After resting our legs with the trip to Hakone we entered the city streets again on Tuesday, this time visiting Shinjuku and Daikanyama.

Just a day or two before we left for Tokyo an article popped up in one of the feeds I read about a brand new Blythe store, just opened in late February! It turned out to be in a newly re-fitted department store in Shinjuku that was a shining monument to youth culture and we looked through the other floors as well. The sixth floor had all of the Gothic Lolita brands I’ve heard about in one place – Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Metamorphose, Angelic Pretty and others – you’ve never seen so many petticoats and aprons :) The actual Blythe store was fun, lots of girls and outfit sets and accessories, plus some gorgeous customs in glass cases and a mini art gallery. I saw some Jam Fancy dolls and thought “Hee, I know her on the internet!”

Another exciting stop in Shinjuku was the food hall in the basement of the Isetan department store. Many department stores here have food counters in the basement, with bakeries and confectioners and prepared foods of all kinds, all top quality and super fancy. We were on a hunt for macarons from Pierre Hermé, supposedly the best in the world. He only has stores in Paris and Tokyo, so I had to try them while I have the chance! We bought one each of the eight flavours on offer. Then when passing the Sadaharu Aoki pastry counter my eye was caught by some of their flavours and we bought four more.

We scoffed them gently over two nights, and I can happily report that with the exception of caramel (which we did not enjoy from either brand) macarons are amazing. We liked Pierre’s best, as they seemed a little creamier and more substantial, but the Aoki ones were almost as good, and it would be hard to tell the difference unless I had both in front of me. My favourite flavours were Chocolate and Vanilla from Pierre Hermé, and Violette from Sadaharu Aoki.

We popped into a couple of other stores in Shinjuku as we wandered the streets, but we were getting hungry (especially after all the good smells from Isetan!) so we headed back to the curry house we had enjoyed so much last week for a repeat of their Tonkatsu Curry. Equally delicious the second time!

After resting we headed into Daikanyama to visit the Aranzi Aronzo boutique. They are independent character designers, so they’re not in the character goods sections of stores and most of their products can only be found in their shop (or online). They make stationery, bags, fabric, stamps, plates and glasses, pins, stickers, assorted little bits and pieces, and their shop is an adorable little green-tiled oasis. It was wonderful. I’ve known about their work online for ages, but seeing it all in person was so special. They are my heroes. I came out with wide eyes and told JSR that I want a Nut and Bee shop so much! (Sadly, Auckland is not the place for it.)

Yesterday we wrapped up the last full day of the trip with a visit to the Ghibli Museum. It had been some effort to arrange tickets (which must be purchased months in advance!) but… oh my goodness… it was an amazing visit. The museum is not very large but every part of it is enchanting. The building is full of nooks and crannies, the exhibits were marvellous, the short film we watched was beautiful (sadly it was not the one featuring Mei and the Catbus from My Neighbour Totoro, but they rotate four films so I did not have my hopes up), the Laputa robot on the roof looked down on us all… but my favourite part was the area about how animation is made. All of the walls of the rooms were covered with sketches and watercolours and matte painted backgrounds, with work desks and reference books and all kinds of ephemera piled in. I had to try really hard not to cry because it was so wonderful. No photos were allowed, but I remember it well, and we will definitely visit again when we come back!

Today is our day to pack up and go to the airport, which is quite sad. This has been the best holiday ever, and I am so pleased that JSR loves Tokyo as much as I do! We will be home early tomorrow morning, and I will post photos as soon as I can…