Haven't been to Japan since 2021. During this 8-day trip, we stayed in Tokyo for 6 days and Kyoto for 2 days. I had saved so many spots on Google Maps for this trip — here are some of the highlights.

 

Koffee Mameya

It's a small coffee shop in Omotesando. We ordered pour overs and they were really tasty. The space was really tiny and we were lucky we didn't wait too long in line. I also heard that the brand has an omakase-style cafe called Koffee Mameya Kakeru.

 

Meji Jingu

The area is surrounded by forest, and everything is beautifully well maintained.

There is a museum in the same area but we did not get in. The facade is worth a visit.

 

Karimoku Research Center

It's an exhibition space. During the time we visited, the exhibition was by my favorite speaker brand OJAS, titled Between Space & Sound. Highly recommend visiting all the spaces created by Devon Turnbull. It's a satisfaction of both hearing and vision.

 

Ginza Sony Park

The building is built with iron frames and concrete. It's amazing how these simple elements can create such a minimal, clean, and brutalist building.

 

Lemaire Ebisu

Lemaire has a store in a house in Ebisu. The space is really cool since you can find an actual kitchen and backyard in the store. The lighting in the space is beautiful.

 

Sogetsu Plaza

The lobby is an open space designed by Isamu Noguchi, a floral arrangement titled Heaven made of stones and water. During our visit, it was under construction — but even without seeing it in full, it was still a cool experience.

 

Nation Art Center

The museum was holding a calligraphy (書法) exhibition. We didn't spend too much time here since we needed to get to the airport after this spot. Overall the architecture is really unique.

 

Some Fragments

See you next blog! ◡̈