Wednesday, October 30, 2024
✈️ It’s eight years since my first visit to the Traveler’s Factory shop in Meguro, Tokyo. I geeked out on lovely notebooks and assorted stationery. Tucked away in a side street in Meguro, it was slightly tricky to track down at first. But the effort was well worth it. What I found was a real treasure trove of notebooks, accessories and things for lovers of all things analogue. I can’t wait to get back there when I’m in Japan next month.✈️ Looking forward to this evening, when I’ll finally find out if my talented other half has definitely managed to get us off a crappy British Airways flight to Tokyo and onto an incredible First Class Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo.
Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.
✈️ A propos of nothing, just 44 days until my next trip to Japan.
Could I be more excited? I’m already making a todo list for the visit, taking in Osaka (again) and Tokyo (again!!!).
Right now, it mostly consists of places to go and soak in a hot public bath with strangers, but I’ll be adding food-related places too soon.
Who else flies to the other side of the planet for an onsen and some ramen? Obviously, there’s more to the visit each time I go, but I swear my happiest memories of Japan involve being boiled alive in a communal bath and then working my way through a seemingly bottomless bowl of delicious tonkotsu ramen.
🥳 Birthday memories:
This time, two months ago, I was having one of the best birthdays ever. I started the day with a friend in a private onsen in beautiful Hakone, Japan. A long, peaceful soak, looking out at the local forest and mountains.
Back in the office for the first time since Japan.
And I’m not going to lie, I could feel better. I slept from 9pm until 6am this morning, so it’s not a lack of sleep. It’s a lack of Tokyo!
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
About to board the first of two long-ass flights today. First, Tokyo Narita to Kuala Lumpur. Then a six-hour layover, followed by KL to London Heathrow. And while I can’t wait to enjoy some of the famous Malaysian Airlines hospitality, all I want to do as soon as I board is get some sleep. Last night brought little to no sleep, so I’m a bit destroyed this morning. Still, I made it out to Narita single-handed, navigated check-in and security and found my way to the JAL lounge for some breakfast.On a surprisingly quiet Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Time to brave the elements and go cause some mischief in Ni-Chome!
Thursday, February 22, 2024
I have to admit that today’s weather put a bit of a dampener on things, so I didn’t get to do as much as I’d planned. We enjoyed a coffee and a wander around Meguro this morning. We visited the Traveler’s Factory shop,home of my favourite notebooks, but I didn’t buy any. I have a significant backlog to work through back home. It was still lovely to see what was on offer, and I bought The Frank Flyer a new penknife.