Hello from Japan!
So apart from being completely terrified on my first night as I went shaken awake by a tiny little earthquake at 3am, I have arrived safely and have had the most amazing first day in Tokyo! I threw myself right into the middle of Shibuya and Harajuku to get reacquainted with 'essential' Tokyo, then spent the night wandering around Omotesando and had dinner in downtown Ikebukuro. Here's some pretty pictures of my day.
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| Watching the moon rise on one side of the plane as the sun set on the other, about to fly over Japan. And it's definitely winter here - there's melted snow piles everywhere! |
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| A side street in Harajuku and my outfit for the day! |
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| Checking out the Disney store in Shibuya where they have a perfect replica of Andy's room from Toy Story! |
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| Takeshita Street in Harajuku - the most amazing shopping street in the world. I promised myself I wouldn't make the first day into a shopping day but somehow came back to our hostel with 5 bags of goodies. Oops... |
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| The most incredible (and cheap!) lolita-style store! (I may have bought a pretty wig) |
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| Very Harajuku-style clothing |
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| Cat-themed accessories are EVERYWHERE |
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| If you ever go to Japan, go to a Thank You Mart. Everything is 390 yen, or about $4 each. And they have the largest selection of vintage clothing and cute accessories. The above photo is what I got and it all cost me $12 (and the socks were 2 pairs for 100 yen!) |
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| Went to the famous Avant Garde in Harajuku and had a nice chat with the owner! This is a printed tights store, who print their own designs on tights for around $30 a pair, and is basically the reason tattoo tights became super fashionable last year. It was awesome being in the place where the trend originated. |
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| Late-night snack in 7-11. I love Japanese 7-11. You can buy whole (and good) Japanese meals here for about $3. |
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| Wandering the extremely fancy Omotesando and window shopping Dior, Chanel, Swarovski and Anna Sui who all have MASSIVE stores here. |
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| A little something I bought myself in Harajuku... how could I resist?? |
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| Went to a Book-Off chain and bought a bunch of back-issues of magazines, which all cost me about $12. Got myself some recent Nylon magazines and a Kera from May. Full of so much inspiration! |
I will have an outfit post for you guys very soon. Hope you're all super well!
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Ohh you went to bodyline! you need to go to innocent world, they are my fave lolita store ever! also, there are couple of amazing cafes you need to see! so happy to read this
ReplyDeletexx
Yes that's so cool that you recognised it was body line!! It's the best! Ahh innocent world had a whole spread on kera. Directions? Sounds like you know where things are in Tokyo!
DeleteEeek I am so so jealous! Those cat socks are SO CUTE and that tights store seems sooo cool *_* can't wait to see more of what you get up to! <3
ReplyDeletewow..that's so cool! :) http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteOMG! Really, with stores like that, how could anyone resist the temptation? I like how Japan's clothing culture influence so much 'our' culture, but in 'our' culture the things are so much more "behaved" and in their culture all the things are crazy and open minded, I love this.
ReplyDeletehttp://oldoakthread.blogspot.com.br/
Fashion definitely is. I'm so loving getting dressed up here everyday - everyone appreciates what you wear so much more than in Australia
DeleteI'm so jealous! I want to go one day too, It looks so awesome and pretty and crazy colourful and fun there. One day, one day... until then though I will live through your photos. Can't wait to see more. The socks you got look so damn cute.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh this looks so amazing!! I'm now convinced that i must go to Japan someday lol I hope you have an amazing time!!! :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you are having a blast! I really love the Disney store picture - Toy Story is the best!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Laura
http://lauraisthriftingthroughlife.blogspot.com/
aww your outfit!!
ReplyDeleteI love these photos; can't wait to see more from your trip :-D
Francesca xo
http://goingroundthemulberrybush.blogspot.co.uk
As the songs say, you're Big in Japan. Looks like a lot of fun. Any pancake drink yet?
ReplyDeleteNo! Haha I have yet to come across it. I am keeping an eye out when I pass vending machines but may have to visit somewhere like akihabara to find something weird like that..
DeleteIt all looks wonderful! x
ReplyDeleteOoooh so many awesome things, I love that clothing store shot, I wish someday I could visit Tokyo, I guess it hides inspiration around every corner :) Have a wonderful time, can't wait for more pictures to come!
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous of you right now, Tokyo is one of my dream destinations, Japan in generally (I'm obsessed with Asia) I am just so fascinated with their culture, history, language and lifestyle. And whatever anyone says I think Japan is center of fashion and printed tights are living proof of that :) Enjoy all the craziness Tokyo can offer you :)
ReplyDeleteYou must do it one day:) I feel the same way. You'll absolutely love japan if you go to it with that attitude!
Deleteyeee <3 that looks amazing. and i love nylon <3
ReplyDeletewonderful ♥ love this post!! cant wait for moreeee ♥
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous! Japan looks like so much fun! Question: Can you read Japanese? I'm assuming you can at least a little bit, since you've been there before, and you can, obviously, make your way around quite well. (Oh, and that Disney store NEEDS to come to Canada. It is AWESOME!)
ReplyDeleteI can read hiragana (not much use as I don't understand Japanese) and am learning katakana right now (which will be much more useful as katakana is used for mostly foreign words). I hardly know any Japanese but can get around really well knowing the words for 'okay', 'a bit', 'thank you', 'excuse me', 'sorry', 'where is it', 'I don't speak Japanese' (which confuses people because I DO have a really clear accent haha), and 'it's cute' and 'it was delicious'. But I find all these cool places in Tokyo just by wandering around and getting myself lost which I think is basically the best thing you can do while in japan. Also we know a couple of people here who helped us get around initially. The good thing is that if you're a foreigner in japan people are really amazed if you can even eat with chopsticks haha. So you also get away with quite a lot and are foregiven for getting things wrong, and Japanese people will try to help you profusely, even if they don't speak hardly any English themselves.
DeleteNever been to Japan but it looks awesome! I will live vicariously through you for now :P Also, I second the person who asked if you know Japanese
ReplyDeleteI didn't even realise that was you! You look Japanese yourself in it- I thought it was a street style shot of a cool Japanese girl!
ReplyDeleteI want to go to Andy's room haha!
Becky
xx
Hahaha that's what my boyfriend kept saying to me all day as well. He kept losing me in the crowd because I was dressed up so Japanese, heheh.
DeleteThanks for making time to blog these little tidbits, Annika! Glad to hear you're having fun <3
ReplyDeleteI am going to be following your Tokyo posts SO intently and then going EVERYWHERE you go in a few months when I'm in Japan. God, I love seeing this while I'm planning a trip.
ReplyDeleteI'll make sure to post the names of all the cool suburbs and places worth visiting!
Deleteawww I am so jealous I have always wanted to go to Japan! one day I will get myself there...if only to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum :)The shops look amazing I wish we had more like that over here in england. Thanks for sharing your photos, I look forward to seeing more!
ReplyDeleteOMG Tokyo sounds crazy !
ReplyDeleteWishing to be able to get there someday
I hate you .
ReplyDeleteAww... I'm really jealous! These kitten-socks are amazing... lucky you :(
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for these posts! I was in Japan Dec 2010. Harajuku was definitely my favorite part of the trip. I went to that same lolita style store and bought my very favorite hair bow there! : D Have the best time!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to post updates about your trip!
ReplyDeleteFor Japanese magazines, I used to buy Gothic & Lolita Bible, Popteen and Vivi from local Kinokuniya till I found this website http://jmagazinescans.blogspot.sg/.
I have been using it to read the magazines since it's really expensive to purchase it monthly.
The website is not managed by me by the way. Just would like to make that clear. (ｏ￣∇￣ｏ)♪
oh awesome! that's going to be such a good website when i don't have access to japanese magazines anymore. I really like having them in a solid form though as souvenirs to take home with me and they're also pretty cheap from Book Off :) so I'm stocking up on Zipper and Kera and Nylon while I can :)
DeleteYou're in the land of perfection. ;A; Enjoy Japan! (Though looking at your more recent posts, you obviously are) I want to buy cat socks & lolita dresses tooooo :-(
ReplyDeletehey annika ! I just wanted to say that I have printed tights my mum gave me because she wouldn't wear them anymore, and she got them about 20 years ago ! Theyre printed with madonna-angels and ferns and antique statues and stuff like that and my teacher asked me if my legs were tattoed..! (Because I wore them in summer, he thought I had bare legs !) Just wondered if this trend really originated in Japan, if so, it must have been a couple of years before last year. ABSOLUTELY love your blog, and ! that you also slip in this useful science info, what a lovely concept. much love xx Imogen
ReplyDeleteheeey! wow, that's really cool! Take good care of those! My grandma made the mistake of giving me some awesome fishnets she had from the 60s or 70s when I was 15 and I kind of destroyed them... :|
DeleteBut I guess something like them has existed in the past! But from what I've read on Japanese fashion sites, part of them becoming really popular this time around, and then copied in wholesale asian clothing stores like oasap, romwe, sheinside etc (where a heck of a lot of bloggers get their clothing from) were due to them being popular early 2012 in japan. Still, Japan can be a bit ego-centric and these fashion sites could have been a little biased ;) although it is a major fashion capital of the world so i wouldn't be surprised if them being popular in Japan helped a little!
Hello:)
ReplyDeleteIt's my first time commenting but I always read your entries and I love your blog! I thought this was time to comment and let you know how much I like you blog! I love your outfits, for I've always loved japanese fashion, and what is a bit 'funny' or mixing styles together like you do.
I also love physics and science :)
Your pictures of Japan are really beautiful, and make me so nostalgic. I went there last year in April, and I was planning to go back this year as well, at the same period but unfortunately due to university, I won't be going. And ah. that really breaks my heart. So even if I feel a bit sad, your posts are a pleasure and somehow motivate me for school(I'm studying japanese). Anyway, that was a long and personal comment!
Take care,
Emy. :)
That was such a long and lovely comment!
DeleteThank you!!!!
It is so so good to know that people appreciate what I write so much! I'm sorry for the photos haha, but I know the exact nostalgia feeling you are having - I have it every time I look at photos of Japan when I'm not there, it's the most magical place :) You'll get back there!
It's awesome to know there's other people out there who share such similar interest to me as well! And that they like what I put out there on the internet. I'm very lucky :) So thank you so so much for leaving me a comment :)
Much love!! Annika xxx
Ownnnnn Annika! I'm here keepping up with your Japan adventures and everything is such a cuteness to die for!
ReplyDeleteLove from Brazil!
There are so many cute things around. Wish I could make a trip there!
ReplyDeletezuleyb.blogspot.com