1. Oiran Dochu Prosession The Oiran Dochu Prosession is held every year on the second Saturday of April. We happened to be in Tokyo at that time so we thought why miss out on the opportunity to see Geishas? The Oiran parade/procession was not invented for tourist. During the days, they were done everyday to serve as advertising for the various Geisha houses. Sort of like the parade that Mulan took part in when she was visiting the matchmakers. Several girls from the area are dressed up as oiran of different levels with the highest ranking one wearing a kimono , traditional clogs and a wig weighing several pounds. They walk for about 2km up to a stage where they will re-enact a meeting with a "customer". You might not be around in Tokyo to catch the Oiran Dochu prosession but there are many similar events that go on every weekend. I found out about this and many other events at the Tokyo Chepo website. (Click here to be brought there). They release weekly articles about events that are going on during the weekend in Tokyo. I also personal messaged the admin of the Tokyo Chepo page on Facebook to ask for directions to the procession and they were really helpful. I suggest using them if you're ever planning a trip to Toyko.
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2. Traditional Sweets + Matcha at Kosoan TeaHouse I larrrfff tea. I love love love love love love tea. Being in Tokyo for the first time, I HAD to try their matcha. And I didn't want to go for any ordinary matcha, I wanted it to be as authentic as Japan could get. So I scoured the internet for a traditional tea house that was not too far from our AirBnb and found Kosoan TeaHouse. When you step out of the Metro Station, you are greeted with shoppers and small shops all on hills that reminded me of a mix of San Fran (USA) and Dalian (China). The shops you find here are not your usual touristy shops as the area is more of a local attraction and often overlooked by tourist because it is quiet a train ride from the city. You will see a mix of hipster-ish shops together with traditional stores (They had really beautiful porcelain!). All of which is a breath of fresh air from the usual hustle and bustle of Tokyo. It wasn't the easiest to find the tea house but you'll eventually find it. There is no English sign other than a small wooden board that says "Open". A tip is to use Google Maps! The entrance will lead you to a beautiful (and quiet)garden and you'll see an Old Japanese House that serves as the Tea House. Everyone there talks in hush voices and seats on traditional Tatami mats. There is not much seating so be prepared to wait for a bit to go in. We had to wait for 15 minutes. But it really was an easy wait when you are surrounded with such a pretty garden. Kosoan Tea House has a limited menu , and you can chose between less that 15 items. Honestly after you try the first dish, you're going to be tempted to try everything. Also, they do not do takeaway. All items on their menu are traditional. So you're not going to get any other influences other than Japanese. All items were surprisingly priced very reasonably. I would advise to try their sets rather than just ordering a drink individually. I believe that every snack item is crafted to complement the drink that it is paired with. If you're not a fan of tea, they have other beverages like Strawberry Milk and Coffee but honestly, you go to a tea house to drink tea okay? Click here to see their menu Darrel got a traditional cold noodles paired with tea. I didn't quiet like it but I was glad that I got to try a traditional dish. This would be something that I won't be able to try in more commercial stores. It tasted like a mix of slimy octopus and cold soba noodles. I had their matcha + mochi + redbean that tasted OHMYGERD SO GOOD. The matcha by itself was AMAZING. This is one place that I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Tokyo. I would advise to put aside some time to explore the streets and shops near by Kosoan as well. There will be a part 2 coming out soon. Stay tuned! Want to keep in touch? Follow my daily adventures and escapades on Instagram! 0 lovely comments ✿
So ultimately, I was reminded time and time again to pack as light as possible for Tokyo.
That resulted into me having to wash my laundry at the AirBnb and also wearing a couple of outfits more than once.
And the main reason why I'm telling you this is because, this could be the ONLY OOTD post I have of Tokyo. That and there was so much to see in Tokyo - I could not stand still long enough to get good pictures.
So let's just jump right into it.
My inner wear throughout the trip was all by Uniqlo . They have this awesome HeatTech technology that keeps you super warm. It's quiet amazing actually because the material of the clothes are super thin so you don't expect it to keep you as warm as it actually does.
I'm super sure that if it wasn't for the HeatTech, I would have been freezing all day.
I was even able to wear crop tops and still remain warm.
Find out more about it HERE.
Beannie from H&M Kids. RM 5
Okay laugh all you want but I still get a thrill over finding clothes at the kids section at H&M.
I mean why not? I get clothes that still fit me for half the price.
I fit into the 12 year old and above clothes. And sometimes they even have a size bigger.
Jacket from Mom. <RM100 - China.
I actually did try asking mom where she got the jacket from. Her reply was "All that matters is that it cost me below RM100 for it".
I guess having pride in finding a good bargain runs in the blood.
I LOVE flea markets so much. And for me, the brand of clothing hardly matters. If it looks good and feels comfy, I'm all for it. Singapore has a great flea community. You can actually find stylish and quality goods there. Black Tights from Forever 21. RM 29.90 Not much can be said about the leggings. It's your ordinary everyday staple clothing. It has lasted me a good 3 years so far. On another note, am I the only one who gets an absolute headache whenever walking into Forever 21? I'm not sure what look their visual merchandisers are going for but their clothes are just all over the place. Come to think of it, the last time I bought anything from them is a good year plus ago. I like their clothes and all but the process of actually finding the clothes is the hassle. Shoes by Nike. Price NA My Nikes served me so well for this trip. It was the only shoe I brought and was extremely comfortable. I think I walked close to 20ish miles a day and not once did the shoe bother me. I wore this outfit like 3 times in Tokyo. No shame. I wouldn't say I was the most fashion forward tourist there, but I was comfortable and the all black getup made me feel slightly cooler. Do you have a similar outfit? Show me by tagging me on Instagram @SabrinaOhSabrina Want to keep in touch? Follow my daily adventures and escapades on Instagram! 0 lovely comments ✿
There are days where I like to play tourist in KL. After all, I've only been here for 3 years. I'm confident there a nooks and crannies of the city that I've yet to experience. The most important thing to me when I'm out to explore is that I'm comfortable. But usually, being comfortable means i'm in sweat pants and PJ's. My goal for this outfit that was
So here is what I wore! Black crop top by Forever 21 (Rm19.90) They don't sell this top anymore tho. I went back to Forever 21 a week go to get the same top in a different colour to no avail :( Floral Printed High Waisted Shorts by H&M (RM 39.90) I actually got this in Jakarta but I saw it on sale in the H&M in One Utama last month. I love these pair of shorts because it has two big pockets , has fashionable print and it so comfortable. The only thing I don't like about it is the elastic waist band at the back - makes my butt look so unflattering!
Blue School Bag from Padini (RM 109 )
If I could, I would have gotten a Hershel bag pack instead, but I got a cash voucher for Padini so since I was finding for a bag pack anyway I just got this.
I'm not too happy with the quality so far though. I've only been using it for about 2 weeks and the brown leather on the sides are already pealing. #NotImpressed
Huarache Sneakers from Nike ( Price NA) This was a birthday present and of the best ones ever. It's super comfortable and very airy as well. Only peeve is the white sole gets dirty really easily. Now if you're like me and you like fashion but only at a good Off The Rack (www.offtherack.my), the latest fashion discovery website, has recently launched a new function on their website called Sale Alerts! Ever saw something you really like online but got disappointed at the price? The Sale Alert function provided by Off The Rack function enables you to monitor you favourite items from popular online stores like Zalora, Asos, Reebonz and Poplook and be notified for free whenever the price of that item goes on sale or if the price drops. Off The Rack carries over 100, 000 updated products from online shops in Malaysia, Singapore (soon) and UK. Click here to go to the Off The Rack website Click here to be directed to the Off The Rack Instagram page And here to be brought to the Off The Rack Facebook page. Thanks for reading! And let me know if you're enjoying my OOTD series! Till next time! Want to keep in touch? Follow my daily adventures and escapades on Instagram! Labels: adverts, shopping, whatiwore 0 lovely comments ✿ |