Oooo... what about Zalando then? I used them in Belgium. They carry many brands (you don't have to rely on the ones I mentioned earlier) and their prices as a massive distributor vary greatly. They also model and detail the fabric quality of most items. :D
For looser stuff I've also had some regular success at American Eagle outlets with larger sales sections. And for tights I've found Garage successful in price and comfort for me this year.
I know the pain... Uniqlo has some nice options to my liking as of late though.
A leisure room with a tatami.
Packages of OKUI Kaiseido brand shio konbu, a type of salted seaweed cooking ingredient or snack.
An eyeshadow palette with blue, orange, brown and gold pigments.
An order of a Conjer Anago Shirashi (sea Eel Salad) at ๆฅๆฌๆฉ็ใ ใณใฌใๅฎค็บๅบใ
Enjoying that Tatami life for the next week at the new hotel.
Managed to find OKUI Kaiseido Shio Konbu.
After four years of being makeup-free, I splurged on some:
โข Nars Serum cushion (meh)
โข Bobbi Brown lipstick ๐ฅฐ
โข Prada palette โ didn't have pink, but it did have all the other colours I wanted
Mentaiko Pizza from Hakozaki Kyลซtarล Shลten ็ญฅๅด้ณฉๅคช้ๅๅบใ
Mentaiko dip fries from Hakozaki Kyลซtarล Shลten ็ญฅๅด้ณฉๅคช้ๅๅบใ
A crow rests on a power line above palm trees. A mountain stands in the distance.
Final day in FukuokaโKyushu before going back to Tokyo for the final stretch of the trip.
โข slept in to rest my overworked feet
โข lunch at Yayoiken Hakozaki ใใใ่ป ็ฎฑๅดๅบ
โข more thrifting
โข dinner at Hakozaki Kyลซtarล Shลten ็ญฅๅด้ณฉๅคช้ๅๅบ beside Hakozakigu Shrine ็ญๅๅไธไนๅฎฎ ็ญฅๅดๅฎฎ โ porcini oden + ใใใใใ pizza & fries
They have some of THE best websites too!
Day 5 of the train pass was skipped over in favour of staying within the confines of Fukuoka City as we has made arrangements to meet with the lovely ladies we befriended the other day.
We made a group reservation to eat fancy chicken yakitori course meals & then ended the night with karaoke. ๐ค
A small sculpture made out of a soft drink can flows with the wind, a grand tori stands behind it.
Across the park near the shrine sits another small red building.
A shrine sits atop mossy rocks.
A young plum blossom tree blooms inside the temple grounds.
Day 4: Kashima ้นฟๅณถๅธ
โข visited Yลซtoku Inari Shrine ็ฅๅพณ็จฒ่ท็ฅ็คพ
โข snacked at JUJIRO CAFE
โข got lost getting back, someone was going the same way and tried to help us but gave the wrong directions & got lost too โ seemed embarrassed but eventually gathered up courage to apologize to us โ was cool of him ๐
A Shinkansen conductor looks out from his train window.
A pair of dango soup meal sets sit atop a kotatsu.
Akaike - a red coloured hot spring.
A bowl of umibudo, also known as sea grape seaweed.
Day 3: Beppu
โข had lunch at Amamichaya ๅฅๅบ็ๅณ่ถๅฑ under a warm kotatsu where I ate dango soup
โข saw the "Hells of Beppu" Jigoku
โข tried kabosu (a type of citrus fruit)
โข cancelled a rope lift due to strong winds
โข thrifted some clothes
โข ate sea grape seaweed (umibudo) for the first time!
A selection of a-la-carte meat cuts and vegetables waiting to be grilled on a table.
Shinkansen Day 2: Nagasaki ้ทๅดๅธ
Got to see some beautiful mountains en route but not much of the city otherwise due to rain & mist. ๐ง๏ธ
Ended up staying indoors as much as possible today, so I thrifted and ate Yakiniku. I don't normally eat this much meat but the quality was quite high so I indulged.
A black bear named Kumamon, Kumamoto's mascot, stands at Katล Shrine.
Windy stands in front of Kumamoto Castle.
A dish called of Aka beef bowl which has beef, egg, and rice.
A sirloin of seared Aka Beef served atop rice with sauce.
Acquired an 5-day unlimited Shinkansen ๆฐๅนน็ท ticket.
First day: Kumamoto ็ๆฌๅธ
โข met Kumamon
โข saw Kumamoto Castle
โข was recommended to eat Aka Beef by the friends I made at Yorozu, so I did !
โข tired to go to a few thrift stores, but they ended up being too specialized & expensive
I have much to learn. ๐
I do like trains... ๐
Yorozu was definitely the highlight of my Japan trip so far! ๐
A set of interesting small snacks to go along with very delicious tea at Yorozu. It was so so so good.
Ohori Park - Japanese Garden (250ๅ per person)
A portrait at Ohori Park's famed Kangetsu Bridge.
The ocean view from one of Nishi Park's Observation points.
โข breakfast at Yorozu, which was a pleasant surprise and we also made adorable acquaintances ๐ฅฐ
โข strolled through Ohori Park (super pretty)
โข lunch at &LOCALS ใขใณใใญใผใซใซใบ ๅคงๆฟ ๅ
ฌๅ
โข hiked up Nishi Park
โข took a bus and shopped at Hakata
โข had an adventurous dinner that I then cleansed with hot Starby's
A very tall motorised Gundam stands at LaLaport Fukuoka, pose 1.
A very tall motorised Gundam stands at LaLaport Fukuoka, pose 2.
A ramen food set.
A sunset in Fukuoka's busy Tenjin area.
โข another day, another noodle outing โ this time at the famed ICHIRAN HQ ไธ่ญ ๆฌ็คพ็ทๆฌๅบ
โข went around Fukuoka's underground which connects several stations and department stores (and is a shopping hub itself)
โข went to LaLaport to see (what I think is?) a 1:1 motorized Gundam (there was also shopping ๐๏ธ)
๐
Tsujita and Mentaiju both specialize in tsukemen by the way, a type of dip noodle dish. I prefer tsukemen to ramen.
^ ____ ^
Shogen-ji Temple in Fukuoka.
Suikyo-temmangu Shrine in Tenjin.
A soba meal set as well as mackerel and bonito dishes.
A mature blooming sakura tree in Fukuoka city.
โข ate at Tsujita (again)
โข visited a shrine
โข visited Canal City & ate soba
โข drank coffee and yuzu tea at Sora
โข somehow got a food tour from a kind old man
โข visited Tenjin & bought a pajama dress at Gelato Pique and vintage clothing
โข ate at Mentaiju (kind old man recommended)
Can anyone reckon a guess to why I was intent on visiting Fukuoka for the next 10 days?
Person A: A Japanese person just walked up to me asking if I could help with his English homework - awkward face Person B: Oooo Person B: Try!! Person B: Do it Person A: I did Person B: happy face Person A: smilie face
Ran away to Fukuoka for the week and this happened as we landed.
You've got this! ๐๐ป
Funny story:
In my indulgent Netflix binge as a sick girl helplessly stuck in bed, I watched a J-Drama where (by amazing coincidence) Miura Beach was an integral setting to the plot!
Small world. :D
So in a way, I did get to go too.
Blossom trees by a pond.
A sidewalk with blossom trees overhead.
A "tuna mountain" over rice.
Miura beach.
Whilst I've been sleeping for 2 days, my company has since recovered and has taken on the reins of enjoying some adventures. Today, they went to the Miura coast to see some early tree blossoms!
www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/sakura/
Left: UHA brand vitamin C candies Right: DHC brand vitamin D supplement pills
Hisamitsu brand cold medicine
.-;'* Drugs Edition P2 *';-.
3. DHC brand vitamin D supplement pills โ sunshine in a pill
4. UHA brand vitamin C candies โ the best candy I've ever tasted in my life
5. Hisamitsu brand cold medicine as recommended to me by a pharmacist โ company took it but said it did nothing, I did not take it
Sato G Nazal spray for nose congestion.
elleair Lotion Tissue box
Japan Trip
.-;'* Drugs Edition P1 *';-.
1. Sato G Nazal spray for nose congestion โ your bestie to breathing again, one is enough
2. elleair Lotion Tissues โ these tissues do not scrub your nose over time & also come in a travel size, I love them so much I'll have to find a Canadian supplier
Rest day because guess who fell sick too? Le moi, of course. ๐ท
A stylish girl sits on a street curb in Ikeburuko.
A plate of Omurice and salad from "yellow ๆฑ ่ข".
A taxi sits next to a clothing shop called Uniqlo under a bridge beside Ueno Station
A staircase at the side of a building in Ikebukuro.
11. enjoyed some Omurice at yellow ๆฑ ่ข (had to stand in line for a while)
12. was asked to check out Sunshine City, but it was a Sunday and was very busy, so I browsed some of the fashion shops and left
13. checked out many station shops at both Ikeburuko and Ueno
14. ordered in a mackerel bento ๐ฑ
Okay, so, my sick company (rest in peace) has now more or less turned into my own personal Jarvis tech assistant in helping me find places to explore!
9. got lost on the train again โ took the wrong direction on the JY line and now I'm making a loop in an outdoor scenic route
10. yesterday I found a pop-up shop in Shibuya and they told me I should visit their permanent location in Ikebukuro, so that's where I'm going today
