Afternoon in Harajuku

A day in Harajuku, Tokyo's center of street fashion.

Tobacco and Salt Museum in Shibuya

An old-fashioned tobacco shop with vending machine set up inside the museum. Inside there was a tiny room with tatami on the floor and 60's era TV set.

Beautiful cigarette package designs.



Mannequins showing how tobacco was hand-processed in olden times.

Gorgeous lacquer and bronze tobacco set.


Tokyo has many quirky museums and exhibits, as most guides will tell you. I've often heard the Tobacco and Salt Museum being worth a quick stop in Shibuya for a mere 100 yen entrance fee (about $1). However being a non-smoker, I was never too excited to learn about the glories of tobacco production in Japan.

This time I went out of my way to visit this museum because they were holding a special exhibit on Vienna's tobacco and café culture, in celebration of 140 years of Japan-Austria relations. Anyone who knows me knows how Vienna has a special place in my heart. This exhibit turned out to be very interesting. There were documents and historical artifacts detailing the history of tobacco production, trade and usage in Austria and throughout the world. There were elaborate meerschaum pipes, jeweled snuff boxes, art deco cigarette cases and other beautifully crafted antique implements made for the enjoyment of tobacco. There were even pipes and other things from Emperor Franz Joseph's personal belongings, and a classic Viennese café set-up with coffee tray and smoking table on the side. Unfortunately, photography was strictly verboten so I have no pictures of this exhibit.

The salt part of the museum is rather ho-hum, and I went through this very quickly. The tobacco part of the museum was a surprise, and this is where I took tons of photos. I'm fascinated by vintage ephemera and I got an eyeful of graphic wonders here. I loved all the colorful cigarette packages with special edition designs, with themes revolving around the big event of the year - a new train, the Olympics, the war effort. Some of them are small works of art. There was even a little old-fashioned tobacco shop set up (you still see these types of shops all over Japan). This museum is worth the visit for anyone interested in Japanese design - and don't miss any special exhibits going on.

Tobacco and Salt Museum

Jinnan 1-16-8, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 150-0041 Phone: + 81-3-3476-2O41

www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum

Momoko Doll Mini Lingerie Apartments

Shibuya's Parco department store offers interesting, frequently rotating exhibits in their basement level Logos Gallery. I went seeking an exhibit on vintage film posters, but got my dates mixed up and arrived a couple days too late. Instead, I found this Momoko Doll lingerie exhibit.

Momoko Dolls are a modern creation - they've been around since 2001. They are fashion-oriented like Barbie, and the consumer can purchase a wide array of outfits ranging from demure to sexy to rebellious. This particular exhibit was mostly about elaborately designed lingerie and sleepwear for Momoko.

The life-size mannequins had a Twilight Zone feel to them and were slightly creepy, but they weren't nearly as disturbing as the male customers rifling through the lacy Momoko-size undergarments and ogling her in garters.

Find out more about Momoko and her friends here.

ROOTOTE Tote Bag Gallery in Parco Shibuya

I'm a handbag junkie and generally have to avoid spending much time in bag stores because they tend to deplete my funds pretty quickly. This new shop in Parco's basement level, though, had eye-catching displays that were impossible to resist.

The Rootote tote bag line started in Japan in 2001, collaborating with internationally known artists and licensors such as Andy Warhol, Pantone, True Religion and Tintin to create bold graphics for their hip-yet-functional products. Rootote's trademark feature is their zippered "roo pocket" built into the side seam. Take a look at their site for everything they have to offer.

The Parco gallery featured graphically stunning LIFE and Warhol totes (I wanted about twenty of them), but just as intriguing were the very cool display racks. The bags were hung on loops from black metal arms that individually swiveled away from the walls. The smart and space-efficient design made it easy to see both sides of each bag while keeping everything neatly displayed. The clerk was very nice about explaining all the features to us and letting me take photos.

I bought a gold Warhol tote with a shoe design for a friend, and meant to go back to get something for myself (I had my eye on a black and white typewriter tote, third photo from the top) but never did. Just as well...I have more bags than I can use in a lifetime.

Akira Kurosawa: 100th Birthday Anniversary

The great Kurosawa was born a hundred years ago on March 23, 1910. In commemoration of Kurosawa's birthday there are film retrospectives, a Criterion special collection and a new book to look forward to.

Kurosawa Film Festival at The Stanford Theatre

I learned of this month-long Kurosawa film festival via @JapanIntercult on Twitter. Classics such as Ikiru, Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood will be showing at the historic Stanford Theatre Feb 20 - March 30.

TCM/Turner Classic Movies: Spotlight on Kurosawa

Kurosawa's films will be featured on TCM every Tuesday for the month of March - 26 films in all, so mark your calendars!

Criterion Collection: AK 100

This awesome 25-disc set is being offered by Criterion for $319. Their blurb:
"This deluxe, linen-bound collector’s set includes twenty-five films and an illustrated book featuring an introduction and notes on each of the films by Stephen Prince (The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa) and a remembrance by Donald Richie (The Films of Akira Kurosawa)."

New Book: Akira Kurosawa: Master of Cinema (Hardcover)

According to the Amazon description, this book is "the most lavishly produced and profusely illustrated volume on Akira Kurosawa ever published, timed for the centennial of his birth." Release date: March 9, 2010. Author Peter Cowie has also written about Ingmar Bergman and John Ford.

And just for kicks, here is an old Kurosawa/Kitano interview! I found this on an excellent film blog for Maboroshii Productions.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Peering Through the Bamboo: Ryo Yamashita's Glasses

In my Shibuya Granbell breakfast post below, I mention a small exhibit in the restaurant featuring Ryo Yamashita's glasses. Here are a few photos of the exhibit called "Peering Through the Bamboo" - my favorite are the first pair. These art-glasses are made predominantly of bamboo and metal. He uses the term "Kyoka" for these fanciful designs, meaning "glass that reflects (the beauty of) flowers." I really wanted to buy a pair but didn't dare inquire on price and now I regret it.

Ryo Yamashita is an haute couture eyewear designer. According to this profile from Gallery Ef's site, it takes three to four months to complete a pair of custom-designed glasses. He creates most of the parts by hand, a personal expression against mass-produced products.

You can view Ryo Yamashita's site here.

Granbell Breakfast with a Twist of Surrealism

Bright, ginormous goldfish float outside the Shibuya Granbell Hotel's restaurant.


Teishoku breakfast w/ small cup of natto (center) started my day.

Miniature prints with avant-garde or pop art themes hung in the hotel's corridors.


In my previous post I mentioned the free breakfast with your stay at the Shibuya Granbell Hotel. This was served on the second floor at a restaurant called Ninnin. On the Granbell site, it's merely described as a "Japanese restaurant." It's open for dinner also, but I only went for breakfast.

Outside the entrance you are greeted by gigantic floating goldfish. Inside, the decor is sparse, but I noted a small art exhibit displayed around the restaurant and inside its small private banquet rooms. This exhibit featured Ryo Yamashita's whimsical glasses (see my blog post above).

At the time of my stay in October 09, there were three breakfast choices: Japanese teishoku (meal set), Western style breakfast, and some other kind - maybe Continental? I can't say for certain because I always chose the Japanese. This meal first thing in the morning made me very happy. It included grilled fish, rice, tsukemono (pickles), nori, miso soup, natto, salad (yes, salad - don't know how the tradition of eating salad for breakfast started in Japan) and tea. Perfect.

Granbell Hotel in Shibuya

Big wood entrance door to Shibuya's Granbell says "Have a nice day" on it. In the heart of Shibuya, the massive station minutes away, yet miraculously quiet.

The snug bar/lounge located next to the lobby serves standard drinks and wine by the bottle.

View to the left from my window at night. Overpasses leading to the station and the busier flow of Shibuya just down the street, but my room was well-insulated and peaceful. Location was phenomenal.

My fab Annex Single room, which, according to the site, is "More pop. More artistic. And, fresh sense is added." I wanted to take the tropical print window panel home. The tinted green glass wall encloses the bathroom, a clever design ploy to make the room seem more spacious. The tiniest fridge you've ever seen is located beneath the TV - just big enough for drinks and snacks.

Magnetic sign for maid service attaches to the door.


I can't rave enough about this ideally located, hip little boutique hotel. It's a five-minute walk from Shibuya station, but tucked away on a side street in a small area called Sakuragaoka-cho, which is just far enough away from the crowds to be peaceful, but not isolated and still has a great vibe to it.

The English-speaking staff at the front desk are welcoming and helpful. The room comes with a good breakfast served in the second floor restaurant (choice of western style or traditional Japanese), and there is a cozy bar/lounge at lobby level to hang out at night. There are plenty of other eateries including inexpensive yakitori, an Okinawan restaurant (I never got to try it) and a couple of konbini (convenience stores) just steps from the hotel. All this for 11,900 yen (roughly $129) per night for what they call an "Annex Single" room. A regular single costs a bit less, but my impression was that it feels more claustrophobic (I peeked into one when it was being cleaned). For the location this is a good deal.

The room is small but stylish, clean, uplifting and pleasantly lit (super important). There is free internet access but no WiFi in the room - lobby only. The shower is excellent (no bath) and great amenities such as slippers and night shirt are provided. The bed is really comfortable and surprisingly spacious, almost equivalent to a queen size. The wood paneling surrounding the bed, built-in shelving and lighting give it all a retro ship's cabin feel, and I enjoyed pretending I was on a Life Aquatic adventure.

I felt absolutely at home in my room and it was the perfect place to unwind for a single traveler. I have one gripe: there was no closet, just a ledge to place your gear with one ridiculously tiny drawer underneath. You get a couple of pegs on the wall with some hangers, so be prepared to live out of your suitcase. If you travel with massive luggage you may find a single room uncomfortable. I found it somewhat awkward, but there was so much I liked about my room, the hotel and its location that I'd still go back in a heartbeat.

Book your room directly through the Granbell website and you might get a discount like I did (my room's regular rate is 14,000 yen per night - there is a wide range of rooms with most expensive suite at 50,000 yen). Another plus: when you check in, you receive a frequent user's card, a stamp for each night. Ten nights get you a free one.

Access from Narita Airport by train to Shibuya station, or by limousine bus, which takes you to the Cerulean Hotel around the corner. More info here.

Shibuya Granbell Hotel
15-17 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031
Tel +81-(0)3-5457-2681
Fax +81-(0)3-5457-2682
info@granbellhotel.jp

There is another Granbell located in Akasaka, where I also stayed - review coming soon.

Asia Galleries in San Francisco: Closing

We've been treasure-hunting at Asia Galleries antique shop in San Francisco's North Beach for years. Today we went on whim, and learned that tomorrow (sadly) is their last day of business so many items in the shop have huge discounts.

The owner, Rhett Mundy, is packing up shop and moving to Masachusetts, where his warehouse is located, although he spends most of his time in Kyoto where he operates his other gallery - unless he's traveling the rest of Asia in search of more antiques. What a life! He buys directly from 15 different countries including Japan, China, Korea, Tibet, Burma, Thailand and has a great eye for the rare and offbeat.

We will miss this unique San Francisco gallery. Each time we stopped by there were more unusual oddities and gorgeous religious artifacts crammed into its dusty corners. Today I spied a tall Buddha from Burma I would have loved to have (if I owned a mansion), as well as some antique scrolls (a spooky-faced one with a $400 price tag) and old Japanese dolls. We ended up taking home an iron Japanese lantern for our garden marked down to $175 (we were told it's about a hundred years old), and something else I've always coveted: vintage glass fishing floats, about 3.5" with netting, $5 each.

Tomorrow, February 14, is their last day of business - go check it out!

Asia Galleries
1534 Grant Avenue
San Francisco
415.392.9127
asiagalleries.com