From Tokyo with Love: May 2022
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel
Tag: blog
From Tokyo with Love: April 2022
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, photography, tokyo, travel
From Tokyo with Love: March 2022
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo
From Tokyo with Love: January & February 2022
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, photography, tokyo, travel
Fine Dining in Tokyo: Simplicité (1 Michelin Star)
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Luxury Travel • Tags: asia, blog, fine dining, food, ikimasho, japan, photography, tokyo, travel
Reflections on getting my Permanent Residency
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel
From Tokyo with Love: December 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, photography, tokyo
From Tokyo with Love: September 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel
IKIMASHO Luxury Stays: Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Luxury Travel • Tags: asia, blog, design, hotels, ikimasho, japan, japanese, Luxury Travel, photography, travel
From Tokyo with Love: Summer 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel
From Tokyo with Love: June 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel
From Tokyo with Love: April 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, japan, lifestyle, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writing
From Tokyo with Love: January 2021
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, japan, japanese, lifestyle, photography, tokyo, travel
From Tokyo with Love: August 2020
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: blog, design, food, japan, japanese, photography, travel, travel writer, travel writing
From Tokyo with Love: April 2020
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: art, blog, blogging, environment, japan, life, lifestyle, photography, travel, travel writing
Goodbye 2019. Hello 2020. / さよなら2019、こんにちは2020
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: blog, japan, japanese, travel, travel writer
From Tokyo with Love: November 2019
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan / IKIMASHO
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: blog, blogging, buddhism, design, environment, japan, lifestyle, photos, travel, travel writer
From Tokyo with love / 東京より愛をこめて
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, festivals, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, Travel blogger, travel writer
A walk around: Kojiya, Tokyo
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: architecture, asia, blog, design, interior design, japan, japanese, photography, street photography, tokyo, Travel blogger, travel writer
All is quiet in the streets / 長閑の道を進む
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, blogging, design, environment, japan, japanese, life, lifestyle, photo essay, photography, photos, space, street culture, tokyo, travel, travel blogging, travel writer, writing
Why I love living in Japan / 日本生活が大好きな理由
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: art, blog, blogging, design, environment, fun, geek, ikimasho, japan, japanese, life, lifestyle, photography, photos, random, tokyo, travel, travel blogging, travel writer, writing
AN ALTERNATIVE GUIDE TO TOKYO: 10 PLACES TO EXPERIENCE LOCAL LIFE
by joostay
Because there’s so much more to this city than Shibuya, Shinjuku and Akihabara.
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: architecture, asia, blog, design, japan, japanese, photography, streets, tokyo, travel, travel guide, travel writer, travel writing, writing
As Christmas approaches / クリスマスを楽しみにしています
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, blogger, christmas, design, interior design, japan, japanese, lifestyle, New Year, travel, travel writer
Adventures in Aomori / Part 3: Among Nature
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: blog, blogging, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, road trip, tokyo, travel, travel writer, travel writing
Adventures in Aomori / Part 2: An Unexpected Party
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, blogger, design, family, food, japan, japanese, photography, travel, travel writer
Adventures in Aomori / Part 1: Heading North
by joostay
Part 1: Heading North | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: aomori, asia, blog, blogger, blogging, design, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer, travel writing
IKIMASHO Luxury Stays: Melia Danang, Vietnam
by joostay
Two days of gloriously doing nothing by the East Vietnam Sea / 南シナ海での贅沢な二日間
Categories: Luxury Travel, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, blogger, blogging, Danang, luxury, Luxury Travel, photography, resort, se asia, travel blogging, travel writer, travel writing, travelling, video, vietnam
As the rains fall / ざあざあ. . . ざあざあ. . .
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan | IKIMASHO!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, japan, photography, Reflection, tokyo, travel writer
Karasumori Inari Shrine Grand Festival
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Traditional Festivals • Tags: asia, blog, design, festivals, japan, japanese, matsuri, photography, summer, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, travelling, Zen
My Secret Place / 私の秘密の場所
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: architecture, asia, blog, design, escape, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, quiet, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, Zen
The Wooden Train / 木製の電車
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, daily life, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, short story, tokyo, travel, writing
As the snow fell / 雪が降った時
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, lighting, photography, snow, tokyo, travel, travel writing, winter
All About My Croquette, Shoin Jinja-mae
by joostay
A fun little restaurant in a cute little neighbourhood.
IKIMASHO! Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: area guide, asia, blog, design, food, foodie, ikimasho, japan, japanese, japanese food, photography, tokyo, travel writer, writing
The Sounds of the Streets / 沈黙の響き
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: art, blog, design, environment, ikimasho, japan, japanese, life, photography, photos, travel, travel writing, writing
Oyster Shucking in the Oshika Peninsula / 牡鹿半島でのカキ殻剥き
by joostay
Working with nature – and against it. Local life in coastal Japan.
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, coastal, food, japan, japanese, photography, rural, sea, travel, Travel blogger, travel writer
Return to Todoroki Valley / 等々力渓谷に戻る
by joostay
Forest bathing in the koyo autumn colours
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, autumn, blog, design, fall, Fall Colours, japan, japanese, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer
Autumn Colours at Akiu Great Falls, Miyagi / 宮城県の秋保大滝の紅葉
by joostay
My visit to Miyagi Prefecture last weekend coincided with koyo season – the changing of the leaves. Driving through the winding roads of Akiu Onsen, an area famous for its hot springs, we eventually found ourselves at Akiu Great Falls. This 55-metre high waterfall is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, and really did look like something from a fairytale. Reflections from Tohoku, Japan Moments in Miyagi / 宮城でのひと時 IKIMASHO! on Facebook
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, autumn, blog, Colours, ikimasho, japan, japanese, Miyagi, nature, photography, travel, travel writer
IKIMASHO! x DAZED: JAPAN’S GROTESQUE MASK PROCESSION
by joostay
David Lynch vibes at Menkake Gyoretsu: a traditional festival of men wearing ancient and grotesque masks in Kamakura, a coastal city to the south of Tokyo.
Categories: Traditional Festivals • Tags: asia, blog, festival, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, travel, travel writer
A walk around: Yaho, Tokyo
by joostay
YAHO / 谷保
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, blogging, design, japan, japanese, photography, suburbia, tokyo, travel, travel writer
THREE DAYS OF FUN IN TOKYO TOWN
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: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: art, asia, blog, blogger, design, Diary, food, japan, photography, tokyo, travel writer, Weekend
Hachioji Matsuri
by joostay
What I was up to last weekend – and the next few to come…
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Traditional Festivals • Tags: art, asia, blog, blogging, buddhism, design, japan, japanese, life, music, photography, photos, religion, traditional, Travel blogger, travel writer, video, writing
IKIMASHO! x DAZED: TOKYO’S CAT TEMPLE
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 • Tags: animals, blog, blogging, cats, design, japan, japanese, photography, photos, se asia, temple, tokyo, traditional, travel, Travel blogger, travel writer
Farewell Spring. Hello Summer.
by joostay
❤ A little photo essay of some wanderings from the last month or so here in Tokyo ❤ IKIMASHO on Facebook
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, japan, japanese, photography, se asia, tokyo, travel, travel writer
A walk around Jindaiji Temple, Chofu, Tokyo
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 Miss IKIMASHO 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: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, beauty, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, nature, photography, tokyo, travel writer, Zen
Happiness at Mitau, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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, Saigon, se asia, travel, vietnam
NRT > SGN
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: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: blog, japan, japanese, photography, se asia, travel, travel writer
IKIMASHO! TOKYO TO FUKUOKA BY SHINKANSEN
by joostay
1,000km. Five hours. One bento. Taking the bullet train as an alternative to flying.
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, countryside, design, fukuoka, hakata, ikimasho, japan, japanese, mount fuji, photography, tokyo, tourism, train travel, writing
Riding the Enoden: Enoshima Electric Railway
by joostay
From Fujisawa to Kamakura – with temples and ocean in between
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, design, Enoshima, ikimasho, japan, japanese, kanagawa, nature, ocean, photography, sea, tokyo, train travel, trains, views, writing
Fried Bananas in Bali
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, photography, sanur, se asia, travel, travel writer, travel writing, writing
Setagaya Plum Blossom Festival 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: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, Flowers, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, nature, photography, tokyo, travel, urban, Zen
Lunch at Sushi no Midori, Umegaoka
by joostay
High-end sushi without the high-end price tag
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, sushi, tokyo, travel, travel writer
A walk around: Tsukishima, Tokyo
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: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: area guide, asia, asian, blog, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, nature, neighbourhood, old japan, old tokyo, photography, shrines, street, temples, tokyo, urban
Dumplings by the thousands at Kameido Gyoza
by joostay
“From China, a thousand years ago: tasty history!”
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, china, chinese food, cooking, design, food, food photography, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, restaurant, travel
Setagaya Boroichi 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: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, blog, boroichi, daily life, design, fair, festival, japan, japanese, local life, photography, setagaya, tokyo, town, travel
THIS IS TOKYO // PORTRAIT OF A CITY
by joostay
IKIMASHO! on Facebook
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: aesthetic, amazing, asia, blog, city, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, megacity, photography, shinjuku, street, tokyo, travel, travelling, urban, visit japan
Strangford Lough & Saint Patrick’s Church, Lisbane, Northern Ireland
by joostay
What’s round the next corner? Starting the year as I mean to go on.
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: 2017, bangor, blog, church, county down, japan, japanese, kircubbin, Lisbane, nature, northern ireland, photography, religion, sea, strangford lough, tokyo, writing
IKIMASHO! 2017
by joostay
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED IKIMASHO! IN 2016!
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo, Travel: Inside Japan, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, festivals, ikimasho, japan, japanese, living in asia, living in japan, living in tokyo, photography, se asia, tokyo
Cave Hill, Belfast, Northern Ireland
by joostay
I’m back in Northern Ireland for a few weeks for the holidays. Today some of my old bandmates and I climbed up Cave Hill, overlooking Belfast. Cave Hill is thought to be the inspiration for Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, with Swift imagining that the Hill resembled the shape of a sleeping giant safeguarding the city.
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: belfast, blog, cave hill, green, ireland, japan, nature, northern ireland, outdoors, photography, travel
IKIMASHO! 