New Blog!

It's been a long time since my last entry...!
I have been very busy recently and haven't been writing on this blog (sorry!), but I am still studying English with my friends, also I started a new blog for my study and my friends (http://lbl1.blogspot.com/). I will be writing my ordinary daily life on the new blog. Then I will continue to write my essay here!!

Thanks everyone for always leaving all your lovely comments. I will be posting new entry soon! Thank you. :)

Miniature 'PIERRE HERMÉ COLLECTION'

I like to collect small and cute stuff. These are miniature toys of a Friench famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé’s pastries.



I bought the sets at the Pierre Hermé Paris Tokyo shop. The collection design precisely reproduce his works. It’s hard to believe that these are not real.



The ruler is here to give you an ideal of the scale. These are too small but looks good enough to eat!! I showed these photos to my friend. Also, she loves this set and she will be taking a photo of this collection with real Pierre Hermé cake. I am looking forward to see her photos!!



Those are really cute and looks like a real cake! I think these are not fragile, but I hope I don’t lose them. Apparently, it is the second of his collection. I didn’t know that. I want the first set of macaroons!!

LADURÉE Gift Box

I have an attraction to fineness of LADURÉE's package design. Especially I like beautiful gift boxes.
Recently I purchased macaroons in a "Pop Art Religieuse" box. Religieuse is a traditional French pastry and a symbol of LADURÉE, and the box has been designed on "Pop Art." When I saw this box, I instantly fell for this design. The shop has four different box colors of blue, purple, yellow and green. I wanted to buy all colors of boxes, but I couldn't afford to buy all colors. Eventually I chose yellow box. Soooo cute!!!



Additionally I wanted to try this wonderful-looking cake "Ispahan," and I got this cake on my friend's birthday. Ispahan is the combination of rose macaroon, rose petal cream, framboise and lychee. It was amazing!
At this time of year, Christmas limited edition gift boxes are available for sale at the shop. I want one really badly!

The Christmas Illuminations

Christmas is coming!!
This time of year the Christmas illuminations are beautiful in Tokyo.




Blue lights are beautiful...


Brilliant Dome…



Illumination Circus…

Polaroid Camera

I like to take pictures of my Blythe dolls. I always carry my dolls with me when I have a trip, and I always take pictures of them.


My friend has a SX-70 that is a folding SLR camera which was produced by the Polaroid Corporation from 1972 to 1977. It is called vintage camera. The SX-70 looks nice, so it’s often used in movies, dramas and commercials as a prop. It’s an attractive instant camera for me, but it’s hard to find and expensive, because it’s a vintage camera. I want one, but I can’t afford it.


Therefore, I always buy instant film only and I borrow the camera from my friend to take pictures. I can take an attractive picture with this camera. Those pictures have a special tone that cannot be reproduced in digital camera, so I love to take pictures with this camera.
However, unfortunately, through the spread of digital cameras began the decline of instant cameras, and the Polaroid Corporation decided to withdraw from instant film products this year.
For this reason, now instant films are selling for a high price, and they began declining in markets. I will be not able to take pictures with SX-70 in near future. It’s too bad.


I hope that instant film will be produced again!

Au Temps Jadis

I went to Au Temps Jadis Creperie with my friends. There is my favorite specialty crape shop in Shibuya. The shop is located within a short walk from Shibya station. It’s very quiet place and forget you are in Shibuya. “Au Temps Jadis” means nostalgic time in French. There is like hideaway and nostalgic feel.

We can enjoy ham and cheese galette (French crape or pancake?) and many choices sweet crapes at the shop. I ate crape with chocolate sauce and ice cream topping.



It was really delicious!!!! I could eat the crape everyday, but I am worried about being fat.



This is my favorite crape shop and I am sure you will like this shop. :)
Au Temps Jadis http://www.many.co.jp/jadis/

Todai Temple

Nandaimon, the South Gate.


Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden)

I wanted to see statue of Buddha in Todai Temple, so I took a day trip to Nara with my friend. I went on the Shinkansen and local train from Tokyo to Nara in about 3 hours (It was far!) .


Statue of Buddha

Do you know the pillar with a hole behind statue of Budha?
The hole is the same size as Budha’s nostril. The hole is small but if you could go through the hole, you will get smarter.


pillar with a hole

Of course I challenged it. I was afraid of my body stuck in the hole, so I could only get my head at first. Then, I tried with courage and I could do it!!! I hope study English become easier than before :)


Shika deer regarded as messengers of the gods live in Nara.

Afternoon Tea

Yesterday, I went to Afternoon Tea TEA ROOM at Marunouchi Shin-Marunouchi Building. We can eat a special souffle only at this shop. The souffle comes in four different flavors: chocolat banane (banana chocolate), vanille (vanilla), chai and mango(mango is limited time offer).
The souffle is served from 3:00 p.m., and it sometimes sell out at end of the day. When I went to eat there after work, all the souffles were sold out, and I couldn't eat them. Since then I have never had a chance to eat the souffle, but yesterday, I could eat "chocolat banane" souffle!

They served the souffle hot from the oven, and I ate it with fresh cream and hot chocolate sauce which accents black pepper flavor. It was smoking hot and fluffy souffle, and melted in my mouth. It was lovely sweet! Delicious sweets will make me happy.

In a Cafe...

I rested in a smart cafe when I went shopping, and I ordered orange and bitter chocolate waffle.

“We can bring you a waffle, so please wait at the seat” a waitress said, and she handed a playmobil doll instead of number plate (card?) to me.

That’s an interesting system!



It was arranged cut oranges and ice cream on the waffle with bitter chocolate sauce. It was good :)

LADURÉE’s macaroon

Last month, Japan’s first LADURÉE’s tea room opened in Ginza, Tokyo.

The LADURÉE in Paris is famous for its colorful, beautiful macaroons! I’ve been waited for this shop to open in Japan, and I heard many more customers crowded the shop on the opening day!

I really wanted to eat LADURÉE’s macaroon, so I talked about that with my colleague. Then, immediately after our chatting, we went to the shop to buy macaroons.
Even though it was weekday afternoon, the shop was crowded and we had to wait in line for one hour to buy macaroons. It took long time to buy them but we got a lot of colorful beautiful macaroons!!!



These macaroons traveled by air from Monaco to Tokyo. There are 14 flavors, so we bought all the flavors for over ten thousand yen!!



I ate several macaroons, I thought the chocolate macaroon is the best! It used a delicious chocolate and it was very moist.



The LADURÉE’s macaroon is really delicious, you should try it by all means!!

Hina Matsuri

March 3 is Hina Matsuri, the festival is for girls.
We usually set up dolls for Hina Matsuri.

My niece made me the Hina dolls.
They are so cute!!!

Valentine comes along!

February is the season for chocolate in Japan, because Valentine comes along!
At this time of year, department stores and confectionary shops has a lot of different chocolate and we can also enjoy chocolate tasting.
There shops are selling seasonal chocolate during the Valentine, so I always buying many box of assorted chocolate. Of course I bought a box of assorted chocolates again this year. Then, I drank a Godiva Chocolixir beverage. It's my favorite drink. I love chocolate!!

Blythe in Kamakura.

I like Blythe dolls, especially I like taking photos of Blythe dolls. When I often go somewhere that I carry my dolls with me wherever I go, and I always take photos of Blythe dolls. Today, I post my favorite photos on my blog.



These photos are that I took when I went to Kamakura. Kamakura is famous for its temples and we can see a lot of old Japanese culture in Kamakura. So my doll wears kimono. I took the doll around to temples and I took a photo. I think these are perfect photos with atmosphere!!

Japanese garden.

I went to Ukai Toriyama. Ukai Toriyama is the most beautiful traditional Japanese-style restaurant in the outskirts of Tokyo near Mount Takao. The restaurant consists of many wooden buildings with thatched roof and we can see a best view of a beautiful Japanese garden from the restaurant. The food is fairly plain and simple but everything was wonderful-looking and delicious. I walked in the Japanese garden after eating and I took some photos while out for a walk. I enjoyed the view of beautiful traditional Japanese garden.




House with a steep rafter roof of world's cultural heritage.

I love Disney.

If we have 'Annual Passport' for Disneyland or Disnysea, we can get admission to the park at any time. When I had an 'Annual Passport' for Disneyland, I went there twice a month. And now, I don't have an annual passport. But I go very often to Tokyo Disney Resort. So I went to Disneyland a lot of times, but I never get tired of visiting places because it is a very exciting place.

Most Tokyo Disneyland attendees are repeat visitors. Many people think the appeal of Tokyo Disney Resort is its many amusing attractions and drawn by the shows and parades. And I like the park's decoration. Each event is really wonderful.

However, many people said the resort is too crowded and the fees are too expensive. I think so, too. Even so, many people go on a visit to that place. It is a very, very appealing place.



Especially I like shopping at Tokyo Disney Resort. I'm buying too many souvenirs. Because everything there looks charming to me. So I always spend my money too freely! When I go there, I'm impatient to spend my money. I call it the "Disney-magic."


*These photos that I took when I went to Disney Sea for harborside Christmas in this year.

Christmas tree photo collection.

The Christmas illuminations are beautiful.
I get so excited when I see Christmas illuminations!

The first photo is a Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree.
I first saw it when I went to skating at Rockefeller Center's ice rink in New York (one year ago). I was really impressed. It was very big and beautiful!! I think Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree is the most famous Christmas tree in the world.


Next photo is a Christmas tree of Santa land at Macy's.
Macy's is a chain of American department stores with its flagship store in New York. Macy's has the setting for the film of "Miracle on 34th Street" in 1947. It was like a fantasy place.


The third photo is a New York Public Library's Christmas tree. The buildings has beautiful architectural facades and this library is noted as a tourist spot. The hall was decorated with beautiful Christmas tree.


Next photo is... I forgot where I took a photo... Probably I took a photo when I walked New York City. The Christmas season, New York City had many Christmas decorations. Everything was beautiful and wonderful!!

Starbucks

Starbucks is one of my favorite cafe. When I went to Starbucks at Hongkong Airways, barista asked me "what's your name?" and she wrote my name in the cup. I always get a Caffe Mocha, because I like it, and there were uncommon bottle juice at this shop, so I bought two bottles of juice. When I am traveling, I usually go to Starbucks of the country and I usually take photo of the shop.


in Paris



in NY.