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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
by joostay
IKIMASHO! on Facebook
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: aesthetic, amazing, asia, blog, city, design, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, megacity, photography, shinjuku, street, tokyo, travel, travelling, urban, visit japan
by joostay
Dropkick Murphys talk to IKIMASHO! about playing Japan, Asia & beyond…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, YOUTUBE SESSIONS • Tags: asia, belfast, blog, china, Dropkick Murphys, fukuoka, ireland, japan, japanese, justin egli, music, northern ireland, photography, punk, runnin riot, se asia, tokyo, travel
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, justin egli, kircubbin, Lisbane, nature, northern ireland, photography, religion, sea, strangford lough, tokyo, writing
by joostay
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED IKIMASHO! IN 2016!
Categories: Tokyo Days, Travel: Inside Japan, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, festivals, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, living in asia, living in japan, living in tokyo, photography, se asia, tokyo
by joostay
A sunny walk through my neighbourhood in Tokyo
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, eating, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, photography, ramen, shimokitazawa, sun, tokyo, travel, walking
by joostay
Stumbling across a traditional rite of passage for young children way out in the ‘burbs
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, blog, culture, design, fashion, festival, Hachioji, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, shinto, tokyo, travel
by joostay
Because what else would you be doing on a Saturday morning?
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Bizarre/Unique, Tokyo Days • Tags: abba, abban, asia, bizarre, blog, culture, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, kawasaki, music, photography, tokyo, travel, weird
by joostay
Another shop ticked off Japan’s Top 50 list
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: awards, blog, cuisine, design, En, food, Hachioji, ikimasho, japan, japanese, japanese food, justin egli, photography, ramen, tokyo
by joostay
A millennium-old Japanese dance on the grounds of Sensoji Temple, Tokyo.
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: asakusa, asia, blog, culture, dance, dancing, design, fashion, festival, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, se asia, sensoji, shirasagi-no mai, tokyo, traditional, travel, white heron dance
by joostay
Those of us who work in Japan are lucky enough to get one or two national holidays a month. Health and Sports Day – also simply known Sports Day – is one such day held annually on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle. To coincide with the national holiday, many traditional sporting events take place throughout the city. And so a few weeks […]
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: archery, asia, design, fabric, fashion, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, se asia, sports, tokyo, travel
by joostay
Another bizarre afternoon down in Kanagawa…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Bizarre/Unique, Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, city, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, kanagawa, kawasaki, photography, se asia, street, tokyo, travel, urban, wrestlers, wrestling
by joostay
Step off the train and step back in time with a walk around old Japan
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: architecture, asia, blog, buildings, culture, edo, fuji, history, japan, japanese, mount fuji, nature, photography, planning, se asia, stories, tokyo, travel, urban, writing
by joostay
Why you should visit the world’s largest island nation
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, asian, bali, blog, design, indonesia, japan, japanese, java, justin egli, photography, se asia, sumatra, tokyo, travel, travel guide, writing
by joostay
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Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, kichijoji, photography, se asia, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel, urban, west tokyo
by joostay
A nostalgia trip with SNES consoles stacked to the ceiling
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, consoles, culture, games, gaming, genesis, japan, japanese, megadrive, nintendo, photography, playstation, sega, snes, tokyo, travel, urban
by joostay
When the spirits of mountains and forests roam the streets of Tokyo The summer matsuri season may have died down but there are still plenty of smaller cultural festivals happening all over Tokyo each weekend for those curious enough look that little bit further. For me, visiting these festivals is an integral part of living here: for as well as helping me understand more about Japan, they also satisfy my need to ‘travel’ in that I am constantly seeing something new and fresh for […]
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: akasaka, asia, blog, blogger, festival, hikawa, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, se asia, tokyo, travel, video
by joostay
Getting lost in the sound of the Japanese summer Last weekend I took a stroll around Inokashira Koen, a park 10 minutes by train from my house. If I ever decide to move away from Shimokitazawa, it will be to here – in and around Kichijoji. Just west of Tokyo, this area is close enough to the central wards to be convenient but far enough away to have a sleepy, bohemian atmosphere. Then again, being only ten minutes away, I guess I can […]
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: blog, buddhism, design, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, setagaya, suganami, tokyo, travel, Zen
by joostay
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: culture, design, festival, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel
