Bobo Tokyo, Up Close and Personal with Japanese Fashion

Aku ngga pernah menyangka bahwa Jepang akan menjadi salah satu negara favorit yang akhirnya bisa aku kunjungi.

Welcoming myself to Negara Matahari Terbit ini untuk pertama kalinya di tahun 2018, aku sudah sejak lama jatuh cinta dengan Jepang dan segala sesuatu yang terkait dengannya. Mulai dari makanan Jepang yang enak dan sehat, gaya hidup yang khas, kecanggihan teknologi, budaya tertib dan bersih, toilet yang keren, sampai  sejarah dan kehidupan para shogun dan samurai (aku punya bukunya lengkap lho) plus fashion style a la Jepang yang unik.

Saat menjejakkan kaki pertama kali di Tokyo Maret 2018, aku langsung menikmati kuliner khas Jepang favoritku, ramen dan sashimi, sekaligus menikmati sakura yang mulai mekar plus mampir ke Shibuya, the home of Harajuku style serta street fashion Jepang yang memang menarik untuk diperhatikan. 

suatu malam di Harajuku

Suka? Bangeeet! Super excited karena akhirnya tercapai juga mampir di negara cantik ini. Akhirnya, saat aku kembali ke Indonesia dari New York City bulan Agustus 2018, aku kembali mampir di Tokyo dan stay for a night. Selain Tokyo, aku pun mampir mengunjungi pedesaan terdekat di kaki gunung Fuji. Aaah menyenangkan sekali pokoknya.

cheers dari kaki gunung Fuji..

Sebelum virus Corona menyerang, aku kembali mampir sekitar 3 kali dan menginap di Tokyo tahun 2019 untuk menjelajahi Jepang lebih lanjut sambil belanja barang dan fashion items yang unik dari sini. Jangan bilang - bilang tapi aku suka kalap beli beberapa pakaian dari Jepang karena suka dengan modelnya yang long lasting dan pastinya nyaman banget.

Well, that's before the pandemic.

Sekarang, dalam kondisi pandemi, kita belum bisa banyak traveling atau pun keluar ke berbagai tempat favorit seperti mall atau department store kesayangan. Untungnya, segala kemudahan teknologi membuat kita bisa tetap mendapatkan barang - barang yang kita perlukan dan inginkan ya. Termasuk barang - barang khas Jepang.

Nah, untuk urusan fashion a la Jepang yang khas dan unik, kita bisa dengan mudah dapatkan di Bobo Tokyo. 

Ada yang sudah pernah mampir di outletnya atau belanja di website Bobo Tokyo?

Bobo Tokyo menyediakan aneka fashion items dari Jepang yang selama ini terkenal dengan potongan yang khas dan nyaman. Contemporary classics for everyday you memang tepat sekali menjadi slogan dari Bobo Tokyo. 

Kalau sempat mampir ke beberapa mall di area Jabodetabek, teman - teman bisa mampir ke outlet Bobo Tokyo yang ada di PIM 2, Galeries Lafayette, MKG 3, Seibu Grand Indonesia dan juga Senayan City. Lumayan banyak juga nih. Pastinya kita bisa merasakan japan vibes di toko - toko ini. 

Pilihan lain yang tidak kalah menyenangkan untuk berbelanja koleksi Bobo Tokyo adalah langsung mengunjungi laman atau website. Just go to www.bobotokyo.com and you will directly transfered to the page. Saat dibuka, langsung ada tawaran diskon lho. Asyik kan! 

selamat datang di bobotokyo.com

Dari menu yang ada, kita bisa melihat aneka pilihan tops (yang terdiri dari blouse, shirts, t-shirts, and sweaters), dresses (dengan pilihan shirt dresses, casual and pattern dresses plus jumpsuits), outer (mulai dari cardigan, jacket, hoodies, coat and blazer), bottoms ( yang bisa dipilih dari pants, skirts and shorts), denim (bisa dipilih dari pants and jacket) dan set, dengan pilihan tops and bottoms, atau tops and inner. 

so many choices...

Bahkan ada menu khusus yang menampilkan styling, di mana kita bisa melihat referensi aneka pakaian yang dipakai oleh individu - individu tertentu dengan tinggi badan yang berbeda. Not too mention new in, atau pilihan terbaru yang tersedia.

siapa yang tidak tertarik dengan pilihan ini..

Senangnya lagi, kita juga bisa ngobrol langsung via WA chat, yang terbagi untuk Customer Service dan juga stores yang berbeda, yaitu di PIM, Sency dan MKG. Jadi kalau ada pertanyaan, bisa langsung diajukan deh. Juga ada pilihan fashion style expert, yang bisa diakses melalui whatsapp juga.

any questions? bisa langsung dicek..

Untuk berbelanja, jangan lupa buat akun dan dapatkan updates di email, termasuk berbagai diskon. Setelah masuk akun, tinggal pilih apa yang akan dibeli dalam berbagai kategori, ukuran, dan warna.  Masukkan ke keranjang belanja dan voila... selamat menikmati aneka pakaian nyaman a la Jepang dari Bobo Tokyo! Informasi ntuk shipping dan delivery, baik domestik maupun internasional, tersedia lengkap di laman Bobo Tokyo ya.

Langsung dibuat akunnya yaaa..

Psst, saat ini sedang ada sale juga lho. 

Asyik kan! Jangan sampai terlewat yaaa. 

Aku pun sudah ada yang diincar nih. 

That ponco t-shirts and short sleeve layered t-shirts look so cute!

Happy shopping!

Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan

How I miss traveling so much!

It has been quite some times since I travel abroad. Since the outbreak of Corona virus in the beginning of 2020, - or in March 2020 for Indonesia, the world has unravelled the unprecedented series of events, which involve physical distancing and restrictions in traveling.

Here I am now trying to revisit my memories (and my external hard disks LOL) to rekindle the joy of traveling. 

One of the places I enjoyed during one of my long transit in Tokyo, Japan back in the last quarter of 2019 is the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Located in  1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-8557, Japan. I stopped by in this very spot on my way to Shibuya district as well as Harajuka. I traveled with Vienna, one of my junior colleagues in the office. We didn't really have much time but we tried to enjoy the trip. 

Meiji Shrine is a vast place surrounded by by lush forest and beautiful garden. Since we didn't really have much time, we only saw the small part of this great place. As we had just landed early morning after a direct flight from Jakarta with ANA, one of my favorite airlines. We were tired yet so excited to see the city again. Meiji Shrine is our first stop.

Meiji Shrine was built and dedicited to the spirit of the famous Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji reigned between 1867 to 1912 and Meiji the Great, as he was known, transformed Japan into a modern, industrial world as we know now.

Being remembered beautifully this way is really something indeed. What I like about this place is the fact that it's very close to the subway line, especially JR Yamanoto Line, especially Harajuku station. Our next stop at that time was Harajuku street obviously. Yoyogi Park, which offers beautiful forest and garden, is just around the corner as well. It was actually a good walk for me and Vienna as we have just spent some times sitting for 6 hours straight in the airplane during the flight. Not to mention the fresh air that we enjoy while strolling the park. 

Here are some photos I took while strolling around the area.

one of the gates

While strolling around the park, we saw many sake drums being displayed in wooden frame. Those drums look big and artistic, coming in various colors depending on the origin of the sake. I have seen some in many Japanese restaurant before but not this many. It was fun to watch indeed.

the sake drum from various areas in Japan. So lovely and artistic

Btw, I am sad to hear that the Olympics would be rescheduled but I can imagine that we all need to take all the precautious steps to protect all from COVID-19. I still remember seeing all the banners and excitement of Tokyo for being the host of the Olympics. Well, I guess we just have to wait and see.

So that's a little story about my visit to Japan. I wish I can go back soon and come and visit the Doraemon museum, my fave!

Well, I do miss Japan and I sincerely wish I can visit this amazing country again. Meanwhile, stay safe, happy and healthy!

Review APA Hotel Keisei, Ueno Akimae Japan

Hi , everyone... all is well? I certainly hope so.

I would like to share more about my trip to Ueno, Japan. I have shared the beauty of Ueno Park (read: Cherry blossoms at Ueno Park, Japan  ) and the surrounding temples as well as things we can do while transiting in Japan  (read: 8 Things you can do while transiting in Japan 

Now let me take you to the hotel I chose during my stay in Ueno, Japan. This trip took place in 2018 and it was my first trip to Japan, to be followed by other 3 transits and visit. I have to admit I do fall in love with Japan since my first visit! Well, who wouldn’t?

So, welcome to APA Hotel Keisei Ueno Akimae Japan!

I love this hotel!

It was located in a very strategic location because it is only a walking distance from Ueno station, which is one of the hubs for you who like to visit  Tokyo and the surrounding areas. It is only one fast train away from Haneda airport. Those who want to visit Tokyo on a transit or even spend the night here in Ueno. For me, it is like a great opportunity as I got a chance to  try shinkansen or the fast train as well. 

The hotel is not far the famous Ueno Park and all its wonderful temples and museums. It's also near American Market in Ueno, one of the landmarks in the area, and Hard Rock Cafe Ueno if you happen to collect some stuff from them like me and my hubby. Many food vendor and supermarkets are around as well.

The room might be small but it has everything you need. It is very compact yet it is still comfortable. I was enjoying the facilities they have inside the compact room which is surprisingly complete as well. Although it’s small, it has the comfy bed with all its pillows, robe, slippers, working station, all the charging station, evenbooks to read and hair dryer. They also put cute origamis on the sheet as a heartwarming welcome gesture. I am impressed!

The bed is comfy and the amenities are from Shiseido :). Can you imagine that? This brand is very famous and quite expensive in Indonesia LOL.  The rate is manageable and I believe it's sensible for the facilities and location they offer.

Happy to go back here again if I gat another chance to visit Ueno again.

So what do you think about the hotel? I will share more about my visit to Japan soon okay. Meanwhile, stay safe, happy and healthy.

Spring time in Japan

Staying at home for two full weeks, although amidst never ending home works for the kids and my own assignment, makes me take the liberty to dig up my files and post some old photos and videos. I realised I have tons of them even from 10 years ago, when we lived in Geneva, Switzerland , and took so many photos during our road trip to more than 20 countries in Western and Central Europe. Well, let's see whether I can bring them back alive and put them in My Purple World.

One thing for sure, it is now spring in many parts of the world, particularly in the western hemisphere. In Indonesia, spring is probably all year long, as we only have dry and rainy seasons along the year. 
And I love spring.
It always brings back the colors and the fun after a long, dull, cold winter.
It brings hope for new beginning, a new chapter of life.
Something to look forward to.

Well, as we are now fighting the pandemic, wherever we are, we long for that beautiful and warm spring, don't we? But as many of us are practising physical and social distancing, some are even in lock down, let's celebrate spring virtually. 

Morning cherry blossoms walk in Ueno Park, Japan

I still have so many photos of spring that I haven't really put here.
Including those from Spring time in Ueno, Japan, back in March 2018.
I transited in Tokyo on my way to Noumea, New Caledonia in the Pacific.
It was two years ago but it felt like yesterday.
That was also my first time coming to this Land of the Rising Sun.

I just managed to make the video of my spring trip to Japan.
I know..it's been too long but not that long enough to forget how lovely the trip was.

Feel free to enjoy the photos as much as I do and tell me what you think about spring.

I did manage to go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as well to see more cherry blossoms and enjoy more spring in Japan.

But hey, spring time in New York City is also beautiful.
We had so much time enjoying the cherry blossoms in Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the UN Rose Garden, and Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, Queens.

Cheers from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Now I kinda miss the UN Headquarters which looks lovely every spring due to those beautiful lines of cherry trees blooming in the Rose Garden, against the background of East River and the Queensboro Bridge. Well, you can see how I miss those places!

Happy spring, everyone!

So how do you enjoy spring in your place?
Is it your favorite season?

Meanwhile, wherever you are, stay healthy, happy and safe!
Happy spring and cheers..

WW: Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, Japan

Welcome to Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, Japan

My itchy feet is back on track!

This time, I have meetings in New York City for UN Security Council and I managed to have a brief transit at Tokyo, Japan, as I take ANA. It was around 9 hours lay over but with all the traveling to and from the airports (I arrived in Haneda and leaving to NYC from Narita Airport, mind you :)), I only managed to have around 3 hours enjoying downtown Tokyo.

This time, I decided to stop at Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi Park and Takeshita Dori in Harajuku area. It was a short but fun indeed!

Mini me and I :)..

The shrine is beautifully located in spacious Yoyogi Park, lined with plush green trees.

In the middle of it, we also see the 'sake wall', an interesting display of sake drum wrapped in straw and beautifully adorned with paintings.

I was happily taking pictures here and there obviously, while enjoying a nice stroll in Tokyo's summery day!

Complete story is coming for sure!
Meanwhile, enjoy some picture of it.

Cheers from Tokyo, Japan

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and enjoy the link party!

Breathtaking View of Mount Fuji

Breathtaking View of Mount Fuji

Don't you love this view? Mount Fuji from Kawaguchiko

What do you have in mind when you hear the word Japan?

Ramen and sushi? Doraemon, Manga comics? or Mount Fuji?

For me, it's all of them.

But for sure, I have Mount Fuji on top of my list since this mountain is super famous and I remember my days at my elementary school when we learn about geography.

Whenever we talked about Japan, Mount Fuji would be directly associated to this fascinating country.

Therefore, I have been intending to visit this beautiful spot since the first time I came to Japan. Finally, at my 5th visit, I managed to come to this famous spot.

I got the change to see the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji!

Alhamdulillah.

There are many ways to visit this place for a tourist like me, including by taking buses and trains as well as taking the tour packages abundantly offered at the airport as well as tourist spots.

But I was so lucky as I have friends living in Tokyo and they were kindly taking me to Mount Fuji and the surrounding areas. My huge thanks to dearest Hadi Tjahjono and Nita Tjahjono, my batch - mates who are assigned in Tokyo now, and Mba Ragil, my new friend who accompanied us in this trip.

It was so much fun with you, ladies, and I'm forever grateful.

The plan that we had was visiting Sato - Nenba, the traditional village near Fuji Mountain, and Lake Kwaguchi, or Kawagichiko.

Sounds great, right?

It was proved to be a wonderful plan and the universe also conspired, as the weather at that day was sunny and beautiful!

Lucky us.

Sato-Nenba, the traditional village near Mt. Fuji

It took around 2.5 hours drive from Tokyo to Sato-Nenba and as soon as we arrived there we took pictures here and there and went up to Kimono rent shop.
Sato-Nenba is a traditional village where you can see, enjoy and experience the Japanese way of living. There are Japanese traditional houses, tea house, traditional drawing corner and of course, the Kimono and Yukata rental.

Yup, that's the main attraction that we planned to do that day as one of my dreams were wearing purple kimono with Mount Fuji in the background.

Welcome to Sato-Nenba

But as soon as we arrived, before hiking up to the hill, the view of Mount Fuji is breathtaking!
At the bottom of the hill, there are some fruits and flowers beds which beautifully bloom as well.

And we managed to wear our favourite kimono and took tons of pictures as well!
As you know, I chose the purple one with sky blue combination and golden obi.
The pattern is Japanese fans.
I love my kimono so much and we managed to wear the traditional sandals.

Cheers from me and mini me

The, after enjoying our halal lunch (yes, they do have restaurant serving halal beef curry rice and vegetarian ramen there) and Dzhuhur break in the praying area which has been prepare as well here, we headed to Lake Kawaguchi.

It was another 45-minute drive from Sato-Nenba and along the way the view was super breathtaking!

So I guess, before I get back to more details of my trip, I'd better share the photos I took with my phone.

For sure, this amazing view is so gorgeous and we just couldn't help taking pictures non-stop. Every corner is so beautiful.

Here are the proof of how wonderful this place is!

So, will you visit Mount Fuji and the surroundings?

I highly recommend it!

Happy traveling!