Part 2 : Further Cherry Blossom wanderings ♡

Shinjuku Goen has to be a feature on my cherry blossom exploring, there are so many types of trees there that even if you go a little bit before or after season there are always so many beautiful flowers to see, this year I timed it just right going a little after the main rush, so many flowers were falling and the late blooming types like the little ball blossom you see below were just starting to fall. I even managed to find a cute little juice bar with a vegan sandwich option super close so was able to take my diary & sketchbook and have a little picnic in the sunshine. I love the constant in places like this of the nature against the harsh grey skies of Tokyo architecture..

Yummy dinner at Commune Omotesando after blossom viewing, fried soy & brown rice veggie plate..

Inokashira Koen, I only made a brief little trip but definitely worth it, its always a good park to go by yourself and wander around in..

Kudanshita..this place literally blew my mind, the amount of blossoms here were seriously insane, my lovely friend was visiting from Kyoto and we wanted to try something different so checked this place out, the blooms stretch all around the edge of the Imperial Palace and I`ve heard at night they light up, sort of overlapping each other like some magical tunnel, if I`m here again in blossom season I will definitely make a trip back!

Finally our biggest hanami day was in a super local area of Nagano, avoiding the weekend crowds we took to a few cheeky street drinks and joined in a local hanami festival. Here is one of my absolute favourite Japanese snacks, which I managed to score from a super local vendor - `Sakura mochi`, salty sakura leaf and yummy azuki beans inside mmm..

Apparently this is the longest stretch of straight cherry blossoms in Tokyo, going all through Nakano..

Lots of love x x x x

Shinjuku Koen 桜 ♡

So prepare for more blossom spam!! On Tuesday I ventured to the Shinjuku -Koen gardens (and promptly was overwhelmed by an insane amount of blossom - I took over a 100 photos and wandered around for over an hour) It was breathtakingly beautiful, and surprisingly quiet and peaceful for being in such a central part of Tokyo. There were so many types of blossom and pastel colours, stretching right out as far as you could see, here are some of my favourite bits! Happy Spring ♡

 

Lots of Love x x x x

Park Hyatt, Tokyo ♡

On Sunday evening after work for my birthday present Craig took me to one of our favourite places - The Park Hyatt New York Grill Bar on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku (The bar in Lost in Translation) and we had a table for the night watching the jazz band with delicious food and drinks! It really is one of the most perfect places, the view is insane, the entire Tokyo skyline right below you, and the bar itself is so dreamy and moody, besides just pretending we were Scarlett and Bill for the night, ah can't wait to return again one day!

                             Hendricks, Elderflower syrup and cucumber juice special cocktail, I also had a sakura, sake and cranberry pink one ahhh! ♡

Vegetarian pizza they made for us ♡

Mixed Japanese vegetables

Sofia Coppola Rose ♡

Lots of love x x x

Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton ♡

Pretty much a combination of all my favourite things in one window display, Sofia Coppola's (one of my main creative inspirations) latest collaboration with Louis Vuitton bags at Louis Vuitton Shinjuku, and some incredible neon/deer related prop work. I couldn't stop staring at it ♡ I think it needs a post all to itself - isn't it just dreamy! 

Louis Vuitton Shinjuku:

1-1-3 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan 

Tokyo : Part One ♡

So I'm finally back from the what was like my ultimate dreamworld !!! (sorry for lack of blogging recently) Tokyo was ahhhh-mazing, everything I ever imagined it to be and more and me & Craig were both pretty sad to be leaving! (already thinking about our next trip!)

There was so much creative inspiration and beautiful places and things, and such a magical happy feeling everywhere, everyone we met was so super friendly and helpful, and the places we discovered were continually breathtaking, Tokyo I loooove you! Here's some of my favourite bits :)

Flying through the sunset on the plane ride out...a complete sea of pastel pink and mint green <3

In the first few days we explored the area we were staying - near Tokyo station, and discovered character street, an incredible street with a shop for every cute character in Japan (AMAZING), there was a Rilakkuma, Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli.....if you get excited by such cute things like I do it was a major overdose <3, then our first proper exploring place..Harajuku, 

A maze of cute little streets, shops, very cute things and a sea of pink *wahh* <3

Here's a super cute little gallery we found which had lychee drinks and pastel pink graffiti.. 

One of my absolute favourite shops, which if your going to Tokyo you absolutely HAVE to visit was Kiddyland, floor upon floor of amazing adorable toys and treats....Blythe, disney, pastels, cuteness...all in one building....<3 A wall of Blythe I was faced with....(not sure how I coped)...more Blythe related posting will be following!...

One of my favourite things about Harajuku was just the wondering not sure what gems we'd find, there were shops that were something straight from the set of Virgin Suicides and just pink and pastel prettyness everywhere <3 Here's some cute snippets...

Not far down the road in Ometosando was an exhibition by one of my absolute favourites, Pip & Pop, you can't get more dreamy fairytaleland pastel than this <3 *wahhhh*...

Another incredible toy shop...so packed you could hardly move and about 7 floors high, just a mass of rainbow and sparkles <3...

A cat cafe in Shinjuku, something I'd always wanted to try, there were around 50 breeds of pedigree kitties who come and hang with you while you drink your soya latte <3, some of them were so super cuddly and being the huge cat fanatic I am it was amazing to see so many! The cute little Birman (left) was my fav, he was just so content and cute lolling about :)

Sofia Coppola is probably my main creative inspiration so visiting the New York Bar in Park Hyatt was probably one of the most exciting things we did, pretending we were in Lost in Translation looking at a super beautiful Tokyo skyline and drinking lavender gin...and then...Sofia Coppola Rose! Definitely worth a visit! If you go before sunset (around late afternoon) you don't pay to reserve a table although the drinks are pricey, the magical feeling and the enchanting view of Tokyo skyline is like nothing I've ever seen!..this was my lavender syrup gin....

Part of the view...

Part two will be coming soon! Thinking of starting another little blog with my ideas on a Tokyo guide, what do you lovelies think? Hope everyones having a wonderful week! Lots of Love x x x x