yesterday was my first sightseeing day all alone!
i started by heading to the Asakusa Amuse Museum where i saw an incredible exhibit on 'boro,' or old, used textiles passed down through generations with patches and patches that are now (rightfully so) considered important works of textile art. i am sorry not to have a way to post pictures until i get back, but the exhibit as well as how it was curated was really incredible. it was one of the first museums i have ever been in where i was allowed to both touch and photograph most everything, which really added to the experience (textiles are fragile, so i understand why most places don't let visitors touch. however, maybe with this exhibit, they imagine that the visitors will add to the patina of the pieces by experiencing them through touch, so it is accepted. in any case, being able to experience the texture really added to the exhibit).
i then decided to continue the theme of the day and also head a bit outside of the touristy part of asakusa and head to uguisudan, one station north of ueno to tokyo's 'fabric town.' i didn't see a single other 'gaijin' there, but mostly just local women shopping for fabrics. the streets were lined with fabric shops, shops with notions and trims, raw leather stores, and some kimono shops.
i then headed to shibuya, the big shopping distric, because i remembered a good ramen place there. at this ramen place, as with many, you buy a ramen ticket in a sort of vending machine which you then hand to your server. also, i love that tips are not customary!
i wandered about shibuya, and although the higher-end stores feature many internaional and western designers, i wanted to find out and learn more about local designers. i found tsumori chisato and was particularly enamored with her sense of humor and use of color and volume in her shapes. also interesting that she worked for issey miyake, another japanese designer i admire.
kathryn and i added a little leg to our trip! on our way back from hiroshima to tokyo, we are going to stop on an 'art island' called naoshima. it looks incredible. apparently the museums are lit purely with natural light, and if you spend the night (there is only one hotel and it is in the museum itself), you can wander the exhibits all through the night at any time you please. we can't spend the night, but can you imagine, standing in front of a monet or a sculpture in a deserted gallery in your pajamas with only the stars as company?!
i started by heading to the Asakusa Amuse Museum where i saw an incredible exhibit on 'boro,' or old, used textiles passed down through generations with patches and patches that are now (rightfully so) considered important works of textile art. i am sorry not to have a way to post pictures until i get back, but the exhibit as well as how it was curated was really incredible. it was one of the first museums i have ever been in where i was allowed to both touch and photograph most everything, which really added to the experience (textiles are fragile, so i understand why most places don't let visitors touch. however, maybe with this exhibit, they imagine that the visitors will add to the patina of the pieces by experiencing them through touch, so it is accepted. in any case, being able to experience the texture really added to the exhibit).
i then decided to continue the theme of the day and also head a bit outside of the touristy part of asakusa and head to uguisudan, one station north of ueno to tokyo's 'fabric town.' i didn't see a single other 'gaijin' there, but mostly just local women shopping for fabrics. the streets were lined with fabric shops, shops with notions and trims, raw leather stores, and some kimono shops.
i then headed to shibuya, the big shopping distric, because i remembered a good ramen place there. at this ramen place, as with many, you buy a ramen ticket in a sort of vending machine which you then hand to your server. also, i love that tips are not customary!
i wandered about shibuya, and although the higher-end stores feature many internaional and western designers, i wanted to find out and learn more about local designers. i found tsumori chisato and was particularly enamored with her sense of humor and use of color and volume in her shapes. also interesting that she worked for issey miyake, another japanese designer i admire.
kathryn and i added a little leg to our trip! on our way back from hiroshima to tokyo, we are going to stop on an 'art island' called naoshima. it looks incredible. apparently the museums are lit purely with natural light, and if you spend the night (there is only one hotel and it is in the museum itself), you can wander the exhibits all through the night at any time you please. we can't spend the night, but can you imagine, standing in front of a monet or a sculpture in a deserted gallery in your pajamas with only the stars as company?!
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