Noodles, I Love Them

... and I love Kirin and gyoza too!

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Lovin' the lanterns.

Ship-Shop

Shopping in Tokyo and Seoul was so much fun! These were my favorite places:

SSFW Concept Shop, Seoul

0101 or Marui Department Store, Tokyo

Tsumori Chisato Gold, Tokyo

Hamariyku Gardens

I'm Grateful for...

fish that swim in the sea!

Ghibli

You can find all things Studio Ghibli at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. My favorite part of the museum were the two small rooms replicating Hayao Miyazaki's office and sitting room. That man reads a lot of books. I also loved the town of Mitaka. It's so pretty and quiet and located moments away from Tokyo!

Glows

Snack Time

I love 7-Eleven, especially the one back home that requires me to make an illegal left hand turn to park. I mean, think about it. One beautiful store offering slurpees, magazines, sunblock, Dr. Pepper, batteries and peanut M&Ms. 7-Eleven = greatness.

The French don't understand the concept of convenience, so there aren't any 7-Eleven's in Paris. Major bummer. Lucky for me, they have them everywhere in Japan, but the contents are quite different, and probably for the better. Other than Coke, which seems to have weaseled its way into every convenience store on the surface of the Earth, there are no sodas to speak of, and they've got really cute plastic Starbucks cups containing iced lattes, and pudding and mochi for snacks. I interpret this as representative of why Asians aren't fat.

Rawr! Warrior!

A big hello to samurai Kusunoki Masashige! His statue stands in the park in front of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. If I were a samurai, I would feel awesome about myself.

And now, a quote:
"You may not be wrong to think that the world is always subject to change, but the warrior must not entertain this way of thinking, for his fate is always determined."

Pleasureful Travel

I love the subway in Tokyo! It is the best! The system is incredibly clean and organized. In the trains, no one speaks, which I adore. It was a welcome break from Paris' metro where people yammer on their cellphones non-stop. The trains themselves are much wider than American and European trains and they're air-conditioned when it's warm and heated when it's chilly! And when I say "heated," I mean to say that there are amazing seat-heaters in addition to a soft warmth that permeates the whole train. Sigh. In some cases, there are also televisions in the trains. Not to mention they nicely use rastering in their subway ads. N.B.D.

Meiji Shrine

The Meiji Shrine was built in 1920 and was dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. This was my favorite place that I visited in Tokyo. The park was beautiful and the shrine was so peaceful! If you're going to visit (which I strongly encourage!) I recommend reading up on the proper etiquette for the shrine before you go so you can be respectful of the space. It made the visit more meaningful for me too!

You wash your hands and mouth before entering.