(Day 4) Kitsch

Vacation! Lazy! Yes, that’s me. Today I slllooowwwwllllyyy got up and got ready and did the long-ish journey out to Kichijoji, the cool hood of…cool people. I dunno. It feels cool there. Anyway, I was alone again today for the most part but I kept myself entertained…with crepes! Well, not just crepes. But I started with that.


Black and white crepes are sooo classy.



The next stop was epic and leads into my first segment of what I have entitled “Adventures in Japanese Clothes-Buying”. Not very original, I realize, but bear with me. So I headed into Ragtag, my favourite designer second-hand shop in the world, and I grab two delightful coats and head into the change room. Let me introduce piece number one, courtesy of the most precious ‘enfant terrible’, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons:



It’s a coat with giant bulgy sections of stuffed cotton inside. Random. While this look isn’t terribly new for CdG, I’m posting this not for CdG aficionados (of which I am the only one I know), but for those readers who will get a kick out of this.



The guy in the shop pointed out to me it’s very “Christmas-y”.


I really look a lot thicker. Makes sense.


It’s like I had a built-in back pillow!


Rad details.

The second piece was decidedly less avante garde – a military-style jacket with tails by Limi Feu.



I bought it (the Limi, not the CdG – I don’t really want to be thick.) Yess! Love love love. Aaaaand, that’s it for the first (and likely last) segment of bizarre clothes.

New purchase firmly in hand, I headed down the alley into Inokashira park. My favourite chill-out spot in Mitaka.










Gorgeous! I love these veiny trees.





After a brief sit and some ‘Mother Mother’ serenading the passersby in the swan boats, I headed back into town and picked up a few supplies at one of my favourite general stores, Loft.


Yikes! I do not want this product. I don’t even know what it is.


In case you can’t read this, it is men’s disposable panties. Interesting. It also says,

We’re just a heart beat away
One touch could make it happen
We can reach the other side if we hold on to the passion

Did I mention that this was on men’s disposable panties? OK. Just checking.

This trip I managed to only visit ONE temple or shrine. ONE. I deserve an award. This particular one just happened to fall alongside the shopping arcade in Kichijoji and I’d never been before so I escaped the crowds but for a minute…





Here’s also another adventure in funny business names:


Dog Wiz!

I met Janelle for dinner at our favourite shabu-shabu spot, Nabezo. I love this place…just meat…everywhere.



This was my fifth visit to this restaurant and I’ve sat in the same booth every single time…and they seat me. Isn’t it bizarre?



This is a pretty standard blog, isn’t it? Sorry…I did some boring stuff this trip – it can’t all be a non-stop party. Next up was karaoke at Ban Ban.





We eventually parted ways and I headed back over to Akasaka. I had secretly gotten into the Christmas spirit over at Seiyu and bought a $2 tree! Festivus, here we come.


Yes, those are real presents.

So tomorrow I wander off into new territory over in quiet-but-hip Shimokitazawa. Then…some Shibuya with a little stalkerish fellow and finally, Lex. Rad.