If you like metallic hologram foil...

...you might like my new business cards. It's a little bit razzle dazzle but I couldn't resist having them foiled in metallic hologram. I think this came from years of wishing for metallic foil on the masthead of VOGUE Living. I had them printed over at Goldcraft in Sydney's Marrickville. Those guys are the best! Take all your foiling needs to them.

I knew cards were quite the rage here in Japan, but I had no idea just how important it was to have one of your own. They are handed out at almost every occasion involving two people meeting.

So if you are moving to Japan, here is my recommended list of actions:

Get Alien registration card
Get Bank Account
Get Mobile phone
Get Business cards
Get Apartment

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

代々木公園の秋 (Yoyogi Park in Autumn)

I took these pics on my run in Yoyogi Park this morning. The colours in Tokyo are just stunning in autumn and it's so lovely running with the fresh autumn air. I always feel so lucky to live in this incredible city.



There were so many leaves I could hardly make out the jogging path!

Happy Weekend Sandwiches. I'm going to my very first nabe party at my friends house. What are you doing this weekend?

xoxo

Keeping Warm in Tokyo

It seemed like only a few weeks ago the weather theme in LoFT was 'keeping cool'. I stocked up on Magicool neck scarfs and even bought one for Mama-sando's puppy Schnaupi! But all of a sudden LoFT has released a winter catalogue. Think plaid, warm slippers, hot water bottles and donabe.




(Speaking of donabe - how cute is the softbank donabe set!)

It's 8 degrees here in Tokyo today - but I'm not complaining. You see, that's the thing about winter in Tokyo, keeping warm is just so cute! There is enough well designed bath salt packaging to keep you warm with a different design for a couple of months! My lovely friend Yuming has taken the hard work out of selecting which bath salts are right for you over here.

And how adorable are these character heated hokkairo packs!





Um, in case they were not cute enough already, they're also scented! The ones above are strawberry and grapefruit. You can also place the heated packs in these sweet covers.

Now how could you be upset with the weather with a strawberry scented bear in your pocket?

Stay warm sandwiches!

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

しまねこ軒 (Shimanekoken) My favourite bento in Tokyo!

Looking for a bento in Tokyo? Allow me to introduce me to しまねこ軒 (Shimanekoken), my favourite bento shop in Tokyo!

Lunch today was at しまねこ軒 (Shimanekoken) with my lovely talented friends Mogu Takahashi and Isabelle Boinot. Mogu's friend actually owns this little Kichijoji treasure!

Today, two super cute Japanese girls (one covering her odango with the prettiest floral scarf) were cooking up delicious fresh bento goodies. Despite it's hidden away location, these delicious goodies didn't last long and I saw the girls change over the chalk board and signage to reflect the sold out + freshly cooked food whilst I was enjoying lunch. Mogu, Isabelle and I tasted a few of the osozai dishes and they were all amazing - full of flavour and tasted スーパー homemade. All of the food here is colourful, delicious and healthy and a bento box will only set you back ¥640!

If you have time one day, please pop in and pick up a bento and enjoy it in the sun at Inokashira koen. What better way to finish off a ride along Kandagawa! If you do pop on over, make sure you warm up with a cup of tea - you'll be pleasantly surprised with the large selection of gorgeously designed tea bags, all presented in the sweetest timber box. I can't recommend しまねこ軒 enough!






And in case it wasn't enough of a treat to visit しまねこ軒, later in the afternoon, over a sweet treat, Isabelle shared with us her new Tokyo Sketch book. I was so surprised to see Hello Sandwich had made it onto her gorgeous sketch pages! *speechless* Be sure to pick up a copy of Isabelle's Sumimasen Tokyo Book, and peek at her Tokyo photo collections over at Tokyo Sugoi. She is one clever cookie!

xoxo

Misaki Kawai New Tote Collection

Oh my! Be quick to snap up one of Misaki Kawai's new canvas tote bags!
Each スーパーかわいい tote has a fabric design stitched on both sides and includes her new zine!



The hard part is deciding on which one!

Love Love
Sandwich
xoxo

するところ (Surutokoro)

These lovely newspapers were produced by Surutokoro, a Tokyo based printing company that also hosts workshops and other creative events in their beautiful studio space.


'Surutokoro Newspaper' vol.3
Design: Akiko Yanaki
Photography: Naomi Mutou
Planning Editorial Printing: Surutokoro
Binding: Ito Bindery


You'll love everything about these newspapers. From the newspaper stock thick enough so there is no show through, clean photography, gorgeous Japanese style layout with illustrative details layered on top of photographs...all put together with a lovely change of page with full bleed images following on from busier collage pages.

You can pick up a copy from Asahi Art Square, selected cafes and galleries, and of course at Surutokoro's entrance. (1-36-8 Ishihara, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0011)








(Photographs (c) Forward Stroke Inc)


Dragon Making Workshop

The next workshop will take place on the 27th November from 14:00 until 16:00.

Fee: Adults 500yen, Child 300yen

Reservations for the workshop can be made online here.

You know me, I love a workshop! So I hope I can see you there! Big kids allowed!

Thank you Miss Wong for introducing Surutokoro world to me.


Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo


P.S Thank you Lucy for sharing my Tokyo Design Week Report on your guest blog! If you haven't seen it yet, all five posts are live now so pop on over to check out the Hello Sandwich Tokyo Design Week favourites:

Tokyo Design Week

Tokyo Stationery Round up

Tokyo Magazine Library, Magazine Pop up shop, Magazine cafe

Llove Tokyo

Tokyo Fun



P.P.S. Mama sando has just opened up a new studio! I hope you can pop on over and have her make you a beautiful creation!

P.P.P.S. Thank you sweet little Miss Dawn Tan for this gorgeous post!

xoxo

Dudua

Dudua Creative Space in Barcelona which hosts exhibitions, workshops and many other creative happenings!









How can people get so cool I wonder?

Lately I was lucky enough to hang out with the four coolest Spanish people ever! This quad look like they have stepped off the scenes of this little movie.

It all started when the lovely Alicia Rosella purchased my Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide. A few emails later and we discovered we had a friend in common and we decided to meet up for a little Shimokitazawa tour. When I went to pick Alicia up from Shimokita station, I was greeted by the four coolest Spanish people you can imagine:

Alicia Rosello

Jordi Ferreiro

Elisa Riera

Carlos Carbonell who is performing this Friday night (12th November) at Tokyo's SuperDeluxe. Apparently he is making a giant piano which he plays by walking over it! I hope you can come along it's going to be so much fun!

Open: 18:30
Start:19:00
Price: Adv ¥2300 / Door ¥2500 (plus drink)

It was so inspiring meeting these lovelies! I especially love how the four collaborate on many creative projects making art, music, design, food, exhibitions, together! I really want to go to Barcelona one day and hang out at Dudua. You can see more here.







Oh, did I mention Alicia also hosts Fantasy Cake Baking Contents and has the cutest clothing label ever called Sirena con Jersey. Sigh! These kids are so cool it hurts!







Love Love
Miss Sandwich
xoxo

P.S. TOKYO ZINE LOVERS ALERT
There is a Zine Gathering on in Tokyo on Sunday for any zine-lovers out there!

Tokyo Design Week Guest Blog at The Design Files

Sandwiches, I am guest blogging over at The Design Files this week sharing some of my favourite highlights from Tokyo Design Week. A new post will be updated daily so please pop on over and have a look at some of the amazing things on show during Design Week in this incredible city.

I hope you will enjoy!

Thank you lovely Lucy for this little introduction. I blushed when I read it! xoxo


Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Kandagawa

I once read about it in gaijin's favourite magazine 'Metropolis' whilst sitting on the Narita express train from the airport. It's a river that stretches 24km from Kichichijoji's Inokashira Koen, taking in Suginami, Nakano and Shunjuku before flowing into the larger Sumida river in Taito-ku. The article said the river makes for beautiful bike riding along the river side path.

I first stumbled upon Kandagawa by accident after ignoring the directions suggested by my icrew and instead taking the 'more interesting' backstreets. Although it was approaching evening when I first rode along Kandagawa, I vowed to return soon to take Sandwich photos. So today, taking advantage of this beautiful sunny Tokyo weather, I set out with fellow Australian Tokyo resident Miss Wong (who takes the most beautiful Tokyo photographs) on a lovely slow ride along Kandagawa. There is nothing more fun than riding bikes with someone who loves stopping to take just as many photographs as me!






There are just so many things I love about this river path. The colourful fences (in colours like Tiffany blue and coral) which change colour at almost every road break.





I adore the multi-coloured scallop patterns adorning the bridges.





Hello Fuji-san!



Baby blue and pale pink floral fence palings.



The best thing about this river path are the paintings of Pandas on the side railings that are painted with impressive perspective so that visitors can make out the Panda as they are riding up to it, but it disappears as you get closer.



Another feature of Kandagawa are the illustrative tiles scattered throughout the pathway.













The gardens lining the river are also not to be overlooked.







レモン



I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tokyo potted garden as sweet as this.







And this cactus garden brought both Miss Wong and I to a strong skidding break on our mamacharis to take some photographs!







If you are in need of some slow time, I can highly recommend a ride along Kandagawa, and right now the weather is just perfect. Do as Miss Wong and I did and eat handmade onigiri in Inokashira koen.

Bike Riders in Tokyo will also love recently launched iphone application 'Navinko'. This application uses social networking to allow members to pin point ‘landmarks’ to share with other riders via GPS tracking and sound alerts. Fascinating Stuff!

I hope you had a lovely weekend Sandwiches.

Love Love
Sando
xoxo