Hands off

So, it's true. They're shutting down the Tokyu Hands store in Shibuya.

Mark and I have been here once or twice. As a fan of crafting and writing, this place was a joy to visit. They had floors upon floors of papers, pens, cards, art materials, and everything else in between.

Hopefully, their other stores will still be open. That way, I'd still get my crafting fix whenever we go to Japan.

Summer Rokhs!

Seeing this dress from the latest summer collaboration from GU x Rokh makes me want to transport myself to a GU store, stat!

This dress screams summer! From the plaid fabric to the easy silhouette, it's such a cool and refreshing take on summer dressing.

Gee, you're making me want to go to Tokyo!

Pro and (Comic)Con

We noticed a lot of people carrying "Back to the Future 40th Anniversary" totes, and was wondering what's up.

Then it hit us. 

It was Tokyo Comic Con!

Maybe we'll see Johnny Depp roaming around Makuhari.

SSDD

A decade ago, we were in Tokyo Midtown with Mark's friends - Derek, Trina, Diego & Rondel, and we had our photos taken at the bridge that connects the park to the mall.

During our Tokyo trip last week, we were able to take our photo on the same bridge.

So, this qualifies as a SSDD - Same shot, different decade - post.

Back to Earth

Because the Polo Earth that I bought and brought from Narita Airport was so good, just had to get another bottle.

Two, actually.

Guess this means that I'm a certified Earth-ling.

Meals with Mark: Go Cro!

When they closed the St. Marc's cafe in Megamall, we were bummed. Where do we get our yummy choco cros now?

That's why when we saw that there was a St. Marc's cafe outside our hotel in Makuhari, we already knew where we'd have breakfast.

It's so good to be able to share a choco cro with Mark again.

Luck is Standard

I'm so thrilled that we decided to stay in Makuhari on our last day in Tokyo.

Aside from the fact that there's the Mitsui Park Outlet just outside our hotel - literally, it was outside our hotel - there's also the Aeon Mall which was just 1 train stop away.

That mall is one of my faves because of these 2 shops:

Luck Rack is always a great place to hunt for off-season Japanese brands, while Standard Products can really give Muji a run for its money.

I'm super happy with my haul from these 2 stores.

Always the best time

Back in the early 2000s, the tagline of Wendy's in the Philippines was: "It's the best time for Wendy's."

While they're not and have not used that tagline in decades, it still remains to be my favourite one.

With that, this is the best time to post about Wendy's in Tokyo.

Hands down, the fries in Wendy's Japan is top tier. That's why it's also one of the "must-visits" when I'm there.

It's the best!

Breakfast with a view

At The New Otani Hotel in Akasaka-Mitsuke, you have 2 venue options for the breakfast buffet. You can choose between a garden view and a city view.

Mark and I were deciding where to go, and we eventually decided to just go with the city view restaurant at the 40th floor.

Boy, was it a good choice! We were treated to this view while having breakfast:

Mount Fuji!

This view made our breakfast even more special!

Meals with Mark: Happy habits

From the early 2000s until now, one of the "must-visits" when we're in Japan has to be Saizeriya.

This "Italian-by-way-of-Japan" fast food place is like a second home for us. You might even call it a habit. The comfort food  the drink bar, the vibe - it all adds up to make every visit a satisfying one.

In our many, many times of eating here, this is the first time we're ordering their French onion soup.

Gosh! It's so, SO good! Why didn't we discover this earlier?

This is now going to be part of our regular orders from here on in.

LFLTAT: Color of the Year

So, Pantone announced the 2026 colour of the year - Cloud Dancer.

It's basically a variation of white.

This reminded me of a LFLTAT from my previous Japan trip.

The culottes are from GU, while the top is from Uniqlo. They're both in various permutations of white, and they blend together seamlessly and perfectly.

It's a look that'll bring you to Cloud Nine!

Hog Wild

Apparently, Cat Cafes are old news in Tokyo.

Walk through Takeshita Dori, and you'll see an array of animal cafes that are far from the usual.

And one of the bigger hits in the area? A pig cafe!

Judging by the lines, it's popular among locals and tourists alike.

While novel, methinks a concept like this won't work in Manila.

People might steal the pigs and turn them into cochinillo.

New View

Despite the fact that I've visited Harajuku quite a number of times already, this is my first time to visit the building at the corner with this view.

This is at the 6th floor of a building that has a vertical garden outside. The 5th and 6th floors have food courts, and t his is where we had lunch. Was intrigued by the place called "Falafel Guys" and eventually bought my food there.

The food was good. The view was even better.

Rokh star: Trench revolution

One of the interesting outfits from the Rokh x GU collaboration is their reimagined trench coat.

Instead of it being a one-piece coat, Rok Hwang made 2 pieces - a cropped trench jacket and a paper bag skirt. When worn together, the checkered pattern creates the illusion that you're wearing a one-piece coat. But in reality, it's 2 pieces.

Because we really don't have much use for a trench jacket here, it was the skirt that made its way home. It's a brown, checked skirt that has a gathered waist and trench coat inspired buttons running down the front of the skirt.

Since the skirt is already a statement piece, the pair can be something simple and quiet. And that's where this mocha coloured shirt from Muji came in.

It's a new and chic way to look at a trench coat.

Rokh star: Nifty Knits

There's a lot of twofer pieces in this season's Rokh x GU collaboration.

Actually, the combo that was featured last Monday wasn't the 1st twofer piece that I bought the moment I arrived in Tokyo. It was this:

This is a knit combo. It's a knit, spaghetti strapped dress, paired with a collared, long-sleeve top.

Whether you wear the pieces together, or apart and alone, it's definitely nifty.

Yo Jo!

One thing that Jo and I realised is that this is the 4th country where we've met up.

First was in BKK when we were in our 20s.

Then, when she moved to SG, I'd visit her and stay at her flat.

Then, we met up in HKG during the time I was living there.

And last week, we met up in TYO!

So, where to next, Jo?

That's smooth!

I've been seeing this online a lot, so heck, might as well try it while I'm in Tokyo.

The 7-11 Smoothie!

All I can say is: the hype is real.

Had this 3x in a day. 

It's that smoothie good!

Fanta-bulous!

Another thing that was on top of the agenda in Tokyo was this:

Gotta get my Fanta Grape fix.

This never fails. 

How convenient

Yes, you can't go to Japan without having a convenience store breakfast.

Went to the Family Mart near Roppongi Station. This is the branch where Mark and I usually go, so it's but right that this is where I'm going.

Their Tamago Sando never fails.

First on the a-GU-enda

Barely a few hours after arriving in Tokyo, here I am!

Yes, GU as the first stop is always a good idea.