FEBRUARY 2025
"Manuel" Jiyugaoka
Nanaha Bldg. B1F
1-14-16 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
*The blue plate - Mino ware
ARTIFEX GALLERY in Omotesando
4-6-7 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Feb. 18: Harajuku is a popular trend-setting area for youth fashion and crepes. However, if you go further into the back streets known as “URAHARA,” which means the back streets of Harajuku for short, you will find many hidden gems, including vintage shops and art galleries.
Today, I found a cozy tableware and plate shop on the street of Urahara. It was Mino ware, one of Japan’s oldest types of pottery, with over 1,300 years of history, but the design is modern. I bought two plates—light blue and dark blue—for JPY2,800 each.
They are a little heavy, but they would add a lovely pop of color to my table.
Kanda Myojin is located in Akihabara neighborhood.
KANDA MYOJIN
2-16-2 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
Feb 11: Kanda Myojin (Shrine) is a historic landmark in Tokyo. The deities enshrined here serve as guardian deities for areas including Kanda, Nihonbashi, and Akihabara. The shrine is also famous for its collaboration with Love Live! - a series about a group of fictional girls forming an idol group to save their school featured in the shrine.
You can see many ema (votive tablets) featuring anime characters!
Amanoya - This is a traditional sweets shop located just in front of the Kanda Myojin. Opened in 1846, Amanoya is famous for AMAZAKE which is made of rice and rice malt. Amazake warmed my body up in winter.
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
While the cold front’s impact is most pronounced in the northern regions along the Sea of Japan and heavy snow has caused major disruptions to transportation, the weather in Tokyo is expected to be mostly sunny this week.
We visited the main residences and gardens of the Mito-Tokugawa Clan in the Eastern Part of Tokyo. After taking a water bus on the Sumida River and a bus to visit Sumida Park, we had lunch at “Kantoku-tei” in Koishikawa Korakuen. A special set meal of the season featuring the plum tree was arranged in a basket and the plum blossoms rice is really lovely!
The impact of the cold front is most noticeable in the northern regions along the Sea of Japan, where heavy snow has caused significant disruptions to transportation. However, the weather in Tokyo is expected to be mostly sunny this week.
During our visit to the main residences and gardens of the Mito-Tokugawa Clan in eastern Tokyo, we took a water bus along the Sumida River and then a bus to Sumida Park. For lunch, we dined at “Kantoku-tei” in Koishikawa Korakuen. They served a special seasonal set meal arranged in a basket that featured plum tree dishes, and the plum blossom rice was absolutely delightful!
I added a lovely piece, "Coffee/Food for Thought," by Yasue Kobe, an artist from Monaco, and my NYU friend to my art collection last week.