Fine Dining in Tokyo: China Blue at Conrad Tokyo

September 22, 2017 by joostay

First-class Chinese cuisine – with first-class views to match Last Friday night, after an intense week of work, Naoko and I headed off to Conrad Tokyo, a five-star hotel located in the ultra-modern Shiodome district of the city. Part of the Hilton Group, the hotel’s signature Chinese restaurant, ‘China Blue’, has won numerous awards, with the restaurant interior looking every bit as enticing as the food. 26 floors up, the hotel’s ambience is calm and inviting. Tall ceilings and soft […]

Categories: Luxury Stays, Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, city, design, five star, food, Hilton, hotels, interior design, japan, japanese, justin egli, luxury, photography, review, tokyo, Travel blogger, travel writing

THREE DAYS OF FUN IN TOKYO TOWN

September 20, 2017 by joostay

Last weekend was seriously one of the best weekends I have had in years. There is a fine line being a travel blogger – I obviously want to write informative posts about places, but sometimes I like the fact that this site is simply a diary for myself,  and something I can look back on in years to come. And so this post isn’t really about anything, and yet it’s about everything. This is what my three-day weekend looked like […]

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: art, asia, blog, blogger, design, Diary, food, japan, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel writer, Weekend

Drinking Matcha in a Bamboo Forest: Hokokuji Temple, Kamakura

September 19, 2017 by joostay

1,998… 1,999… Lost in a sea of 2,000 bamboo.

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: blogging, buddhism, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, Kamakura, life, photography, photos, religion, Shonan, travel, travel writer, travel writing, Zen

Taiko at Hachimangu Shrine, Tokyo

September 10, 2017 by joostay

A few weeks back I was out at the Fukagawa Hachiman Festival in Koto-ku, east Tokyo. I wrote a bit about the insane water battle here, but before tens of thousands took to the streets I was able to watch a traditional taiko performance in somewhat calmer surroundings. I always enjoy watching Japanese drumming: it has a hypnotic effect – not only through the sound and rhythm, but also visually, the way the drums are struck. Standing there watching the taiko […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, drumming, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, taiko, traditional, travel writing

Reflections from Tohoku, Japan

September 3, 2017 by joostay

A region rebuilding, six years later.

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, beauty, design, earthquake, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, Miyagi, photography, regeneration, Scenic, Tohoku, travel, travel blogging, travel writer, travel writing, tsunami

Fine Dining in Tokyo: The Restaurant by Aman

August 25, 2017 by joostay

A trip to Italy, via the Tokyo skyline

Categories: Luxury Stays, Tokyo Days • Tags: 5 star, cuisine, five star, food, food photography, japan, japanese, justin egli, luxury, photography, restaurant, tokyo, Travel blogger, travel writer

Tokyo’s BIGGEST water fight: Fukagawa Hachiman Festival

August 18, 2017 by joostay

A water purification festival on a truly epic scale

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blogging, colour, design, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, story, summer, travel, Travel blogger, travel writing, writing

Hachioji Matsuri 2017

August 12, 2017 by joostay

What I was up to last weekend – and the next few to come…

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: art, asia, blog, blogging, buddhism, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, life, music, photography, photos, religion, traditional, Travel blogger, travel writer, video, writing

Kool Kids & Kakigori

August 6, 2017 by joostay

Staying ice cool from the summer heat…

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blogger, design, dessert, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, kakigori, photography, tokyo, Travel blogger, travel writer

14年

August 2, 2017 by joostay

It’s my Japanniversary

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: happy, japan, tokyo

A walk around: Tateishi, Tokyo (Part 1)

July 31, 2017 by joostay

The remains of Old Tokyo – but how long can they remain?

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, beauty, blogging, design, environment, japan, justin egli, life, mono no aware, photography, photos, space, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban, wabi-sabi, work, Zen

IKIMASHO! x DAZED: TOKYO’S CAT TEMPLE

July 23, 2017 by joostay

“Gotokuji is an area of the city obsessed with all things feline and many believe its temple to be the birthplace of ‘maneki-neko’ – the cats you’ve seen with one paw held high” I have a new article out in DAZED, exploring the area of Gotokuji in West Tokyo. Gotokuji is a quiet collection of backstreets, bakeries, and flower shops with people going about their daily life. It’s not unlike hundreds of other small stations in Tokyo – apart from one […]

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: animals, blog, blogging, cats, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, photos, se asia, temple, tokyo, traditional, travel, Travel blogger, travel writer

Fine Dining in Tokyo: Andaz Tavern, Toramonon Hills

July 20, 2017 by joostay

High-end cuisine, high up in the city.

Categories: Luxury Stays, Tokyo Days • Tags: 5 star, ANDAZ, asia, boutique, cuisine, five star, food, hyatt, ikimasho, japan, justin egli, luxury, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer

Kappabashi Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri: Old Tokyo’s “Star Festival”

July 13, 2017 by joostay

An ancient cosmic celebration on the streets of Tokyo

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: aphex twin, asia, colour, design, festival, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo, Travel blogger, video

A walk around: Akabane, Tokyo

July 5, 2017 by joostay

AKABANE / 赤羽 Last Friday I found myself out drinking in Koenji, an area not too far from Shinjuku that – like my own ‘hood of Shimokitazawa – is famous for its thrift stores and retro vibes. I go there once a year for the Awa Odori, but apart from that I honestly don’t really venture out that direction – despite it only being a short train ride from where I live.  (Last year I think I visited three times in total.) […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: alleyways, asia, design, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, street, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban

Six countries where you have to try the street food

July 4, 2017 by joostay

You might be surprised by just how much food you’ll eat when travelling that comes from a street vendor. Some of the best dishes you’ll come across are commonly consumed as street food – here are six countries where you should try it for yourself. India You’ll be hard done by trying to avoid the temptation of vendors in India that cook up the most pleasingly fragrant and rich dishes the country has to offer. Don’t hesitate to tuck into […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan

THIS IS TOKYO

June 29, 2017 by joostay

IKIMASHO! on Facebook

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, food, japan, justin egli, photography, street, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban

Tsuyu / 梅雨

June 21, 2017 by joostay

So rainy season (tsuyu/梅雨) has finally arrived, drowning Tokyo in a thick veil of humidity and raindrops that will last until mid-July. Yet for now, the rain has stopped: the only sound outside being the distant call of a tofu-seller wheeling his cart through the streets. As I sit here sipping on a mug of yuzu-cha/ゆず茶 (citrus tea made by mixing boiling water with marmalade) I realise that after five years of living in Japan, it is the little things […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, ikimasho, japan, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer

Chigo-gyoretsu at Hie Shrine, Tokyo

June 13, 2017 by joostay

A colourful children’s procession with wishes for happiness and health

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, ceremony, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, shrine, temple, tokyo, travel, travel writer

Farewell Spring. Hello Summer.

June 8, 2017 by joostay

❤ A little photo essay of some wanderings from the last month or so here in Tokyo ❤ IKIMASHO on Facebook      

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, se asia, tokyo, travel, travel writer

A walk around Jindaiji Temple, Chofu, Tokyo

May 31, 2017 by joostay

Peaceful tranquility at one of Tokyo’s oldest temples Even after five years, Tokyo still manages to surprise me ~ providing all sorts of new places to discover and enjoy. Last weekend my girlfriend and I took a trip out to Jindaiji Temple and its neighbouring Botanical Gardens in Chofu, a place we had never been to before. The second oldest temple in the metropolis, Jindaiji features quaint cobbled streets, leafy riverbanks and hushed surroundings. Indeed, it feels more like a small township in Kyoto rather than downtown Tokyo. Jindaiji is especially […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, beauty, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, nature, photography, tokyo, travel writer, Zen

IKIMASHO! x DAZED: The spirit-chasing, cross-dressing men of outer Tokyo

May 29, 2017 by joostay

A report from Ikazuchi no Daihannya, a weird and wonderful ‘matsuri’ that takes place annually to ward off ancient ghosts

Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Tokyo Days • Tags: blogging, buddhism, design, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, photos, random, religion, travel, travel writing, writing

Welcome to my crappy Vietnamese gym

May 25, 2017 by joostay

Working out how to do some working out in Saigon

Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, backpacking, fitness, gym, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, Local Gym in Ho Chi Minh City, photography, Saigon, se asia, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban, vietnam

IKIMASHO! x ACCLAIM: THE BLADE RUNNER YATAIS OF FUKUOKA

May 21, 2017 by joostay

Postcards: Justin Egli photographs Fukuoka City

Categories: Art: stuff I've drawn, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, design, food, fukuoka, japan, japanese, justin egli, kyushu, photography, photos, street, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban

Le Méridien Saigon, Vietnam

May 17, 2017 by joostay

Modern escapism in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City

Categories: Luxury Stays, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: aesthetic, design, five star, food, Ho Chi MInh, hotel, japan, justin egli, luxury, photography, Saigon, tokyo, travel writer

In Pictures: Tran Hung Dao Alleyways, Saigon, Vietnam

May 11, 2017 by joostay

Right now I’m back in Tokyo after a week in Saigon. I didn’t visit one tourist attraction while I was there, instead choosing to spend my time as I usually do, wandering the backstreets and eating local food. I quickly found out that the most interesting daily life happens deep in the concentrated network of alleyways that exist away from the main tourist centre. By zooming in on Google Maps, you can clearly see areas in Ho Chi Minh where […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: architecture, city, daily life, design, food, Ho Chi MInh, justin egli, photography, Saigon, se asia, travel, travel writer, urban, vietnam

Happiness at Mitau, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

May 4, 2017 by joostay

Noodles, tea, and a song. All served by the nicest person you’ll ever meet.

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, HCMC, ho chi minh city, justin egli, Saigon, se asia, travel, vietnam

Beauty Coffee House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

May 2, 2017 by joostay

A cute cafe on the top floor of an abandoned apartment building in Saigon where they serve amazing drinks from skull pint glasses.

Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, Cafe culture, coffee, culture, design, food, ho chi minh city, justin egli, photography, Saigon, se asia, street, travel writer, urban

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM!

April 30, 2017 by joostay

6am – 8am: SAIGON / SÀI GÒN

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: architecture, asia, design, food, ho chi minh city, justin egli, photography, Saigon, se asia, travel, Travel Photography, urban, vietnam

NRT > SGN

April 29, 2017 by joostay

Right now I’m sitting in a coffee shop at Terminal 2 in Narita Airport listening to a super cheesy sax solo playing over the radio. I have a few hours to kill before a flight to Ho Chi Minh, where I will be hanging out until Friday. Next week is Golden Week in Japan –  a string of National holidays giving people five days off this year. Looking back over my blog from the last few months, I’m aware that I’m not posting as often […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: blog, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, se asia, travel, travel writer

Ikazuchi no Daihannya Matsuri, Tokyo

April 23, 2017 by joostay

Chasing away evil spirits with cross-dressing men in the Tokyo suburbs

Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, Kimono, matsuri, photography, temple, Textile, tokyo, travel, travel writing

N.S. Harsha: Charming Journey / Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

April 16, 2017 by joostay

A trip through the cosmos – via Southern India

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: art, design, Gallery, india, japan, justin egli, mori art museum, review

REFLECTIONS ON NAKASU / Fukuoka City

April 9, 2017 by joostay

Nakasu (中洲) is the red-light district which exists between the neon-lit sandbank of the Naka River (那珂川) and the Hakata River (博多川) in Fukuoka City

Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: aesthetic, asia, design, fukuoka, japan, justin egli, neon, photography, travel, urban

A walk around: Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture

April 5, 2017 by joostay

Welcome to Dazaifu (太宰府市), a small, quiet city on the outskirts of Fukuoka in southern Japan.

Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, Dazaifu, food, fukuoka, japan, japanese, justin egli, kyushu, nature, photography, shinto, travel, Zen

Sanctuary in the City: Agora Fukuoka Hilltop Hotel & Spa, Fukuoka, Japan

April 1, 2017 by joostay

A peaceful retreat in one of Japan’s most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities

Categories: Luxury Stays, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: Agora Hotsel & Spa, architecture, asia, design, food, food photography, fukuoka, hotel, interior design, japan, justin egli, photography, resort, travel, travel writer

Full Circle

March 23, 2017 by joostay

And so life goes full circle… In 2003 I touched down in Japan for the first time, living in this apartment block in Fukuoka city. Last weekend I went back to visit – a whopping 13 years later. I hadn’t been back during that time at all, but thankfully everything is exactly how I remember it, right down to my old post box, and the sign for the supermarket. It was such a strange feeling, and I experienced the ultimate sensation […]

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, fukuoka, japan, journey, justin egli, life, tokyo, travel, travel writer, Zen

IKIMASHO! TOKYO TO FUKUOKA BY SHINKANSEN

March 22, 2017 by joostay

1,000km. Five hours. One bento. Taking the bullet train as an alternative to flying.

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, countryside, design, fukuoka, hakata, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, mount fuji, photography, tokyo, tourism, train travel, writing

Riding the Enoden: Enoshima Electric Railway

March 12, 2017 by joostay

From Fujisawa to Kamakura – with temples and ocean in between

Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, design, Enoshima, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, kanagawa, nature, ocean, photography, sea, tokyo, train travel, trains, views, writing

Fried Bananas in Bali

March 8, 2017 by joostay

Quite often when you travel a lot – and particularly when you are a travel writer – so many little moments can get lost; photos relegated to the the depths of memory cards, overlooked in favour of bigger articles that are being written at the time. As a perfect example, I was freeing up some space on a card the other day when I came across a group of photos I hadn’t looked at since the day they were taken. Cycling […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, asian, backpacking, bali, blog, food, indonesia, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, sanur, se asia, travel, travel writer, travel writing, writing

Setagaya Plum Blossom Festival 2017

March 4, 2017 by joostay

Each year between mid-February and early March the Setagaya Plum Blossom Festival (Setagaya Ume Matsuri) takes place at Hanegi Park in Umegaoka. It’s a small park, with small neighbourhood vibes to match: the festival mainly attracting local people who live in the surrounding area. I live two stops from Umegaoka, and so last weekend I decided to check out a good sushi place then met some mates to hang out at the matsuri. Cute local festivals like this are what living in the […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, Flowers, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, nature, photography, tokyo, travel, urban, Zen

Lunch at Sushi no Midori, Umegaoka

February 27, 2017 by joostay

High-end sushi without the high-end price tag

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, sushi, tokyo, travel, travel writer

TOKYO CITY VIEW

February 23, 2017 by joostay

Last weekend I was out at the Mori Art Museum reviewing the new NS Harsha retrospective for Tokyo Art Beat. I’ll hopefully get that article written and published later next week. I’ve always been a big fan of the Mori: it’s a space that never fails to enhance the exhibitions it hosts, not any easy task considering its size. What also makes the Mori special is that admission to the museum also grants you entrance to Tokyo City View on the 52nd floor. Offering 360-degree […]

Categories: Tokyo Days, Uncategorized • Tags: art, city, culture, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, megacity, mori art museum, NS Harsha, photography, tokyo

Spring Update 2017 / IKIMASHO!

February 19, 2017 by joostay

When I first started this blog in March 2012, it was more a collection of daily photos – a diary for myself more than anything – of all the new things I was seeing and doing in Tokyo. As the years went on, these daily things of course became (somewhat) normal to me and so IKIMASHO! matured (is that the right word?) into a site with more specific articles about traditional festivals, certain neighbourhoods in the city and other stuff […]

Categories: Kindergarten Life, Tokyo Days • Tags: design, japan, justin egli, living in japan, photography, Teaching in Japan, tokyo, travel, travel writer, writing

A walk around: Tsukishima, Tokyo

February 15, 2017 by joostay

TSUKISHIMA / 月島 Last Saturday I had a wander about Tsukishima – a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, just across the channel from Tsukiji fish market (which I still haven’t been to despite living here five years…) Tsukishima was created over 100 years ago using earth that was dredged from the bay during the construction of a shipping channel. It’s an area rarely featured in guidebooks, although among Japanese people it’s probably best known as  a mecca for monjayaki – a kind of runny pancake with different ingredients, […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: area guide, asia, asian, blog, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, nature, neighbourhood, old japan, old tokyo, photography, shrines, street, temples, tokyo, urban

Dumplings by the thousands at Kameido Gyoza

February 11, 2017 by joostay

“From China, a thousand years ago: tasty history!”

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, china, chinese food, cooking, design, food, food photography, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, restaurant, travel

Lemon Ramen at Rinsuzu Shokudo, Ojima

February 5, 2017 by joostay

An unusual bowl in one of Tokyo’s lesser-known neighbourhoods

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: design, eating, food, food photography, ikimasho, interior design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo

Setsubun at a Japanese Kindergarten

February 3, 2017 by joostay

Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! / Demons out! Luck in!

Categories: Kindergarten Life • Tags: 2017, asia, blog, educatin, festival, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, school, setsubun, teaching english, tradition, traditional, travel, writing

A walk around: Kagurazaka, Tokyo

January 26, 2017 by joostay

KAGURAZAKA / 神楽坂 Despite being cold, the winter months in Tokyo are often the best time of year to enjoy clear blue skies and sunshine. And so, with the sun on my back, I recently headed down to Kagurazaka for the afternoon – a neighbourhood in Tokyo not too far from Iidabashi station. (There’s a great cafe down by the canal there by the way, check it out.) Kagurazaka is perhaps most famous for its picturesque cobblestone streets, cute French restaurants […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, buddhism, design, food, graphics, ikimasho, japanese, justin egli, photography, street photography, streets, travel, urban, Zen

IKIMASHO! x DAZED: CHICANO IN JAPAN

January 21, 2017 by joostay

Lifting the lid on Japan’s underground Chicano culture

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: chicano, cholo, culture, jacob hodgkinson, mexico, photography, street, underground, urban, video

Setagaya Boroichi 2017

January 18, 2017 by joostay

Last Sunday – with the cold visible on my breath – I made a short trip on the dainty Setagaya train line visit to the Setagaya Boroichi Fair. Started over 400 years ago, this huge flea market is now designated as one of Tokyo’s intangible folk cultural assets and features about 700 venders selling all sorts of food, junk, toys and antiques. There was a marching band with students playing the tuba, and everyone was in good spirits. I also tried […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, boroichi, daily life, design, fair, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, local life, photography, setagaya, tokyo, town, travel