Cool Cloths

These disposable wet towelettes are the best thing on a hot Tokyo day.

The "Ice-type" has a bit of menthol and keeps the cool feeling for quite a while.  The Biore Powder Sheets are made for the face.  They are damp and have no fragrance.  The little bit of powder really does take the shine off a sweaty face and I love the way it gives a matte finish too.

Never tried these before and not one has even recommended these despite my complaining about the heat and humidity.  Perhaps it's a well-kept secret among Japanese women?  Not any longer.  I've been using them ever since I came back to Honolulu.  Our summer is lasting through September and these cloths really make a difference.  Can't be taking a shower several times a day!  Must keep these at my desk when I go back to work.  Freshen up after walking out to pick up lunch in downtown at the hottest time of day!

Asakusabashi

One of my favorite places in old Tokyo is Asakusabashi.  Many places are wholesale shops.  There are so many that it would take weeks to explore them and we may not even scratch the surface.
Shimojima is right outside the Asakusabashi station on the red line.  Seven floors of all kinds of office supplies, boxes, packaging, wrapping, craft supplies, kitchen and hardware items to seasonal holiday decor.  Halloween decor was featured last week.  Yes, Halloween in Japan.

Getting Hungry

The sun was setting and we were getting hungry.  After flying for 8 hours, on the limo bus to the hotel another hour, walking around another 2 hours, we needed FOOD.
Susan heard of this terrific tonkatsu restaurant in the area so we asked the officer at the koban (police box) and he gave us directions.  We both agreed, this is the BEST tonkatsu ever!  And having tried this dish at many places, Maisen Tonkatsu is tops!

Walking back out to Omotesando, we marvel at  how quiet and safe the streets of Tokyo are.


Below, more food and beverage.  Can you tell I was hungry?

Rewind

Finally downloaded the photos from my phone.  So these are a little out of order but, no one but I knows this...
Don't we all wish we could fly like this---empty seats around us!  As if...this is an empty plane because we had priority boarding.  Every seat was filled.  I lucked-out with seat-mates and got a nice older Japanese couple returning home.  Quiet, stayed in their seats, no trouble!

Got into Narita a little ahead of schedule.  Limo bus to Shinagawa and right onto the Yamanote train to Harajuku.

It was late afternoon as we walked Harajuku.  I was looking for the Harajuku I had known and loved 25+ years ago...it no longer exists.

Here is the new face of Harajuku, all mirrors, chrome and glass:  the Tokyu Plaza.   What a change!  Even walked over the bridge/walkway over Omotesando and didn't recognize the street.  If it wasn't for the trees down the center median, I wouldn't have recognized the place.  Gone are the little boutiques and coffee shops.  Gone are the cute creative store fronts, each vying for "craziest on Omotesando".  Even the old Hanae Mori building was lost among the chrome and glass.  Sorry, that is the only way I can think to describe the storefronts. The original charm of the area, which used to be part residential and part commercial is what I liked. 

Report from Tokyo

The my-fi wifi did not work quite as planned so am doing catch up now as I sit comfortably at home.
Left Monday, am home again on Monday!  Short, intense trip. The weather didn't help...hot and humid.  I intended to post daily but was wiped out at days end.

Tokyo is a walking city, and though prepared with cool clothing and the best MBT sandals, the heat required cutting out a few items on our planned itinerary.
We hit the ground running shortly after checking into the Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

Rode the Yamanote line to Harajuku Station.  Had to see the area and Takeshita Dori for the first time in 18 years!  Much has changed and I am very disappointed that Omotesando is now slick chrome and glass.  Gone are the little shops and cafes that were so unique and perfect for people and fashion-watching.

As the sun went down, the temperature cooled off a little, just a little, but the humidity remained high.

After a short walk, we found Maisen Tonkatsu restaurant down the street, around the corner, tucked away in typical Japanese way--how people find these little places amazes me.  It was the BEST tonkatsu ever!  Worth the search--take a cab next time.

The site of the Tokyo International Gift Show is called "Big Sight" and is located out in Odaiba, an area of reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay.  It is an amazing place, built recently it  houses many hotels, huge corporate buildings, outdoor concert and entertainment complex, aquarium, shopping centers and on and on.  We did not have time to explore this area, as the show itself was super huge and we intended to finish walking/seeing it in one day.  This was a looonngggg day.  Approximately 12 hours from riding the monorail out to Big Sight and walking the pavilions.  Once in a lifetime is enough for me!  Sorry, no photos were allowed inside the tradeshow.

Here is the map of the monorail route from Shimbashi station out to Odaiba.  What a wonderful transportation system.  And a great view from the elevated tracks.

Tokyo International Gift Show

http://www.giftshow.co.jp/english/76tigs/index.htm

Next month is the trade show; I haven't been to one this large and extensive ever!  Am a little apprehensive about being able to focus, walk, absorb and profit from this event.  It's been decades since I've gone to a trade show and am very excited about seeing this particular one--being international, should be incredible.

We are preparing/training for this trip by walking three times a week from today until we leave for Japan.  It will be a transition month between summer and fall so I am looking forward to seeing  the shops,  hoping the weather is nice and eating all the seasonal foods.

CLOTH has somehow led me to men's furnishings websites.  Rather than compete for women's eyes, I am turning to men's fabrics--handkerchiefs, sox and other items.  Maybe its because I've been working with men's kimono, browns, blues, grey etc.  Or maybe it's the influence of Amy Katoh's Blue and White shop and website.  Or maybe because I like the Fall season? 

Will post as I explore....

CLOTH

Now on Facebook-- www.facebook.com/clothlint.  I've posted a little collection of "cloth" things that catch my eye.  These are all fresh from Tokyo!  Each one is one of a kind.  Fabrics vary.  And they are all for sale on Etsy.  www.etsy.com/shop/GreenGeishawww.etsy.com/shop/GreenGeisha

Rock Wool Rocks!

From these little cubes, to a garden in my kitchen window.  Rock wool works!  I know have 2 tomato plants, and 4 lettuce plants growing like crazy.  We've harvested the leaves to add to a salad and am anxiously waiting to see if the tomato plants actually give fruit.

Indigo Dye Workshop

Indigo is an old traditional plant-based dye.  Used by Japanese farmers as long as there has been cloth.  It is a working-class color and it also is the color of the original 'blue jeans'.  After a 'break' of 5 years, I"m finding myself drawn back to cloth again.  Thank you Darius for allowing me to use your indigo vat! 

Recently the designer Eileen Fisher has had exquisite shibori silk scarves in her collections.  I love the free form style of dip-dying (as seen below).
Though my garments are far from Eileen Fisher as you can get, I know I will enjoy wearing the indigo color and watching it fade over the years.  Other natural dyes may be more vibrant but somehow, this old blue is rather comforting and remains always, on-trend.

If you use indigo to dye your garments, remember that it is a plant and the dye is prone to fading--like the original 'blue jeans'.  That's part of the beauty, I think.  And also remember to rinse well and perhaps even wash with a little laudry detergent to get the smell out. 

I've happily worn there garments and always get compliments on them.  The asa panels made very nice sheer noren.  

To (un)Dye For

One day, I was mulling over why I had bought and kept a blouse and pant that I hardly ever wore.  It seemed wasteful to just throw them in the donation bin.  I must have loved the linen fabric (blouse) and Tencel (pant).  The color was yukky!  So, I decided to remove the color and change these garments into something I would hopefully like and wear this summer.

Rit Dye has a product called Color Remover.  This and plain old liquid bleach have become my go-to's to re-purpose clothing.  I wish I had a photo of the "before" colors, so will attempt to duplicate with a swatch:

This is the ugly manila color I started with...which has become my new white summer pant. 

Another linen blouse I wonder why I bought is a dark charcoal blue/grey.  Wore it once and it hung in the back of my closet, in the dark, unseen for a year.  (even this photo makes it look nicer than it was)

Dragged it out this summer intending to wear but it's such a dreary color I left in with the "donation" stuff.

The mottainai syndrome (waste not, want not) hit me and I flashed on Rit Color Remover and this is the result.  Yes, it took a while and several bleachings to remove most of the color down to a very light pink (?).  Then dumped it into a pot of Golden Yellow, let it soak all day, and here is the sunny yellow result! 

Perfect for summer!  Also, cut the sleeve and collar edges off to create a frayed, raw edge look.  I think it goes well with the rumpled linen.

Hydroponic Gardening

Found these little kits in Tokyo.  Everything is included to begin a soil-less garden.  Just add water.
In a few days little leaves sprouted.  I then moved the basil outside into the planter with soil.

My traveling friend, Susan, was so enthused that she researched the components and created her own bottle-planter from a used plastic soda bottle.  She also found that the growing medium is called "rock wool".  Not fabric but  something used to germinate seeds for hydroponic gardens.

Here is step two:  Found these rock wool cubes at the local Hydroponic store.  After a few days the little seeds sprouted. 

T-shirt gets re-Designed with Scissors

Not selling?  Of course not, what woman would wear a man's T-shirt just as is?  Plain crew neck, blah!

Attacked with scissors, cutting away parts I didn't want to reveal another style underneath.  Well, had to add as well as subtract.  It's now a mini dress for summer.

More Vests, part II



More vests please!

That is the I kept hearing after selling out on the four vests made of vintage kimono & michiyuki.  So, Les came over with a big box of assorted kimono etc.  We weeded through them and I threw out more than I kept.  Then, the fun part--cutting away all the stuff I don't want.  Most people are afraid of scissors, well, mine especially.  These shears are made in Japan and are worth the cost.  I put the fear of death in anyone who asks to use my tools.  These are not to be used for anything but fabric.  Upon pain of death!  Keeps unprofessional hands off my scissors!
Step one:
jumble of assorted kimono....

Step two:  cut away all the parts I don't want...

Step three:  Finish the neckline, armholes and hem.  Then figure out what it needs...

(to be continued...)

What to do with a vintage Japanese men's kimono???

From this...a vintage Japanese men's kimono, I was challenged to 'make something'.  The kimono by itself was not selling and frankly, I knew why.  It's a lot of fabric for anyone to drape around their body, a dark brown unflattering color, and what the heck do you do with this?  Where to wear? 

So I took my trusty scissors to it and transformed it into...

 

a vest that is wearable, the stripes are a great feature, showing off the wonderful skill of the weaver. 

Took it to the bazaar at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and it sold right away, had just put it on the mannequin and a lady snapped it up! 

Tenugui…not just a piece of cotton cloth

The history of tenugui dates back to the Heian (794 to 1185) period. It was originally undyed linen used as a head covering for rituals.  However, at the beginning of the Edo (1603 to 1868) period, bleached cotton tenugui gradually began taking the place of linen. 

Today, tenugui, a rectangular cotton hand towel, are sometimes distributed by shops as gifts for their openings or other occasions.  It can be used for anything – a washcloth, headband, souvenir or decoration.  They are found all over Japan in shops that specialize in the cotton hand towel or in department stores that sell them as souvenirs. 

My thoughts on the tenugui are that they are “too pretty to use” so I use it as “art” to decorate my home.  The collection consists of artwork for the season - New Year’s, Boy’s Day; food themes – sushi, fish, rice grains; flowers – cherry blossoms, lotus; hobbies - sake, baseball and many other delightful designs to display during the year.  And on top of all this, it’s so easy to store – in a few folds it takes very little space in a box.

You can find your own tenugui design and create a work of art to enjoy!

By: guest blogger Susan, my friend and fellow explorer.

Didn't eat this....just looking

Tokyo Midtown is a a relatively new office/retail complex in Roppongi.  Have no idea what this building and grounds replaced but it's huge, with a train station in the basement.  It's filled with several floors of shops and cafes and even a dog grooming salon (Green Dog).  The rest of the skyscraper must be offices.  It was the week before Mother's Day and all the shops were featuring temptations aimed at your/our guilty feelings regarding mother.  These strawberry cakes and macarons sure looked yummy.  While our friends were in the sake shop, I was drooling at these pasteries.

Eating our way around Tokyo

 This is the famous waffle shop, Manneken.  Yes, pronounced like "mannequin".  Last year Susan and I followed a wonderful smell to a tiny shop in Kyoto Station.  We were transferring trains and couldn't resist.  Hot off the iron, crunchy and not too sweet.  Love at first bite.
So this year we tracked down this shop on Ginza 4-chome.  Got cookies to bring home and taste-tested a creme-filled version.  Can't beat the original, plain.  I wonder if there is always a line; this was Sunday, Mother's Day.

Ameyoko-cho is what I think of as "shita-machi"  old town Tokyo.  Stalls selling all kinds of foods, fresh meats, fish, produce, clothing, shoes, luggage, sundry items, etc.  Crowded and noisy; an assault on the senses but great fun.  Luckily, I had the rolling cart, which was soon stuffed with goodies!

Summer cottons

It's almost summer and the cutest cotton handkerchiefs arrive in all the shops.  From the fancy designer names in high end dept stores to the corner conbi (convenience) shop.

These nigiri themed ones were found in Tokyo Station.  There is no other station like this one-it's a city in the middle of Tokyo.  There are 3floors, I think.  Got a little lost but found our way to the street/outside level.  Couldn't buy them all, so must go back. Seasonal prints and fabrics...always changing!

Fresh from Tokyo May 2013

Despite all my efforts to divorce myself from fabric, textiles, etc.  I guess there still is lint in my blood after all these years.  A life spent with fabric cannot be undone.  Color, texture and all things fabric still catch my eye and I have learned to enjoy the experience and even appreciate it, now...

As seen in Tokyo:

Wonderful, bold, graphic summer colors on furoshiki tote bags.  These triangular ones (hanging) are shoulder totes, made of 2 pieces sewn together.  The folded pieces below are handkerchiefs and tenugui (hand towels).  They are made of light summer weight cotton and are ubiquitous in the spring/summer.  I love how there are seasonal prints.  My eyes are happy to see changing colors with changing seasons.  Things look fresh and different and I never get tired of seeing new design motifs and textile art.

This is "Japanese Marrimekko" to me.  Flat, bold shapes of color in cheerful combinations.

For Mother's Day, these little planter jars were on display.  Filled with glass or plastic marbles, what appears to be a recycled jar makes a great little desk top or table top gift.  Japan is great with keeping things from being super-sized.  So things always look "cute".  By the way, this is a living plant. 

Other small plants.....

Calming Collars

I ran across a magazine ad for this product--Calming Collars, and thought it was a great idea!  New Year's Eve in Honolulu is a very noisy night with firecrackers exploding everywhere.  Needless to say, the dogs (and cats) are terrified.  After years of tranquilizers, which I hate to give to my dogs, I thought this collar was a wonderful, natural and less invasive idea.
Has anyone tried one?   Here is the link to their website:  Calming Collars.  They are also on Facebook.

Winter in Hawaii

Yes, winter does come to Hawaii too. This year has been cold, wet and windy.  Well, cold by tropical standards. I hate wet feet, so invested in a cute pair of plastic rain boots so I can go slogging about in the rain.
This photo is looking toward Punchbowl crater.  The streets are slick and the drizzle steady. The wind has been so strong it's breaking tree branches, causing traffic messes!  Power outages, damaged roofs all over the state.  And you thought we had no "winter"?