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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIS IS TOKYO // PORTRAIT OF A CITY

January 12, 2017 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

IKIMASHO! x DROPKICK MURPHYS

January 8, 2017 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

Strangford Lough & Saint Patrick’s Church, Lisbane, Northern Ireland

January 7, 2017 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

IKIMASHO! 2017

December 31, 2016 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

WALKING FOR RAMEN

December 5, 2016 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

Shichi-Go-San / Seven-Five-Three

December 2, 2016 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

WATCHING A JAPANESE ABBA TRIBUTE BAND ON THE STREETS OF KAWASAKI

November 27, 2016 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

Ramen: En, Hachioji

November 23, 2016 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

Japan’s Beautiful Shirasagi-no Mai: White Heron Dance

November 6, 2016 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

Traditional Kusajishi Archery at Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo.

October 26, 2016 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

PRO WRESTLING ON THE STREET: KAWASAKI, JAPAN.

October 23, 2016 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

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

October 15, 2016 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

SELAMAT DATANG: THE IKIMASHO! GUIDE TO INDONESIA

October 10, 2016 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

THIS IS TOKYO

October 4, 2016 by joostay

.

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, design, food, japan, japanese, justin egli, kichijoji, photography, se asia, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel, urban, west tokyo

Inside Super Potato: Tokyo’s best retro games shop

September 29, 2016 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

Akasaka Hikawa Matsuri 2016

September 27, 2016 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

Inner Reflection at Inokashira Koen

September 8, 2016 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

Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine Reitaisai 2016

September 5, 2016 by joostay

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: culture, design, festival, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, matsuri, photography, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel

Borneo: The Grandis Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

September 4, 2016 by joostay

Touching down in the bustling state capital of Kota Kinabalu On my most recent trip to SE Asia I visited three countries: Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia – specifically the Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo. I had visited Sabah’s major hub Kota Kinabalu before, but that was seven years ago and so I was interested to see if the city had changed in any way. Fortunately, Kota Kinabalu has retained its character and has not changed dramatically simply in order […]

Categories: Luxury Stays, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, borneo, food, hotel, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, kota kinabalu, photography, se asia, tokyo, travel

LUNCH TIME IN A JAPANESE KINDERGARTEN: HYPER KAWAII BENTOS!

August 31, 2016 by joostay

❤ ハイパーかわいいです！❤ While some schools offer kyushoku (prepared school lunches), my school is primarily bento-based – ie. the kids bring in their own packed lunch made by their parents that morning. These Japanese bentos are usually pretty healthy and super cute – with the kids all having little chopstick sets and table cloths featuring their favourite cartoon characters.

Categories: Kindergarten Life • Tags: asia, food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, kindergarten, photography, school, teaching, tefl, travel

Ramen: Nagi, Shimokitazawa

August 22, 2016 by joostay

Typhoon strength ramen as Tokyo takes a direct hit from one of three tropical storms Today was my first day back at work after the summer break – and it seemed like the weather didn’t want to play ball. Right now three tropical storms are spinning near the country, and in the last 24 hours Tokyo has taken a direct hit from one of them, Mindulle, which strengthened into a typhoon early this morning. It’s the first typhoon to make landfall near the metropolitan region in 11 years, with gusts […]

Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: food, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, niboshi ramen, photography, ramen, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel

Staying at the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo.

August 21, 2016 by joostay

Five-star luxury in Sabah – with design that gets better at every turn.

Categories: Luxury Stays, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, borneo, five star, hotels, hyatt, ikimasho, islands, japan, japanese, justin egli, luxury, malaysia, photography, sabah, se asia, tokyo, world travel

Shimokitazawa Awa Odori 2016, Tokyo, Japan.

August 20, 2016 by joostay

Dancing in the streets of my neighbourhood in Tokyo This weekend was the annual Awa Odori festival in my neighbourhood of Shimokitazawa in Tokyo. Awa Odori is part of the Bon festivities, which are held to welcome one’s ancestors back to this world for a few days. Participants march in a straight line in unison to music performed on the shamisen, flute, drums, and bells singing “odoru aho ni miru aho; onaji aho nara odoranya son son!” (It’s a fool who dances […]

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Tokyo Days • Tags: asia, blog, festival, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, obon, photography, shimokitazawa, tokyo, travel

Call to Prayer at Dusk: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei.

August 14, 2016 by joostay

Reflecting upon a reflection in Bandar Seri Begawan

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, ikimasho, japanese, justin egli, photography, se asia, travel

Finding an Agnostic Front baseball cap in a shitty mall in Brunei

August 12, 2016 by joostay

There’s a headline you won’t read every day.

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: america, asia, bizarre, borneo, brunei, hardcore, japan, japanese, justin egli, photogrpahy, punk, se asia, tokyo, travel, usa

Textures of Taiwan: A glimpse into the backstreets of Taipei.

August 10, 2016 by joostay

I’m currently in Borneo after spending a few days in Taipei. Taiwan’s political and international status is messy: it has declared itself as independent, but The People’s Republic of China say sod that, Taiwan belongs to us – a claim controversial due to the unresolved Chinese Civil War. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know the ins and outs of it all: I don’t. Hell, I don’t even know the political goings-on of my own country. What I do […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, china, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, photography, se asia, Taipei, Taiwan, travel

New Horizons: Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei.

August 9, 2016 by joostay

Two days of VIP Treatment in Taipei’s most luxurious location Right now I’m back in my regular stomping ground of SE Asia for a couple of weeks. First stop: Taipei, capital of Taiwan. I’ve actually been to Taipei twice before, the last time being memorable for all the wrong reasons when I stupidly decided to break up with my ex-girlfriend in a hotel room on the last day or our trip here. Not something I recommend: an awkward bus back to […]

Categories: Luxury Stays, Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, blog, design, far eastern plaza hotel, five star, ikimasho, japan, japanese, justin egli, luxury, photography, se asia, Taipei, Taiwan, tokyo, travel