One of my favorite areas in Tokyo is the quiet, residential, historic enclave of Yanaka (谷中). Three years ago, I took a wonderful guided half-day tour here (see my post from Feb. 2020), and was fortunate to have the guide all to myself. That day, I was able to visit the extraordinary Nezu Shrine, the… Continue reading Tokyo cameo – Yanaka, Ueno
Tag: Japan
Making paper in Japan + daily prompt: “What is something you learned recently?”
This WP daily prompt is so timely, as only 24 hours ago, I returned from a weeklong trip to Tokyo. It was an adventure packed with sights, tastes, and sounds that are unique to this fascinating place. People close to me know that I rarely take the kinds of trips that feature mai-tais and lazy… Continue reading Making paper in Japan + daily prompt: “What is something you learned recently?”
Adventures in origami 2.0: Tokyo paper crawl (shopping)
After three years of being away from Japan, I'm back for a week of good eating and cultural appreciation in the amazing capital city. Much of my fun in Tokyo will center around some of Japan's signature arts and crafts, including many forms of creativity that use paper. One of my favorite ways to use… Continue reading Adventures in origami 2.0: Tokyo paper crawl (shopping)
16-pointed Tico Star – pattern and pix
I spent a little time on this rainy afternoon playing with some paper from my copious stash. On my many trips to Japan, I've collected reams of washi, origami paper, and various scraps, so today I had plenty of creative material to help me make a simple star from a free, dowloadable PDF pattern by… Continue reading 16-pointed Tico Star – pattern and pix
Finished Kanata kerchief top
A brief check-in to share the finished Kanata kerchief top, a free pattern from Right Brain Crochet. My sister found this pattern for me so I made her one of these fun, summery numbers in a yummy shade of lemon curd. PHOTOS: Kanata kerchief top, with a bit of styling. I used a total of… Continue reading Finished Kanata kerchief top
Origami crane box – 2 in 1 pattern
Just want to share with you an elegant little envelope / box design that I made from Kazuo Kobayashi's book of crane folding. You can see other designs I folded from his book, here, and you can see Mr. Kobayashi here during my trip to Tokyo in February. PHOTOS: top left, crane envelope; it becomes… Continue reading Origami crane box – 2 in 1 pattern
Craft Supplies: Beads from Tokyo
Before I left for my trip to Japan, I did a little online digging for the best places to find crafting supplies. One thing I needed to get for a crochet project was Miyuki beads, which are superior quality machine-made glass seed beads. I learned that there is an entire beads district ("Bead Town") in the… Continue reading Craft Supplies: Beads from Tokyo
Adventures in origami: some places to visit in Tokyo**
This week in Tokyo has been a whirlwind of discovery and delight in Japanese handicrafts, particularly paper and paper folding. There are so many places to learn more about origami and find amazing materials. One of these places is Ochanomizu Origami Kaikan, in the heart of Tokyo, near the Kanda-Myojin Shrine. PHOTO: Storefront of Origami… Continue reading Adventures in origami: some places to visit in Tokyo**
My foray into the world of Japanese anime dolls
"Foray" is the operative word for my brief incursion into the foreign, but fascinating (and vast) anime doll craze. My niece is into Japanese anime drawing, so I thought she would love a 3-D model from which to base her sketches. What better place to get one than in Tokyo. I am a fish out… Continue reading My foray into the world of Japanese anime dolls
First 48 in Tokyo
My first two days in Tokyo have been busy ones! I'm having a great time, and glad to have chosen to stay in the Asakusa area, as it's convenient to so many things I want to do. PHOTO: Good Morning, Tokyo! A glimpse of the Skytree from my room. One of my favorite activities so… Continue reading First 48 in Tokyo
The Frill Seeker 