Children's Day

Happy belated Children's Day :)

There were the Golden Week Holidays in Japan from the end of April to the beginning of May includes こどもの日, Children's Day on May 5. Some people got a 10-day holiday for the GW!!! Mine was not that long but still I really enjoyed relaxing days with my family and friends. We had picnics so did many others since the weather was very clear and beautiful. 

I wish we had the GW every month!!! 

Tadao Ando

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

Hope 2013 is treating you great so far :)

I love visiting museums and visited two this year already. Coincidentally, both of them were designed by Tadao Ando who is a well-known Japanese architect. 

I like his simple and modern style. Plus, I really enjoy his designs that change their appearances with sunlight. His works in Naoshima were very beautiful too. 

I hope to visit there again sometime in the near future!!! 

Happy 2013 ♡

Happy New Year to All :)

Hope the year of 2013 may delight you and your loved ones!

My おみくじ（O-mikuji）was 末吉（Sue-kichi）this year. Not bad :) 

Learn about おみくじ on Wikipedia in English

DIY Gift Wrapping with Origami Paper :)

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

I'm pretty sure many people already know what Origami is. Yes, one of Japanese traditional cultures. 

However, there are so many Origami papers with various colors and patterns today and I think they are cute to wrap small items too♡

Lately I have been wrapping my studs earrings with Origami paper for miho's garage, my Etsy store :) 

I really hope my clients enjoy my way to wrap and it delights them!!!

P.S. I edited my photos with Cameran directed by Mika Ninagawa :) 

Japanese Expression "Kimo-Kawaii"

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

I saw this video on Yahoo! JAPAN's web page this morning.

キモかわいい脚のはえた紙飛行機の折り方

How to make a Kimo-Kawaii paper plane with legs on it...!!!

The expression "Kimo-Kawaii" is used commonly among the younger generation in Japan these days.

Kimochiwarui + Kawaii = Kimo-Kawaii

Kimochiwarui (きもちわるい・気持ち悪い) means disgusting / gross.

Kawaii (かわいい・可愛い) means, of course, cute / pretty as everyone knows.

So... Kimo-Kawaii is used for something gross but cute at the same time. haha

This Nameko (なめこ) character is one of Kimo-Kawaii and popular now.

NAMEKO official website

Enjoy Japanese Kimo-Kawaii ♡

Tsuyu - Japanese Rainy Season ☂

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

How is the wether today??

Japan has beautiful 4 seasons (Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter) 

plus... we have another one. 

The rainy season! Tsuyu! (つゆ・梅雨）

It lasts about 40 days from June to July. 

I'm not a big fan of this season 

since it makes us more difficult to plan something like outdoor activities...
Also, it is impossible to keep my hair nice all day long!!!

But there is always a good side and a bad side to every thing. 

It brings us gorgeous green and nature! 

Especially, I love Ajisai (あじさい・紫陽花), hydrangeas :)

DIY - Hand Carved Stamps from Japan :)

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

After blogging a post, A DIY Wedding Idea from Japan, I got a custom order at my Etsy shop (miho's garage) to make some bags for some thank you gifts!

The buyer sent me this image that she wanted to have on the bags.

  So, I hand-carved this Kawaii face!

 Also, I stamped the word, ありがとう (Arigatou), which means "Thank you" in Japanese on them too. 

 

The hand-carved stamps are pretty popular in Japan as 消しゴムはんこ (Keshigomu-Hanko) that means "Eraser-stamps". I just googled "how to carve a stamp" in English and see many results that use erasers. So I'm guessing this kind of hand-carved stamp is popular worldwide?? If you make or made some, please share them!

However, it might seem difficult if you have never tried before...

Just start with a simple design! It's pretty easy and so much fun!!!

My first hand-carved stamp is the heart-shaped one that I stamped on both of the wedding favor bags and the thank you bags. And second one is the rings for the wedding. Then, I just carved my third one, the Kawaii face! 

See? I don't have much experience but doing fine! (that I hope!)

Let's enjoy DIY-ing ♡ 

A DIY Wedding Idea from Japan ♡

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

I think the word "DIY" is getting popular in Japan these days too.

These are my DIY works for my friend who just got married :)

The wedding was pretty much DIY-ed by the bride and her friends.

Handcarved stamps by me. Rings and a heart :)

Wedding favors that I made for the wedding :)

The wedding was soooo beautiful and I was moved to tears. 

Now I wanna get married too!!! ♡

Kawaii Handmade Jewelry from Japan ♡

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

Is "Etsy" popular in your country??

I've been enjoying hand-making since I was a little girl. 

And, Yes! I opened my own shop there a while ago! 

Up until that point, I was making jewelry for myself, as gifts for my friends and selling some at flea markets once in a while. Fortunately, many people gave me sweet compliments so I decided to start Etsy! 

Since I can get connected to people from all over the world on Etsy, I've started to make Japanese taste jewelry too. Also, I've been making jewelry with glass beads, vintage beads, charms, gem stones... whatever that I think Kawaii ♡

   

Please visit miho's garage, my shop, on Etsy if you are interested. Treat yourself or your loved ones with my one-of-a-kind jewelry, or pick one for Omiyage from Japan :)

   

The shop is making sales gradually. Whenever I receive a message that says someone purchased my item, I do a happy dance in front of my Mac!


Here is a token of my gratitude for people who read our blog.
Free shipping (by Airmail as a small package) to everyone around the world!
Use Coupon Code: BLOGFREE
Valid through 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time on March 31 2012.

I am very thankful to all the people who encouraged me to start this and who are supporting me right now ♡

Crazy Polka Dots in Osaka

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour!

Yayoi Kusama's exhibition is now in Osaka!

- YAYOI KUSAMA Eternity of Eternal Eternity -

I saw her another one in Paris too.

Can you believe she is over 80 years old now and still painting!?

I just love her ♡

Thinking to be her for Halloween if I get a chance...!!!

Kiva Japan -Let's do something good for the world :)

Konnichiwa! Hello! Hola! Bonjour! 


One of my friends just started a team on Kiva. 

Please support SACD, the team, if you love music! Yes, this is the team status.

 About us: We love music!!!


I did not know about the organization until a few days ago. But it seems booming in Japan too! There is a site about it in Japanese as well! Too bad that the site is only in Japanese, but it says many Japanese students are interested in it or making loans too. How cool!


Kiva Japan


I really hope we can make the world a better place :) 

Funny Crazy Japan!

Hoping that 2012 will treat you, your loved ones and the world super well♡

I cannot believe that it is already 2012! Time really flies... I totally do not know how I got here!!!

On New Year's day, my friends and I went to Hatsumode (初詣・はつもうで - the first shrine visit of the year) in Kyoto and we found a very funny drink vending machine on a train platform...!!! You see vending machines everywhere in Japan and, additionally, they have hot drinks during winter! So nice, huh?? Even though it is easy to find vending machines here, this one was very unique!

What do you think?? ... kinda gross!? haha

You can buy a can of しるこ (sweet red bean soup), みそ汁 (Miso soup) and コーンポタージュ (corn potage soup) for 120 yen, 1.5 USD each! Though, I did not buy any of them... I was too timid and had no courage to try them... yes, this is not a daily thing even for me! None of my friends tried them either!

Please let me know how delicious they are if you ever try them!!! :)

Ghibli Museum :)

Konnichiwa, Hola, Hello, Bonjour!

Today I would like to share some pictures that I took at Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo since tubuko DX talked about the movie, Laputa: Castle in the Sky! The museum has been open for about 10 years now and I finally, finally, managed to visit there last month! On the roof top, you can meet the Robot Soldier from Laputa! It was... well... so bizarre, of course, in a good way!

I was not able to take pictures in the museum... too bad that I cannot show you how everything was amazing!!! So just please visit there and see every single detail in person and feel the Ghibli World!

My friends and I enjoyed a cafe called Straw Hat Cafe there too.

Plus, you will get this at the entrance as a ticket - three frames of film from a Ghibli movie! (You have to purchase a ticket at a convenience store, Lawason, beforehand and they will exchange it for a "real one" when you enter.)

I have got this one. Can you tell which movie this is?!

Oh, and an Omiyage store there was super crowded, of course!!! XD

Japanese Autumn!

Konnichiwa, Hello, Hola, Bonjour :)

My friends and I went hiking in Osaka last weekend. It was a perfect time to enjoy KOYO (紅葉・こうよう) which means the colorful autumn leaves; red, orange and yellow ones! It was so gorgeous!!!

I cannot help thinking how lucky we are to have four seasons to enjoy in Japan!!! Well, even I am not a big fan of the Japanese humid summer... haha