The Tokyo Traveler

Parades and parties are on the Halloween calendar in Tokyo!  Summer and O-bon is the season of ghosts in Japan, but Tokyoites have embraced the fall fun of a western-style Halloween with a few events around the city. Participate or just watch the Hello Halloween Pumpkin Parade down Omotesando-dori towards Harajuku.  The festivities in the area run from 11AM to 6PM on October 26th.
Tokyo Disney’s Halloween 2008 got an early start on September 12th and will run through October 31st.  Feel free to visit the park in costume but be sure to check the costume guidelines before heading out.
Adults …read more

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The Oriental Bazaar claims to be the biggest art & antiques store in Tokyo. It’s definitely a one stop shop for all of your souvenir needs so, if you are strapped for time and need a memento from your trip then this is the place for you!

In the basement you will find Kinomo, Yukata, Geta, laquerware, decorative panels and toys. The main floor has a wide selection of Japanese china, postcards and stationery and the upper floor offers a selection of antiques, screens, art prints and books. The store definitely caters to the tourist crowd but it’s enjoyable …read more

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This shot was taken from a parking lot in the ultra-modern Omotesando area of Tokyo. I spied the roof of this temple peaking over a cinder block fence as I was walking by and thought I would take a closer look – I’m sure glad that I did! There are photo opportunities everywhere in Tokyo so keep your eyes open and take the time to be curious.
Photo Credit: Personal Collection

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Did you know that there are over 1400 types of chopsticks and 1,100 different ways to hold them? There are even rules about what you should and shouldn’t do with your chopsticks. The Japanese term for chopsticks is hashi and Ginza Natsuno is a store dedicated to everything beautiful about hashi!
On a visit to the branch in Harajuku I was amazed by the variety of hashi available. The walls were covered with hashi in almost every color of the rainbow and there were sizes and styles that I had never seen before.
When you purchase hashi the correct …read more

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