Sunday in Style: Nezu Museum

To tell the truth, lately things have been a bit tough for Ms. Godzilla. 

Nothing life threatening, but my confidence has been shaken and am not feeling quite like myself (whoever that may be).

When these things happen, I find two things very helpful to get some perspective: going somewhere beautiful and taking on a slightly different persona.

Hence, last weekend's trip to the Nezu Museum (which is near Aoyama, not Nezu). The art collection is mainly Asian artifacts, displayed in a few small galleries. While certainly pretty, they are no match for the extraordinary gardens. 

The Japanese gardens are filled with bright green momiji, which conceal a wealth of interesting statues and traditional teahouses (including one in a small boat, how exquisitely iki). The purple iris' were in full bloom, and the whole ensemble was simply breathtaking.  

As for the different persona, putting on a kimono is one of the fastest ways to accomplish that. You need to walk straight-backed, at a stately speed, with the long shoulders of a murderous queen... it certainly gives me  boost (it also helps that one also gets complimented by passing strangers.)

For the Love of Layers

The morning air outside of my comforter is taking on an edge, a warning sign of the cold mornings to come. It makes the extra 5 minutes I give myself before getting out of bed, all curled up in a ball of warmth, even more delicious.

 

But I shouldn't complain too much, as after getting out of bed there is the exciting opportunity to get decked out in fall fashion, layering to my heart's content. Fall is a procession of awesome jackets, swinging light coats, chunky accessories and bright colours.

 It is also the perfect season for kimono. No sweating from the heat in summer, or freezing your toes off in the winter, but a perfect balance between layers (again!) of silk and unusual stoles. The lower angle of the autumn sun reflects off the gold and silver of the obi, and lights up the cream colours from within.

 

Autumn on the Ginza

Trying to use up as many of my annual vacation days as possible before I lose them, I got myself a four day weekend, woohoo!

Friday afternoon in central Tokyo is a completly different experience from going on the weekend. After saying hello to Wave-chan and having a quick lunch at Paul Bassett in Shinjuku (pancakes count as lunch, right?), I went off to Ginza to find a new, autumn-appropriate obi for my concert in November. I had a rigid budget of under 6000 yen, but for anyone who can go up to 20000-30000 yen, the choices are endless! I had to drag myself away from a hand-sewn silk obi with the most gorgeous magenta carnations... perhaps another time? With an unusually high density of hostesses and mamas, Ginza is one of the best places to go looking for high quality wafuku at decent prices.

Without the thousands of shoppers who descend like vultures on the weekend, strolling around Ginza is extremely pleasant. I rather enjoy the slightly passe', Bubble era feel of the stores and architecture, and the long broad avenues lined with various temptations (omg,the Furla store!!!). Interestingly, weekday afternoons seem to be the time for pregnant women to hang out there, as they were absolutely everywhere I went. Taking a brief rest in a MosCafe (with a semi-decent, if tiny, chestnut cupcake for company) those of us unencumbered were outnumbered three to one!

Oh, and the obi? I found one for about 5000 yen, a rather bold and unusual pattern from the 80's. I got it at Tansuya,  a chain of kimono recyling stores. They are great if you want to put together a look on the cheap, and are are not too picky. If you want something really special though, check out the various vintage shops on the second floor of Ginza Five.

I love walking through Tokyo in this weather, cool enough for long sleeves and boots, without having to cover up my outfit with a coat. I hope everyone is enjoying fall, wherever you may be :)