#thankyou2013

Hope you will be able to find almost one reason (even if the smallest) to be grateful for this passed year.

Happy New Year!

follow the hashtag #thankyou2013 on Twitter

Illustration: Michela De Pellegrin

London Purchases

I spent four days in the beautiful London, where it's always a pleasure to come back sometimes strolling around and having fun with good friends. Shopping in London is quite dispersive if you are not used to wide choises and crowded places, but, even if I left with a few spare room in my restrained luggage, I didn't came back empty-handed.

I chose three blue&white Japanese ceramic bowls founded by a nice stall in Camdem. They are from three different sizes all with adorable geometrical patterns. They are not Raku ware, but it's a worth purchase for my kitchen cupboard anyway!

The Autumnal Colors: Red

Finally here there is the Acer poetry. I'm so proud of my parents oriental corner of the garden where its Japanese variety is the undisputed protagonist.
I won't never forget how the month of November could be so stunning there in Japan where, thanks to the brightness Momiji {Acer Palmatum}, everything looks like set on fire.
After the Hanami it is impossible not to mention the tradition of going to visit scenic areas where leaves have turned red in Autumn.

This practice is called Momijigari, Kōyō or Kanpūkai, in some Northern area.
They say that Nikko and Kyoto are the most famous destination where to sit down finding ourselves entirely overwhelmed by colors and shapes of the foliage around.

The Autumnal Colors: Yellow

I can't stop thinking Fall is all about Ginkgo leaves {remember my latest Ode?}. I start staring at my parent house tree since the very beginning of October, ending with my mouth opened when it suddendly becomes yellow, on the 1st decade of November.

The name Ginkgo comes from the Chinese "yin-kuo", which literally means "golden apricot". Its leaves are the emblem of Tokyo City and, there, are considered just like sakura is in spring: holy gifts from gods.
But there's a reason why I'm still so attached to this fan-shape-leaves bush: they said that six A-bombed Ginkgo trees in Hiroshima are still alive. It means there's no strongest message of fortitude and courage but this. We can be brave and bright like a Ginkgo Tree to face a cold season of the heart where all our defences seems falling down, day by day.

The Autumnal Colors: Orange

My favourite season has come and I haven't spent a world about it yet. Oh God!
So this short weekly column is my personal tribute to The Season I love the most that always takes a long time to come {expecially this year}!

According to Pantone, Tangerine Tango was the color of 2012. Even if I don't feel comfy wearing orange, speaking about falling leaves and pumpkin pies this color means so much, instead.

The Alkekengi is one of my 3 iconic symbols of Autumn season. Also called "Chinese lantern", not everybody knows this plant came traditionally straight from Japan. There you can find its seeds as offerings to guide the souls as part of the Bon Festival celebrations. Every July in Askakusa there is also a traditional market - Hozuki-ichi - entirely dedicated to this wonderful orange flower.

Love & Lemons

Jeanine is the talented blogger behind Love and Lemons who had the chance to visit Japan this past summer. Following her blog is like being in her suitcase for a while.

Franky Grow

Do you like kids? That's not the problem because you are certainly going to love Franky Grow, instead. Dots and huge sense of fun is what I appreciate the most from this Japanese kids design brand. 
Suddenly I clearly understood: I don't need a baby, I just long for a Franky Grow!

To Start From One

It isn't easy at all to begin a new chapter of your life. When you turn that page the first line you have to write down on a new white sheet is the harder, even if writing is your job and you think you have always done it well.
It took 2 long months and many thoughts to finally convince me to open my blog again: I didn't leave it beacuse of negligence but because life, sometimes, makes you to bring into question and ask yourself about the direction you are walking through.

I must confess that the stormy days ain't over, but what I really need now is to find my own 'virtual' space here where to start afresh from 'One'. Here is a representative picture of my present state of mind 'stolen' directly from Kinfolk Magazine vol. 8. I will tell you about it on the next post I am going to write about this lovely issue regarding Japanese culture and customs.

I'd like to add a special thanks to Elisa. Thanks to her lovely blog, Wagashi Stories, I got the chance to win a precious gift at her giveaway straight from China! Being as lucky as I was convinced me at the right time that it was time to take my life (and my blog) back!

Noodle-bar Party

I've been busy enough to neglect my blog for weeks. In my defence I have to say that I'm passing through a very hard period of my life and I hope it will be better soon.

There are 2 things that cheer me up at this moment:
- a brand new experience I started last week: I'm the teacher of Japanese language for 4 great Italian students;
- this styling proget I found on Poppytalk >> a Noodle-bar party idea from Ideas Magazine (July 2013). Ceramics, newspaper sheets on the wall, colorful rice bowls and paper lanterns: I wonder whether I should decorate my own corner in this way...

Cantine Luoghi Incontri

"Cantine Luoghi Incontri" is a precious volume I jealously guard in my library. Published in 2012 by Antiga Edizioni it was cowritten by Marco Milan and Kumiko Yamada as a contemporary Grand Tour around wine, food and culture all in between Italy and Japan.

 
Supported by The Japan Foundation and Procaffè Spa, an espresso coffee roasting company located in my hometown, I finally got this book which, in effect, combines different Italian wine areas to likewise Japanese well-known traditional restaurants.
An example? A glass of sparkling white wine from the vineyard around Asolo (Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG) perfectly matches with an eel omelette (Umaki) cooked  at Izumoya, a specialized  in eel cusine restaurant in Chuo ward, Tokyo.


Pic © Moustaches

 

Yoriko Youda

To everyone loves lettering and illustrations. Seems to me that Yoriko Youda is having much fun playing with Hiragana!

Muji Purchases

I totally forgot to show you some items I got recently. The pictures not include a linen laundry box I have finally found at a well-furnished Muji shop, like the one in Rome is. My favourite treasure is the liquid glycerine soap. I chose the mandarin scent to remember the sweet sensation it gave me a same fragrance body cream I bought in Tokyo years ago.

P.S I can't wait to see the 2013/2014 Muji Life catalogue, actually.

How To Be A Modern Geisha #5

Finally! Here there is the 5th and the last tip of my curious guide! If you feel inspired and now you look like a geisha more than you'd really expect, well ... I hit the mark!

How To Be A Modern Geisha in review: #0 #1 #2 #3 #4

Madame Lolina

Madame Lolina is a super-talented artist. Her illustrated wishlist can be compared to mine for those Japanese gardening scissors I really wish I get sooner than later.

Yakitori Recipes Book

I must confess: I usually buy recipes books not because my will to cook something but for my attraction to beautiful pictures and, most of all, graphic layout.
I'm in love with Guido Tommasi Editore book series, so when I found out this Yakitori volume I didn't resist. I wanted it to be mine.
The recipes and stylist are from Motoko Okuno, a Paris based Japanese chef loving her home-country spit cooked meat tradition.
I won't probably cook anything of it, but this volume fits perfectly with my already well-furnished bookshelf!

Pics and collage © Moustaches

Grace Lee

I first learnt about Grace Lee's works from the great 2012 cover for Madame Figaro Magazine, 'Tokyo 56-Lunch Map'.
Then I took a walk around her favourite Tokyo neighborhoods falling in love with every single restaurant window, shop sign, awning and green corner I met on my way.
Grace's illustrated Tokyo is full of colorful traditional business. I first had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Daizawa, then I strolled about in Shimokitazawa to buy some flowers and bulbs. Where will you walk down to?

P.S. By the way: do you recognize some shop windows in this Hello Sandwich's spring post?

Illustrations: Grace Lee
Collage by Moustaches

She Who Eats

Thanks a million to those of you who have taken part to the realization of the 1st Virtual Hanami ever {#sakurandom}. It was great having shared with you all our common passion for this truly amazing Japanese custom. You made my week-end become bright, even thought it was raining all around.
It's unbelivable that a nation, like Japan is, find itself all focused on what apparently are just tiny weightless flowers. It seems to me a little piece of hope: 10 magical days when you can imagine everything good is possible, because nature is finally taking your side!

This is my way to be grateful: She Who Eats is not just a great source of delicious recipes but a collection of dreaming places and Instagram snaps too. Don't you agree?

Credits: here
Collage by Moustaches

Tweet Your Hanami

The idea came out on Twitter from the necessity to enjoy some hanami-mood together, taking advantage of our geek attitude to share things.
My friends and I are waiting for your contribution & photo reports.
I'll pick a tablecloth, what will you??

 Find more at:
@Bibliogiappone
@fraimirtilli
@WanderInJapan
@TradGiappone
@giapponextutti

The Sakura Forecast

The Japanese sakura forecast is out! Are you ready with your pic-nic basket? Check out and save the date: you don't need to be in Japan to celebrate!
Find a sunny place where to lay an old tablecloth out and enjoy a theme menu. Any ideas? I'll give you many soon. Stay tuned!

How To Be A Modern Geisha #4

To everyone needs to get inspiration to avoid messy-looking hair.
Have a good {hopefully sunny} Sunday!

Previous episodes (#1 #2 #3):

Credits: 1. 2.

It's Tea Time, Man!

First af all I have to admit I am far from being a professional tea taster: I barely recognise strawberry taste from Karkade one. This not prevent me to collect green tea, pretending to be an expert, even if I don't have a clue of how a tea cerimony has to be conducted, or how Japanese people use to prepare it and stuffs like that.

The truth is I like tiny boxes and green powder (not always its smell) and I have learnt so much by my own only after having drunk liters of smelly and untasty 'dirty water', like I use to call a super-bad green tea!

Let's start a tour of the most refined Japanese tea variety I jealously keep in my corner cupboard.

1. Maikonocha is a famous  leaves tea produced in Kyoto, near Uji. I got it from a good friend of mine who used to live there. It smells terrible but it is the best one to be infused in hot water whenever you need a cup of tea. The colour is light green, almost similar to a golden yellow. No way, it's my favourite to drink.
2. Kombucha is a sweetened tea produced by effervescent fermentation. Despite of its powder it is not a green tea, actually. I must confess: I bought it by mistake and I tried it once to make a white chocolate & green tea plumcake. A really nasty one.
3. Matcha. I was totally obsessed by it when I was in Japan. I used to have big glasses of matcha milkshake, slices of matcha cake, matcha Kit-Kat ...
It is made of thin bright green powder and it smells good, but as soon as I came back to Italy it lost its special taste and now it is just "another ordinary tea", as you understand what I mean...

If you have some great recipes using green tea leaves or powder, feel free to share them here. I will pleased to try them!

She Loves Green Tea

I'm a homelover, and I have never belived of being able to say so. Baking cakes, indoor gardening, having more than one cup of tea usually make my Sunday morning. Then of course I have to put my pajama off to get ready to leave the house, not before having enjoyed my small rituals.
This is a little anticipation of what I'm preparing for you to celebrate the pleasure of a great, hot, scented cup of green tea.
Stay tuned!

Mayumi Wakabayashi

Faber-Castells pencils and Moleskine are Mayumi's every day friends. Whats does she like to draw the most? Japanese sweets (wagashi), delicious street-food recipes and more traditional ones.

Website
Blog

Trees

When you're stuck at home because of the temperature you just need to breath deeply (and drink Coke). In other words, what you'd deserve the most is to be surrounded by green leaves and wooden perfumes.

 Credits: 1. 2. 3.

Scrapbooking

This post was born on a lazy Sunday looking for a clever way to organize my 2013 agenda. There is nothing left to do than order some kind of new stuff...

Credits: 1. 2. 3.

Holidays Are Over

Monday is around the corner, that means: back to work and back to reality, again!
Here a composition of Instagram pics (@micheladp) telling 3 things I was so much into during these Winter holidays.
Let this 2013 begin!