles quilt and the maker

One of many beautiful quilts at the show

The happy lady at one of the stands

Both jacket and bag inspired me to
make them when I get home

The show's cover quilt

Blue and white quilts are my all-time favourites

Framed boro quilt

Special moment witnessing a reveal
her woven piece. 

Another special visit was to the Amuse Museum (boro museum). I was there on my last visit to Tokyo. I really wanted to take DIL to see these boro cloths and articles. I was glad that I got a chance to see them the second time around. The exhibition was a real treasure to share for both the Japanese and visitors.

Indigo items for sale in the museum shop

Boro quilt with red colour inspiration

Boro jacket

This boro piece was well preserved and displayed.

You can appreciate a hall full of boro treasures

The back view of a boro cloth

Some well-loved toeshoes

I love going back to Japan, any part of Japan really. I thought this would be the last trip I would make to Japan, but after I returned I thought I will have to go back again. Japan has everything that I love and it's close enough to Australia to get to. Let's see when is my next trip there. 

After we left Tokyo we spent another 5 days in Hiroshima. Hiroshima was on Mr Notjustnat's list of places to visit so we included it in our trip this time.

Until next time
Nat

Kyoto - 2018

We visited Kyoto 7 years ago. It was actually our first trip to Japan trip. This time the trip was more tailored to specific things I wanted to do and see. We stayed in this beautiful hotel Misui Garden. The room was almost big enough for the two of us! But in saying that, the hotel was beautiful and the Japanese style breakfast was plentiful and delicious. 

Apart from planning to hit the Toji Temple flea market on the 22nd of each month we also went back to the places we visited 7 years earlier. The flea market was a success. I was glad I decided to go there. There were so many cool stores and lots and lots of boro/indigo vintage fabrics to die for! The market was so big and busy that I feel I need to go back for another visit to see the rest of it. 

Our son and his family joined us on this trip so we got to spend time with them as well. I suggested that we should visit Nara while we were there. So we did. I knew the grand kids would enjoy the deer park in Nara. 

After Kyoto, we went to Tokyo in time for the Tokyo International Quilt Festival. I will blog about that on the next post. 

Japanese Garden

View from the hotel lobby into the garden

Kyoto Manhole cover

Kimono ladies in Kyoto

Fushima Inari Shrine

Nanzen-ji Garden, Kyoto

Warning sign at Nara deer park

Deer feeding

Toji Temple flea-market store

Toji Temple flea-market, more store

BORO/Indigo/ Vintage fabric
at the flea-market

Ikebana arrangement
at Kyoky Station

I got a lot more of photos, but I don't want to overwhelm you in one post. The next post I will blog about Tokyo and the Tokyo International Quilt Festival.

Until next time
Nat

Colourful Japan - Hokkaido Part 2

Do I want to go back to Hokkaido? I definitely will. I recently saw a documentary on Hokkaido in winter with the ice festival and yes, I would like to go there at that time.

Sorry for taking so long to blog Hokkaido Part 2. I had been very busy at Christmas time with family. Afterwards we had to babysit our grandchildren to give their parents a break. I also hosted a birthday party for them at the end of their stay. They have left now, and life is getting back to normal. The house is quiet again.

Getting back to Hokkaido Part 2. Hokkaido is the second largest, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands. I've only been to Honshu island and Hokkaido and I would say I like them both in a different ways.

In this post I will share with you the photos I remember Hokkaido by. Blue colour is one thing that reminds me of Hokkaido. Perhaps because Hokkaido is surrounded by vivid blue sea. Please read the captions on each photo for what they are. Enjoy!

Young bamboo shoots dyed blue with natural colour.

Kanariya Fabric Store in Sapporo - a highlight!

Closing down restaurant selling out their
stock. I bought a couple of the blue
bowls  and chopstick resters.

BORO cloth I stitched up on the trip.

Gorgeous gift from a kind man at the vintage fabric
store in Asahikawa.

Beautiful blue gate leading onto the Otaru Canal.

Delicious and colourful pickled
plums served at breakfast.

More pickled plums in turquoise blue.

Blue and white tea set in our hotel's
room at Abashiri

Rice bowls at one of our hotels in Obihiro.

Hand blown Otaru glass wreath.

Japanese figurine found in our
hotel's lobby, Abashiri.

Kimono costume in Tokyo Hands window.

Sakiori loom from the weaving center in Otaru.

Weaving Museum in Asahikawa.

Ainu textile found in Sapporo's
underground exhibition space.

Beautifully appliqued Norens (door hangings) at a
seafood restaurant, Nemuro. 

View from our hotel's window, Nemuro.

Onsen inside and outside.

  

Ainu village at Lake Akan.

Winter leaves gathered in Hokkaido.

Using tea dye solution. The result is
nothing to write home about!

I have to admit that I haven't done much creatively lately. I have taken myself back to the gym and started a few classes. There is the tennis season here. The Australian Open is on at the moment. I do love tennis! 

My Christmas post will follow later this month. I did make a few Christmas decorations, and I started new quilting projects. I will show you on my next post. 

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best for 2017. Let's hope it's a good one for all.

Until next time

Nat