Muji Yourself

One of my favourite shops to frequent in Japan is Muji. Filled with well-designed basics from clothes to housewares to stationery (and oodles of delicious snacks), there's always something simple yet delightfuil to discover.

While I was a little sad to see that my favourite Muji snack is no more (curry flavoured "chips" made from okara aka soy lees), our local Muji is five (5!) floors of fun including a lovely cafe, so I guess that makes up for it. (Plus, with their big food section, I'm sure I can find a new snack to love... guess it's time to start taste testing!

But what really made me forget about my snack disappointment was the fabulous Muji Yourself section! Most (all?) Muji stores include a free stamp counter where you can customize your Muji stationery or create unique wrapping for gifts. Different cities/stores usually offer some unique stamp designs and I've heard rumours of seasonal ones too.

Not one to resist a casual craft opportunity, I purchased a simple wirebound notebook (only ¥100 / $1.10) and got right to work.

Of course, I didn't discover the provided stamp ruler until after those tragically lopsided eyes, but in the end decided that quirkier is more fun anyway!

Luckily, there are two sides to play with, so added a little Fukuoka love to the back of the book. (Before you think I'm getting too cheeky, I'll pause to point out that FUK is Fukuoka's airport code!)

That was fun, but I think I need more stamping fun - there were so many I didn't get to use and I keep daydreaming about patterns to try. I did spot a pack of blank postcards in the stationery section...

Do you have any Muji favourites? I always loved their hair elastics when I lived in Japan - the perfect amount of stretch!

Book Off - Japan's Used Book Heaven

I have a major soft spot for Japanese books. Clever craft ideas, adorable illustrations, innovative photo styling and an amazing variety of subjects await. Browsing any bookstore is pretty heavenly, but I might just love browsing bookstores in Japan the most.

Of course, loving every book you pick up can get pretty pricy - and that's where Book Off comes in. Japan's beloved chain of used bookstores allows you to pick up an armload of beautiful books without throwing your travel budget totally out the window.

Since we have a Book Off in our temporary neighbourhood here in Japan, I just had to go browsing for treasures. I walked out with a wonderful assortment of craft books, magazines, kids books and a gorgeous bilingual guide to Fukuoka - all for ￥2500 (about $27 CDN).

Here's what I picked up...

Yasashii Kirigami by Kanako Yaguchi - a lovely kirigami book with international designs. Here's the English version.

Schumann the Shoeman by John & Stella Danakis - I grabbed this one for the illustrations which are totally gorgeous and collage-based but really enjoyed the story of the passionate cobbler too!

Self-made Stationery by Kazumi Udagawa - clever papercraft projects. English version here.

りんごとちよう - the Japanese version of The Apple and the Butterfly by Iela & Enzo Mari. This wordless picture book is a fantastic addition to your bookshelf in any language. It tells the tale of the lifecycle of the apple and the butterfly.

Hand & Heart magazine Issue 1 - pom poms, sashiko patterns & crochet slippers. Patterns & step-by-step instructions included.

Fukuoka d design travel - a design-oriented guide to Fukuoka's shops, restaurants and overall spirit. 

Can't wait to see what treasures I discover on my next visit!

Do you have a favourite bookstore from your travels or hometown? 

Hello From Fukuoka!

Hello again!

Happy to say we are safe & sound (& full of good Japanese food) on the other side of the world. Hope you don't mind the break from our regular crafty programming, but we'd love to share our Japanese adventures (amongst other things) whilst we're here.

We're having the loveliest time exploring our temporary hometown of Fukuoka. Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu (the most southerly of Japan's four main islands) and the sixth largest in Japan - this means all the excitement of a Japanese city without (for the most part) all the crowds.

Our apartment is nestled in a lovely residential area from which we can practically smell the ocean and are within 20 minutes walking distance from interesting sights, great shopping and the city's large urban park - Ohori Koen.

Speaking of which, I grabbed my camera as we wandered through the park yesterday en route to (and from) our daily adventures so we could share a slice of this urban oasis with you.

The manmade lake is full of ducks, cormorants, herons and big fat koi. (And swanboats!) As you watch them, it's easy to forget you're in the middle of a city of 1.5 million people.

While fishing is prohibited in most of the lake, there are a few fishing spots where it is allowed. As we walked through at dusk yesterday, we were delighted to discover people of all ages fishing.

It is a really lovely spot to people watch - from the lovers in their rowboats to the kids on the playgrounds to the healthy set jogging around the track, there seems to be a little something for everyone here.

Yesterday, the park was filled with school kids on an art field trip, all sorts of gourmet dogs out for their daily walks and this charming group of old friends, chatting away lakeside.

And it's just as nice when the sun sets!

That's all for now - is there any thing or place in Japan that you're curious about?

Fukuoka Bound

Exciting news on the travel front! We're off to Japan in about 10 days for a couple of months!

While our Japanese hometown is about 2 hours south of Tokyo (as the Shinkansen flies) in Nagoya, this time we're headed even further south to the new-to-us city of Fukuoka.

Fukuoka is located in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands.

Have you been? Any tips on what to see, eat or do while we're there?

On an Omiyage note - The shop will be closing up next Wednesday, so why not drop by and grab a deal with code THANKS25 before we go!

Image sources - city / map