A monster ate this blog entry

so I'll rewrite it and hope that it doesn't happen again.  Patience needed...

This morning, we headed for Nippori Textile Town.  Lots of details about this area of Tokyo can be found on the internet and it's possible to download a map in English listing all the stores.  One small but vital piece of information was missing from that map but fortunately was offered on one of the last blogs I read - the place is closed on Sundays.  We could so easily have had a wasted journey.

It was raining heavily but the area was clearly signed - we could spot the signs easily from under umbrellas.

We headed straight for Tomato, the most frequently mentioned fabric store - actually a bunch of five or six stores.  The one I was interested in is the Honkan store - full of quilting fabrics and other craft things.

The bargain of the day was to be found right inside the front door, in a bin of fabric pieces each priced at Y100 (66p)  Eight fabrics from the current Moda/Basic Grey "Figgy Pudding" range, the same as I had bought just before coming away to make a Christmassy quilt and paid full price for.  Each piece was at least half a yard, two or three were considerably more like three quarters - and my total bill was Y800 (£5.30)  What a steal!

(I was lucky - by the time we left the shop, a couple of women were scooping up the last of those pieces, so they didn't last long in that bargain bin)

This (forbidden) photo was taken before I spotted the sign - can't imagine what I was looking at!  So many fabrics, arranged by colour in both fat quarters and on the bolt.  Further down this room were Japanese Chirimen crepe fabric, lots of ideas in the form of finished items, notions and tools and bag handles, fastenings and fittings by the hundred.  So much choice, such good prices.  Oh my goodness.

By this time we were pretty wet through in spite of raincoats and umbrellas, so we hopped on a train and headed for Ginza, the Tokyo equivalent of Regent Street.  All the labels are here, beside posh department stores on a wide Western-style avenue - but that wasn't why we came.  Next door to Bulgari in the photo above is Itoya, nine floors of paper and pen heaven.  I found a few treasures, including a couple of rubber stamps which black out personal details on discarded paperwork.  Nifty.

Which brings me to today's observation on the Japanese way of doing things.  Wrapping.

Years ago, when we were here, we were shocked at the astonishing layers of wrappings applied to the smallest purchase - and that was before we were aware of global warming and carried our own calico bags!  Yes, the wrappings are exquisite and everything bought is handled with such care and attention, but somehow it's all a little excessive.  Still.

I carry a calico bag here (a WI "Let's Cook" one, naturally) but of course, it was already full of fabric and soaked through, so I gratefully accepted the paper carrier bag for my (small) purchases in Itoya.  But that wasn't enough.

 

Inside was a plastic bag containing the pens and another with the rubber stamps in.  Each was sealed with sellotape, placed inside the paper carrier bag which was then, in turn, sealed with more tape and handed to me by the assistant with great ceremony, using two hands.

 But our next stop, at Loft in Ikebukoku, they went one step further.  Not only was each collection of items placed inside plastic bags (OK, some were a little heavily perfumed: bath salts) and then placed in a paper carrier bag, but the whole carrier bag was covered in a purpose-made plastic overcoat, sealed at the bottom and taped at the top - protection from the rain.

My non-existent Japanese leaves me totally helpless in these circumstances.  When I've produced the half empty bag I'm carrying with a nod to put a second purchase in the first bag, they gather up the first bag and find an even bigger bag to put the whole lot in.  I've stopped doing that now and simply go with the flow, accepting that this is just a different way of doing things.

But there we are, refusing plastic bags as much as we can - and here the plastic is still being used with abandon. 

Sigh.

Time for today's KitKat, a special Halloween bag (note the witch and the pumpkin) of Caramel Creme Pudding flavour small bars.

Better make sure the monster doesn't eat those too.

Cute, odd or just plain weird?

The Fire service were having an open day in the park between the museum and the station and a lovely time was being had by all.

 

Seems like the things we'd just seen in the museum had stayed on my mind, for these young men trying on firefighter's suits look just like Samurai to me.

Not only that, but the love of cute is also getting to us.  I mean, did you ever see such a sweet little fire engine before?!

Time to move on...

 ....to Harujuku, where on a Sunday afternoon, youngsters get dressed up and stand around on the edge of the park, being seen and being photographed.  Oh my, were there some sights!

Goths, little waitresses, manga-style with six inch platform shoes...the lot.  All perfectly good humoured, attracting the attention of as many as they could, this was a part of the culture which we just didn't get, even if we did enjoy the spectacle!

A tour of the Daiso 100Yen store for a few curiosities and then back to Shinjuku for dinner - Yakatori this time, sitting at a bar unable to understand a word but somehow managing to satisfy our hunger and our aim of eating only Japanese on this trip.

Oh, and another strange Kitkat flavour to report. Mark didn't believe I could identify both carrot and apple on the package illustration, but yes, we've bought a veggie Kitkat! 

Samurai, sashiko, shibori and smiles

 The Tokyo National Museum did us a huge favour in using one whole floor to create a "Highlights of Japanese Art" exhibit in the Honkan Gallery.  Not that we wouldn't have looked further for such things, but unless one has a specialist interest, looking at a huge collection of similar things can be a challenge.  Here we could see the best of each particular category presented in chronological order with a clear explanation and plenty of background information.  This was a really great place to begin.  We loved the ink paintings, the early Buddhist art and the tea ceremony treasures, but around the corner was what I was looking forward to seeing

There it was, the cutest little Samurai suit, with navy blue braiding and sashiko stitching on his kneepads!  What's more, around the back was the most beautifully tied knot on his helmet!

I could have stayed and drawn details for hours, but there was more to see.

Several beautiful kimonos (this is a C19 furisode)

The embroidery on this one was perfect, as if it had been done yesterday and the sheen on the threads a perfect contrast to the matt background.

I thought it was my favourite, but then we went around the corner and saw

Indigo dyed silk with simple embroidery and just the odd bit of shibori detail

Stunning.

That was just about it for the exhibition, but in the last room there was a crowd busily doing something around a circular bar.  We had to take a look.

Two elderly gentlemen were running an activity for visitors to the museum with a huge collection of rubber stamps of traditional Japanese motifs and cutout kimono postcards.  Everyone was having fun creating their own design with the help of a leaflet clarifying the significance of each motif.  Yes, of course I had to have a go...

Before we left, we did a little tour of the museum shop, got ourselves drinks from the ubiquitous vending machine and availed ourselves of the "facilities" where we encountered another bit of Japanese ingenuity:

The wash handbasin which dispenses soap (top left), water (top right) and blowdries hands (bottom, front) without the need to touch anything.  Simply placing a hand in reach of the appropriate sensor activates the process. 

The final little amusement was to collect our umbrellas from the dedicated lock-up area outside the entrance.

With so many pleasing little aspects to life here, is there any wonder we seem to be smiling all the time?

Exquisite

Immaculate, polished, hushed, polite...describing the breakfast experience here in our hotel where a plate of two croissants looks like something from a style magazine.  Everything is presented impeccably, making the humblest of things look priceless.  I'm not sure I could manage it on a daily basis but for three or four days it is remarkably pleasing and brings a smile to both our faces.

We set off this morning in light rain, towards the station where we caught the circular Yamanote line to Ueno Park and the Toyko National Museum.  We bought our Suica cards and hopped on a train immediately - so efficient!  On previous visits we've found the whole experience of being here interesting and this does not pall.  Simply sitting on a train, watching people and noticing so many impressive and amusing details is enough to keep us happy for hours!

So, what makes a train ride here different from one in London, say?  Well, the organisation is amazing for a start; all the train lines are colour coded and the platforms permanently signed - clearly enough for a total stranger to know exactly where to go and what to do.  Stand at the marked spot on the platform and the train will stop exactly there for the door to open in front of you.  Not only that, but look closely at the markings and you'll know if you're going to board the train near a reserved seat for elderly or disabled use.

Once on the train, above each door is a screen showing the next station and the location of the station on the route as a whole.  A number of minutes alongside the name will indicate how long it will take to get to that station and - get this - where the train will stop in relation to the stairs, escalators and the exits so it's possible to move along the open train and stand where you wish to get out.

On the approach to each station, an announcement is made in English and Japanese about the next stop and on which side the doors will open.  As the train stands at the station, a short tune plays over the speakers; a different tune for each of the stations on the line.

Yes, we are easily entertained!

Walking towards the museum, we noticed that a popular design for manhole covers seems to be cherry blossom - sakura.  What's more, as you can tell from the photo, the rain stopped!

We're here!

Sorry Georgina, your thoughts were taking you in quite the wrong direction..

Here is the place where KitKats come in weird flavours (Ginger Ale and Soy Bean curd shown in the photo)

Where pan scrubbers wear little metallic knitted suits of armour and a broad smile.

Where the concept of cute (Kawaii) even extends to the traffic management system around roadworks.

Where you can buy anything, including a can of hot coffee, from a vending machine.

Where the view from our 46th floor room looks like this. 

Sadly, yes, it is raining here in Tokyo, but we are having fun!!

A few bits and pieces found in Tokyu Hands here, including some patterned masking tape, some book binding thingummies, a few stickers and some little stickies which offer a reminder to take more photos!

And some pushbutton fun is to be found a mere step away ;-)