Tag Archives: Exclusive Pictures

Tokyo, Japan: A walk and Shopping in Harajuku

Posted on February 11, 2014 | Leave a comment

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : DISTRICT / HARAJUKU

Takeshi-Dori,

the pedestrianized famous street of Harajuku, I‘m not a big fan for shopping. Cheap bazaar for teenagers and teens alduts. Each tribe has its own shop.

There are also H&M and cie… near the super famous La Forêt building: metro station, Meiji-Jingumae or Harajuku. Let’s go “crazy” and jump in this streets maze, to discover some interesting shops.

I liked Jack‘s Vintage Clothing

for some 50-60’s Rock‘n Roll vintage outfits, accessories and shoes for women and men. Really cool owner , also the leader of a Punk Rock band.

Have you ever tried a Japanese Punk Rock Karaoke? I DID! Kind of a blaze for my ears! But it was really fun too, Lol! For the complete adress of the shop: heatwave@mbm.ocn.ne.jp.

Stop at the next door in the very inspiring Nihon Manga Fetichist Shop: so what do you do after school or job? (pictures below).

Myself and I become a Manga babe.

A trashy suga babe inspired by Japanse cartoons, with fluorescent pink and green lens. It started here in Tokyo years ago, as a Pokemon acid princess. “Oups!” : metallic eyelash fluttering, I stood on my 50 cm lemon platform shoes.

When I got in the shop, they were shooting a flyer. Domo arigato gosaimasu to Aya, Coco and all the team. And if you are really sweet, maybe I will post a picture of me dressed up like a Manga doll, surrounded by all my supa supa cool Pokemon friends : )

Then let’s cross Meji Street

to reach the underground fashion designers side and head at my Beams favourite concept store (which is more a gallery and bookshop): TOKYO CULTuART by BEAMS.

Thank you Katsuhiro for the Beams shops guided tour! The toys for willing grown-up are extremely tempting!

I’m still a huge fan of the Transformer “Cyubu 01″ of Moderhythm (picture below) and colourful plastic mini bike monsters (pictures above), so great!

Informations

This post is not a shopping list, it is more to give you the different vibes of Harajuku. Metro sations: Meiji-Jingumae or Harajuku.

Tokyo, Japan: Exciting Shinjuku!

Chloé: The Show Spring-Summer 2011

DESTINATIONS, HOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE

Tokyo, Japan: Exciting Shinjuku!

Posted on February 5, 2014 | Leave a comment

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : DISTRICT / SHINJUKU

Shinjuku

Like in the Melville movies or late 60’s/early 70’s Toei movies: the giant crab “logo” of an expensive seefood restaurants chain.

Shinjuku: the other nerve center of the megapolis, with its looks, tribes, folk. And its famous mascot (scoop): on his bike (picture on the second board below), the “Healer” never leaves the area. He is considareted like the Shinjuku star for the residents.

Then I meet the georgous Manga designer and ex Hip Hop DJ, my friend K San at Mixing (pictures on the first board below). Some say, generations of Yakusa bring their familly in this 50’s brasserie. Kitsch decoration. I order a kobu cha (seaweed tea).

A quick visit to the golden melon, at “master” Takano (picture above), the label of luxury fruits, specialist in perfect melons (150 Euros / picture on the board below).

Now we walk in front a suehiro (on the board below, picture with the old man), a comedie theatre in small streets leading us to the old red lights area (prostitution), Golden Gate (b&w pictures on the board below).

Today really popular for having drinks in the tiny bars of few narrow streets. A detail: I’ve seen a dead rat in the daytime. At night, it’s crowded with locals and tourists.

I prefer cosier and more exclusive atmsophere, like the izakaya (a small tavern bar) of K San in an anonymous area of Tokyo and four great customers (always the same) and the warm owner.

Takano fruit bar: 3-26-11 Shinjyuku, Shinjuku 160-0022

Shinjuku Goyen Garden

There are few peaceful places such as Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Early spring pictures just before hanami (the cherry blossom viewing).

About hanami, you can have an alarm on your mobile phone to look at the cherry blossom in Japan. Fantastic, isn’t it? The hugh park has approximately 1,500 sakura (cherry trees) and three different gardens styles.

Including a gorgeous Japanese traditional garden with a strange (sort of) velvet lawn and unrealistic gnarled trees. Like in a fairy tale. Eyes free the spirit. Comtemplative.

Subway: Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Line or Sendagaya Station on the JR Sobu Line.

Domo arigato gozaimasu M & K San

Informations

Takano fruit bar: 3-26-11 Shinjyuku, Shinjuku 160-0022

Subway: Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Line or Sendagaya Station on the JR Sobu Line.

Japan: Learning Japanese in Tokyo Subway

DESTINATIONS, HOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE

Japan: Learning Japanese in Tokyo Subway

Posted on February 1, 2014 | Leave a comment

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : TRANSPORTATION

Following many of your emails, here’s an updating of my Tokyo posts : check out this useful city guide to help you prepare your trip (in a very Mademoiselle Le K’s way, lol)! Let’s start with the famous chiketatsu (subway): here are some pictures to give you the mood (lol) …

The Chiketatsu is THE safest and cheapest way to move in Tokyo.

Don’t panic, indications and station names are translated in English! It is a world with huge stations where several companies officiate on different metro routes (wide range of prices, lol).

And for the more active, you can even learn Japanese … on the wharf, decrypting the ideograms (and their phonetic) sticked on graphic cars (photo below).

I revised verbs before the train leaves.

Time is precious. Once in the train, I will be sleeply between stations like every Tokyo people. Sat, stand-up, young and old, women, children, salary men or hypesters: everybody falls sleeping!

Lulled by the sweet female voice that dis-tinc-ly announces the next station, I could improve my pronunciation, “Shin-ju-ku, Shin-ju-ku“, “Taka-dano-baba” (I love it!). Not to mention in the endless corridors, I practised the classics: “leftO“, “rightO!”! Tokyo forever …