Tag Archives: Japan

Tokyo, Japan: Meeting Maki Saito of Numero Tokyo

TOKYO CITY GUIDE: TOKYO BY A LOCAL

Tokyo-Japan-City Guide-Women in Kimono-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

– The most important Japanese fashion magazines are Nihon Vogue, Numéro Tokyo, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. 

When I met Maki Saito, she was the Picture Editor of Numero Tokyo. She studied first the English Art and Litterature at Kobe university and Photography in London: 

– I wanted to be a photographer. I travelled in all Europe during one year. Back to Japan, I started working at Nihon Vogue and GQ. Then I came at Numero Tokyo, six months before the first issue with Kate Moss. 

What are the differences beteween Numero (Paris) and Numero Tokyo? 

– We do our own shooting, covers and fashion series. Different cultures, different tastes. In Japan, pictures have to be more cutter and sweeter. 

What about her Tokyo? 

– Tokyo is a really interesting city with lots of different areas. We have everything. Shinjuku people are different than Shibuya people.

1. I enjoy small areas: Mishuku is close to Shibuya, with small bars and used to be a big traditional place.

2. Last week-end, I went to Jyugaoka station for shopping pottery. I really like Japanese sets.

3. For fashion: Shibuya and Harajuku. I like to go to Beams. I love hats, any kind of hats. I love shoes too, but I always buy them overseas. 

As a traveler: 

– I feel different, more open minded. I love going to big cities. I came from country side, a small archipelago, famous for Udon (kind of Soba): the landscape and the sanctuaire of 88 temples and thousand steps to reach to one of them (Kompirasan). I enjoy calm and friendly people.

Photo : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés.

Related posts :

 

Meeting Sandra Gato, the Editor in Chief of ELLE Portugal  

DESTINATIONSINTERVIEWS & FASHION

Japan: Learning Japanese in Tokyo Subway

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : TRANSPORTATION

Japan-Tokyo-Metro-1-Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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).

Japan-Tokyo-Metro-4-Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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 …

Japan-Tokyo-Metro-3-Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés 

Informations

More about Tokyo subway & trains : http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html  

Related posts : DESTINATIONS, HOTEL REVIEWSLIFESTYLE 

Brussels: Sakura @ The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken

You lost: I’m not in Japan! 

I celebrated hanami with two Japanese friends from Osaka @ the Royal Greenhouses in Laeken (Brussels).

We enjoyed sakura in flowers (the cherry blossom) that represents the beginning of spring in Japan… and now in Brussels too (lol!). 

Night tour of the superb monumental greenhouses, 

designed by Alphonse Balat (between 1874-1890), the Belgian architecte and teacher of Victor Horta, famous pioneer of the Art nouveau (picture 3).

We discovered an exotic and luxuriant vegetation inside the greenhouses and a Japanese pavilion in the gardens (picture below). If you wish to get there now, you will have to wait till next year!

Related posts : DESTINATIONS