What is visiting Tokyo really like?
by joostay
IKIMASHO | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, festivals, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, summer, sun, tokyo, travel, travel tips, travel writer
Tag: design
A Summer Saturday at Ikuta Ryokuchi Park / 生田緑地で夏を楽しむ
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, japan, japanese, nature, photography, summer, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, Zen
A walk around: Mizonokuchi, Kawasaki
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, kawasaki, photography, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing
Todoroki Valley: Tokyo’s Backyard / 等々力渓谷東京の庭
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, setagaya, Todoroki Valley, tokyo, travel writer
It’s been a while, Asakusa / 久しぶりに浅草を冒険
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, colour, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel writing
A walk around: Monzen Nakacho, Tokyo
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, old, photography, street, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban
Karasumori Inari Shrine Grand Festival 2018
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: asia, blog, design, festivals, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, summer, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, travelling, Zen
Sayonara Sakura. A Spring Trip to Enoshima. さよなら桜
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, ikimasho, japan, peace, photography, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, Zen
Oiran Dochu Procession 2018, Yoshiwara, Tokyo
by joostay
A return to the red-light district of the old Edo era | IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: asia, design, festival, japan, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writing
My Secret Place / 私の秘密の場所
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, blog, design, escape, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, quiet, tokyo, travel writer, travel writing, Zen
Fine Dining in Tokyo: The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Luxury Stays, Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, five star, food, food photography, Food Writing, hotel, Hotel Review, interior design, japan, japanese, justin egli, luxury, photography, se asia, tokyo, travel
A walk around: Sugamo, Tokyo
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, old tokyo, photography, Shitamachi, street, street photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban, Urban Development
Delusions of Grandeur
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, daily life, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, street photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer
Welcoming Spring at Sankeien Garden, Yokohama / 横浜の三溪園で春を迎える
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: beauty, city, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, lifestyle, nature, photography, temple, tokyo, travel writer, urban, yokohama, Zen
Temples, Trains & Trees: Station Hopping on the Oimachi Line
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, design, interior design, japan, japanese, justin egli, local life, Oimachi Line, photography, temples, tokyo, trains, travel, travel writer
A walk around: Shoin Jinja-mae, Tokyo
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, colour, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, neighbourhood, photography, rural, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban
The Wooden Train / 木製の電車
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, daily life, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, 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: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, lighting, photography, snow, tokyo, travel, travel writing, winter
Winter Sun in Shinjuku Gyoen / 新宿御苑での冬の太陽
by joostay
IKIMASHO! | Daily life in Tokyo, Japan
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, Clothes, design, fashion, ikimasho, japan, japanese, Kimono, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writing
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: Tokyo Days • Tags: area guide, asia, blog, design, food, foodie, ikimasho, japan, japanese, japanese food, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel writer, writing
Titanic Belfast: Northern Ireland
by joostay
From Belfast to the world: Visiting Europe’s leading tourist attraction
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: belfast, design, northern ireland, photography, Titanic, travel writing
Christmas in Northern Ireland
by joostay
Right now I’m back in Tokyo after spending two full weeks visiting home in Northern Ireland. As well as being able to enjoy quality time with my family and friends, I was reminded of just how untouched and beautiful some parts of my country really is. There’s a simplistic beauty about our villages and coastlines, and I’m happy I could spend Christmas there with the people I love. ☘️ ❤ Follow IKIMASHO! on Facebook ❤
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: bangor, design, food, ireland, irish, justin egli, northern ireland, photography, Scenery, travel, travel writer
The Sounds of the Streets / 沈黙の響き
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: art, blog, design, environment, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, life, photography, photos, travel, travel writing, writing
As Winter Approaches / 冬の始まり
by joostay
Daily life in Tokyo, Japan.
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer
Return to Todoroki Valley / 等々力渓谷に戻る
by joostay
Forest bathing in the koyo autumn colours
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, autumn, blog, design, fall, Fall Colours, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo, travel, travel writer
Wes Anderson’s Ramen Shop / ウェス・アンダーソンのラーメン屋
by joostay
Noodle Nostalgia. Hazy-hued vibes in a shop that time forgot…
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, Colours, design, film, food, interior design, japan, japanese, photography, ramen, tokyo, travel, travel writer, Wes Anderson
Yabo Tenman-gu Grand Festival 2017
by joostay
Spinning around in suburban west Tokyo
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Bizarre/Unique, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: asia, buddhism, design, japan, justin egli, matsuri, photo essay, photography, shinto, shrine, temple, tokyo, travel, travel writer
A walk around: Yaho, Tokyo
by joostay
YAHO / 谷保
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, blogging, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, suburbia, tokyo, travel, travel writer
Fine Dining in Tokyo: China Blue at Conrad Tokyo
by joostay
First-class Chinese cuisine – with first-class views to match
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
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
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
Reflections from Tohoku, Japan
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
Tokyo’s BIGGEST water fight: Fukagawa Hachiman Festival
by joostay
A water purification festival on a truly epic scale
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: asia, blogging, colour, design, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, story, summer, travel, Travel blogger, travel writing, writing
Hachioji Matsuri 2017
by joostay
What I was up to last weekend – and the next few to come…
Categories: Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • 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
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
A walk around: Tateishi, Tokyo
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
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
Kappabashi Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri: Old Tokyo’s “Star Festival”
by joostay
An ancient cosmic celebration on the streets of Tokyo
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: aphex twin, asia, colour, design, festival, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, tokyo, Travel blogger, video
A walk around: Akabane, Tokyo
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
THIS IS TOKYO
by joostay
IKIMASHO! on Facebook
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, design, food, japan, justin egli, photography, street, tokyo, travel, travel writer, urban
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: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, 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 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
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, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • Tags: blogging, buddhism, design, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, photos, random, religion, travel, travel writing, writing
IKIMASHO! x ACCLAIM: THE BLADE RUNNER YATAIS OF FUKUOKA
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
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
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
Beauty Coffee House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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!
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
Ikazuchi no Daihannya Matsuri, Tokyo
by joostay
Chasing away evil spirits with cross-dressing men in the Tokyo suburbs
Categories: Bizarre/Unique, Tokyo Days, Traditional Festivals & Matsuris • 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
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
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
Sanctuary in the City: Agora Fukuoka Hilltop Hotel & Spa, Fukuoka, Japan
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
IKIMASHO! TOKYO TO FUKUOKA BY SHINKANSEN
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
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
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: 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
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
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!
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
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
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
