Guys! Looks I haven't been here for a while again. This time I have a good excuse though ;) I've been traveling in one of my favorite countries - Japan! Now I'm finally back and full of fresh memories and impressions. Seems like a good idea to share some of them here, in a few blog posts :)
It all started with an incredible invitation from Tokyo Luxey to visit Tokyo and one mysterious destination in Japan. This is how, several weeks later I was on my way to the airport, ready to visit Japan for the second time.
Once in Tokyo, I found my travel companions, including a guide, an interpreter and a French journalist living in Japan - Noémie Séguin (you can check her lovely Instagram account here). Early in the morning we were off to explore the city, starting with Edo Kiriko's cutting glass workshop at Sumida Edo Kiriko-Kan. The Edo Kiriko glass, characterized by a rather pronounced cut and delicate decoration, is a specialty of Tokyo since about 1834.
Two layers of glass, one colored and thinner on the outside and another, transparent, in the interior, allow an almost unlimited variety of patterns that are engraved using different blades. We had the opportunity to test this technique in practice, as during the workshop we decorated a glass ourselves.
After some explanations given by the craftsman about the use of a grinding machine, we began to engrave our glasses that we carried with us afterwards as a souvenir. Here's me at work ;)
And here's the final result:
The rest of the morning was spent on wandering around the Azabu-Juban area, filled with small shops, bars and restaurants. Narrow streets and slow traffic create a nice atmosphere of a village, inviting to stroll and do some shopping.
In the middle of Azabu-Juban we found a little sanctuary, Juban Inari, a place of tranquility in the middle of the bustling area, perfect to stop, contemplate the city and take some pictures too.
The weather happened to be rather bad that day, grey and rainy, therefore lots of time was spent eating in a lovely Kunimi restaurant :D
Located right next to the Skytree, Kunimi windows offer a splendid view on this construction, which is the 2nd highest in the world. It's hard to imagine a better place to savor a plate of twelve different Kobachi, a perfect mix of hot and cold dishes that are entirely in tune with the season and with the modern ambiance of the place.
From Azabu-Juban we walked to Roppongi Hills and Tokyo City View. The panoramic view of Tokyo megalopolis seen from the 51st floor of the Sky Deck was breathtaking. Although there are many other places with nice aerial views of Tokyo, this one is probably among the best with its splendid 360 ° view. I think we were pretty lucky to contemplate such rainy aura from the inside.
Once in Roppongi Hills we couldn't miss the Doraemon exhibition in Mori Arts Center Gallery. The exhibition is beyond cool, so if any of you happen to be in Tokyo before January 8th, just go see it! I only wish I had taken more photos of it...
The night came fast. Just like in Europe it's already getting dark around 5pm or even earlier when the day is cloudy.
After a delicious dinner in Ageha restaurant in Tokyu Plaza Ginza and more kushikatsu that I'd ever think I'd be able to eat, I went straight to Shinjuku for a night photo shoot on my own.
Spending only one day in a city like Tokyo turned out to be pretty frustrating, as probably even one week wouldn't be enough for me to see all I'd like to see and take all the photos that there are to take. The next day I was about to head to a completely different destination though. Be sure to check out the next Monday's post to know more about it :)