Japan Part 3 - Mochi and more!

Woke at 6:30 today, and didn't rush, as Starbucks doesn't open until 7am. I got the order right this morning!!! So proud!  A little stretch in the park, some outfit planning..... then meet up and an early start to Bunka, for a dyeing class. On arrival I saw these displays of accessories - they change frequently in the cabinets.

We had no idea what we were in for, but it did not disappoint! We were to do Katazome resist dyeing - using stencils made of special washi paper layered, glued together with fermented persimmon juice, and smoked. The stencil is then cut out and a layer of netting glued on to keep it all together. 

Rice paste/moshi paste is used to squeegee through the stencil, and left to dry, whilst the stencil is washed out - it is water resistant to some extent but can't take too much or will become floppy. There were some absolutely beautiful patterns for us to choose from!

After drying the paste, wetting the fabric, and putting it in 60 degree water ( the paste will melt off under 50 degrees but will harden over) Sensei prepared an artificial indigo dye and soaked and agitated the pieces in for 10 minutes to

oxygenate. Then we removed them from the bath and aired them to continue the oxidisation process, and watched the magic of them turning from yellow, through green, to blue. Magic! We were so lucky to have several assistants looking after us, and the wonderful Saskia interpreting for us.

Saskia and Sensei

Loved the wall of brushes!

The results! All gorgeous.

Our afternoon class was digital printing, where we used a photo we had taken here to print on the Shima Seiki ink-jet fabric printer. We joined a Japanese computer class, and used Photoshop in Japanese to create our image - a fair bit of guess work going on there! Their class room had a wonderful set up with a screen in between each student computer showing what the teacher was doing, who was talking through it on a microphone. The class wasn't overly large, but it was a wonderful way to learn and practice at the same time.

I managed to look at my blog translated into Japanese!

 Next stop was the printer, which was huge! The bags had cardboard inserts put in them, and were laid out on the print bed, then they were photo scanned by the machine, so it would know where to print. Our images were then positioned onto the bags via computer screen, and the printing began! After they were done, they went into the heat-set press with a layer of paper, then again without, and voila!!

After the obligatory class photo shoot, (they're doing our heads in, but we will appreciate having them!) Brodie and I headed off home for a wee revival, before catching the train on the Odayku line to Shimo-Kitazawa, which guide books described as a mini-Tokyo the way hippies would run it. On the money. Full of vintage and thrift shops, I was in my element - this was my Japan. Just like the thrift shopping day on the New York study tour, this was Svenja's day! 

Sushi socks, vintage dress, hairclips, shades, cat sushi key rings!

After an enjoyable stroll and quite a few purchases, it was back of to Shinjuku, and with our wallets full of 100 yen coins, it was time to go to the capsule vending machines (gashapon) to get my cat-sushi key rings - score - got two of my favourite omelette ones, and a tatami mat cat! We ticked off another box by finding mochi at the 7-11, and made our way back to the hotel via the oh-so-handy hotel shuttle. And so endeth Wednesday of the study tour!

Japan Part 2 - the coffee dilemma

Photo booth craziness!

Takeshita Street

Sunday dawned a little drizzly, but nothing comes between me and coffee! I headed down the street, and passed a bar which had some very happy people spilling out if it at 7am! I didn't do too badly with the coffee order, although I learned that you must nominate hot coffee, as they are big on iced coffee here. The group met and walked down to Bunka, where we were to meet the Japanese students who would be taking us out - Brodie and I ended up in a group with Brooke and Lydia, with Ami and Kim as our guides. We caught the train to Harajuku, and stepped out right onto Takeshita Street, which was super busy! There is a live video feed of visitors displayed beneath the sign, so everyone is playing with that!
The first stop was a bizarre photo booth place, which was just too much for me, so I made my apologies and went to sit outside to happily watch the passing parade. Poor Ami was worried I was not having fun, but I was more than happy to observe the street!

Ami in the shoe shop Out of the World!

Harajuku boots!

Kawaii!!

Stuffed cat at the restaurant

The wall outside the restaurant

 It was very busy, and it took us a while to make our way through, and having failed at a few shoe shops, I was ecstatic to find these boots! Mine! I grinned and giggled all the way to the next stop - okonimiyaki at a restaurant hidden behind a groovy scaffolding frontage. Ooishi! This was in the back streets, which were much quieter and picturesque, and we visited a more traditional shop which had kimonos and kanzashi - the beautiful traditional hair decorations.

After a stroll through the more luxurious district of Omotesando, and finding a street market of second hand clothes, we re-grouped, and some stayed in Harajuku, some went on, and some of us

went home for a break! After a shower, a beer from the vending machine and a laundry visit, we felt revived enough to accept Brooke and Jess's invitation to join them on a rooftop bar for dinner and drinks. Sadly, our phone map led us severely off course, and we were 45 minutes late for our 2 hour all you can eat and drink session!! Once there we had an enjoyable night, and caught the free shuttle bus back to New City Hotel and giggled our way to sleep!

We enjoyed a wee sleep in on Monday morning, and I ventured out for coffee for the two of us - despite improving on yesterday's communication efforts, this time I nearly ended up with 4 coffees! We headed to Bunka for what turned out to be quite a formal-looking welcome ceremony, although

New boots debut!

Display of student work - love the bag!

The view from Bunka

The whole garment knitting machine

Mannequins for sale in the campus shop

there was much laughter on both sides! Then it was time for a tour of the campus, which knocked our socks off! They have some really technical lab spaces for testing materials interacting with humans in different environments, whole knitting machines, where an entire seamless garment come out, an amazing textile resource, where you look up a particular fabric, and the room of files around you contracts and spits out the very sample, and a wonderful library. Then there is the amazing resource of past collections presented at Bunka, a fabric shop, a general shop, and a pop up shop.
Lunchtime, and we used our lunch tickets to either choose a hot meal or a pre-boxed one. Students then rinse the dishes before putting them in the 'moat' of dishwater for the staff to take care off, whilst other refuse is sorted into categories.
Our afternoon lecture from Professor Uchida was a general introduction to Japan, although I was slightly distracted by my legs not quite fitting under the table - the proportions here are just that little bit out! Next was a lecture from Professor Yanagido on Japanese business manners, which was very helpful and fun! After class Brodie and I headed into Shinjuku in search of cat sushi and other interesting things, although we returned home early with real sushi and interesting things! We visited the food hall in the department store, and were amazed to see boxes of live prawns, octopus tentacles and all kinds of seafood and shellfish.

Fake goatee, anyone?

What's all that about? Perhaps we should leave....

After our room picnic, I realised that I still had the wrong adaptor, and decided that I could not live without the computer another night, so we caught the bus back in to get one. I was so pleased to be stopped by a lovely Japanese lady on the way down the station stairs who told me my shoes were cute and my hair was beautiful! An hour later we were back home, to talk to both our Matts', and catch up on things. Now it is Tuesday morning, and although I practised and practised what to say, today I ended up with two coffees - one a horrible filter coffee one, and one the latte I had asked for - SO disappointed!! I enjoyed a walk through the park, did some exercises and stretches - no room in our room - , watched a large exercise group, and watched an old man running backwards for a while. This morning we have a basic Japanese lesson, where I hope to perfect my coffee request, then a visit to a knitting factory.

Japan 2016 Part 1

Ohayo Gozaimasu!! Our flight over was uneventful - just the way we like it - and we arrived in

Loved Mr Gold and White Adidas - sharp!

Tokyo just as the sun was setting. We were amazed to see so many fields below us, so close to such a large capital city! After being fingerprinted at immigration, we cleared customs and were met by a Bunka representative, who helped us buy our tickets for the bus to Shiunjuku, thank goodness! Our first taste of Japan - the staff bow as the bus arrives and departs!! After about an hour we hit Tokyo, passing many buildings with workers still there, and wound our way through on the expressway - quite a good introduction to the city! By the time we got to the hotel, just like in New York,  I was ready to call it a night, so settled in with a Berocca and a muesli bar whilst others ventured out for some noms. Tokyo could wait! And it did, dawning a beautiful sunny day. Up at 6:30 am, I headed off toward Shinjuku, eventually finding an International ATM and a Starbucks side by side. Yes! I enjoyed a walk around, and through the lovely park opposite our hotel. After meeting up with the group, we headed back into the park to check out the fleamarket, before heading down to be welcomed at Bunka. We went as a group to Piss Alley, full of little bars, where Bec and I ended up spending the afternoon, with a couple of Australian guys, a drunk Doctor, and a very drunk man! The Doctor had great English, so it was a really good chance to communicate,

'Piss Alley'

Yosuke, Chris, me and 'Old Mate'!

relax, and have some fun! He was so impressed that we had decided not to go into all the department stores, but to live a little local life! We all split, then Bec and I tried another bar, this time a few levels up, where it seemed to be a collection of different bars all operating side by side. We each chose a different drink, but they tasted the same - whisky and soda - a 'highball'. We raced back to

meet the others then proceeded to go back almost to where we were, where the group was enticed up to a restaurant four floors up. I enjoyed some grilled prawns - even eating the charcoaly shell with them as it added a nice flavour and crunch, and a lychee sour - lychee, soda and sake. After this I would have liked to go out, but it had been a long day, so after a wander around the bright lights, a call to Matt "I'm wandering around Tokyo at night by myself!!" just to freak him out, I returned and settled in, watching a little of what looked like a Japanese Home and Away. For once, I didn't mute the ads, as they were extremely entertaining! My roomate Brodie returned with many goodies, including this little gem from a vending machine- sushi cat!! WANT!