Another Year in Tokyo

And sometimes elsewhere.

"Junyi says..."

A serious thought

What’s the meaning of owning a paid blog hosting, two fancy cameras + three pricy lenses, and a passion for traveling without recording and remembering??

A “supposed” candid travel blogger, in the making, hopefully.

I have been battling whether I should keep this blog hosting for a while. Yes, I am keeping it, but I still can’t help but wonder what is the meaning of owning such a thing without much contents, and visitors either for that matter.

This is a little embarrassing. I don’t want to reinforce the idea that I am a quitter again. I thought about posting various projects of my life in Tokyo as foreigner here over the past 4 years, but I ended up doing it only once or twice a year. Recently, I started again, but most likely because I was too bored during the pandemic lockdown.

This has to change dramatically. As a first step, I will do a recap of my past travelings in Japan before my move to Germany, then start some regular stuff here. I want to create things.

One dish: green, green, green

Seasonal treat means seasonal color, smell, and the joy.

And of course the taste. 🙂

Simple and refreshing is the name of this season.

End of May and before the beginning of June is my favorite season in Tokyo. It is not too hot, but warm enough to wear only one layer of clothes; it has some humidity in the air, but not too much as in the rainy season to come; and most importantly, all the green colors around the corner are starting to flourish, and it always brings me joy.

This salad is not a fixed recipe. I just add the greenish items I like/have at the moment, and add a little other colors on top of it. Boil them if necessary, or eat raw if you are good with fibre. 😉 The seasoning is very simple – I almost only use sashimi soysauce (light and good for umami) and a little sesame oil, with optional sugar. It is low calorie, high fibre, and stimulates a good appetite.

For a more special and “Japanese” taste as an accent, try adding some “Shiso” or 紫蘇 in Japanese.

That is the mood of today!

White Shirt Mood of The Day

The most versatile, expressive, changing and yet the most constant, simple and mundane mood.

It was a moody Saturday, with changing shape of clouds and fading sunshine from time and time – perfect mood for some self -portrait photography experiment.

I have been having a serious crush on white shirt those days. It is such a versatile item, with its plain expression yet ever-changing shape of different fades and shadows to work perfectly in almost every setup. I prefer to think, it also has its own character; it is classic, and it brings in the depth and the contrast exactly the way you want to. You need nothing else 🙂

The ultimate conservative.
Or a few more colors with a different expression.
A little more intimate as a shirt dress.

I am bringing out a new series of how I style with basic white shirts recently… I love it, can’t wait to share here!

Mood of the Day: Lunch Ritual

#stayhome and #wfh makes the daily lunch time the much needed break in the day.

Are there others who are like me, that the most productive time during a #wfh day is when preparing meals? (don’t tell my boss) Previously it was just about dinner, and I was focusing on making healthy, delicious international eats to go with my home gym training plan. Now, it has reached a new peak in my culinary journey: lunch has become a ritual that is dedicated to the state of mind and the spotlight of the day.

Today’s menu: Chinese beef stew, Japanese miso soup, international salad, yoghurt, asparagus and eggs.

The beef stew recipe is from my mom. When I was little, and whenever I got sick my mom would make her best beef stew to comfort my stomach and cheer me up. Even though she was not such a great chef as she is now, this beef stew was among the most dishes that reminds me of home.

Fatty beef, potato chunks, tomato chunks, and sometimes with vermicelli make this the soul food for me. Surprisingly they have a similar dish here in Japan: nikujyaga (肉じゃが), which basically means beef and potato.

I have also been careful about my diet recently. Not baking any banana bread, but focusing on moving on to a healthier diet with some more variety. Starting from the easy ones, I am adding more salads and basics to my Chinese and Japanese themed menu. (And removed a lot of starch from my usual diet, such as rice or noodles.)

To battle with the urge to eat more in the afternoon, and to have something more to look forward to after the celebrated lunch, I also plan a small delicacy with a Nespresso. Today’s special is my beloved salty mochi with red beans (塩豆大福), enjoy!

Have a nice afternoon coffee!

A Day Inside with Shots

For the mood quarantine brings me this time.

I bought my new toy – Fujifilm X-T30 – recently, right before the launch of Fujifilm’s new X-T series mirrorless camera, X-T4. I did that because figured I can still use my old X-T1 for most of the time, and this “little giant” could be a nice new and light companion when I wanted a bit more freedom on my shoulders.

Quarantine does not agree with my new plans to try it out, yet it cannot stop me from taking some highly Narcissistic yet intimate shots inside. So, here it goes: enjoy the mood and the colors of this depressing day! 

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All taken with Fujifilm X-T30 and 23mm f/2.0 prime lense.

Quarantine in Style #1

Then you realize you style up for yourself, no one else, although some audience would certainly be motivating.

The Other Side of Oneself.

It has been a half way “lockdown” in Tokyo for more than one month. Coming from a highly disciplined family background, I myself, however, have been practicing social distance since I got back here in early March. And as you can imagine, because you have probably been there as well, more than two months of solitude is not easy for a camera girl (or wannabe, for accuracy).

In a peaceful afternoon, I finally gave in to my inner urge, and started to try out my new spring/summer collections even I don’t have plans to go out at all. It was amazingly satisfying – not that the staring from the opposite building was nice as I was shooting on the balcony, but that I could be even more audacious about what to wear, what to go with that little black lace camisole… oh well.

Mastering the Tank Top

I like tank tops. They are flattering when you have nice and firm arms and shoulders. It is, however, difficult to appeal to the feminine side of oneself, which is why I tend to wear it with skirts.

Both the color of the tank top and the pencil skirt can be categorized as Beige, and that makes them go together nicely. The pink tone connects naturally with white shoes in general.
It is rare to see such a floral skirt from ZARA. I like the effortless overall style which comprises a calming daily look, that you can even wear going to the 7-11 next door.

Playing with Color – Green

Green is in the spotlight this year. Or even it is not, it is just such a warm color for an effortless look that is refreshing, feminine, and a little French with an Asian accent when paired right.

This green floral one piece dress is not new. The handbag, though, is. Look how this French dress paired in harmony with the Japanese traditional leather handbag.
This is just too feminine, that I cannot even wear going out either by myself or with my boyfriend. But I like the turquoise color print of the dress, and it shows different characters with and without the cardigan. Maybe I wear it not in Japan. hmmm.

Playing with Color – Black

Black has always been the color that I like the most. Not that I am a dark person, but from a young age I found myself most attractive to the mysterious atmosphere created by different layers of this color. It is a little tricky to wear it, though, as my natural hair color is also black, and that could bring out too much heaviness. My trick is to use another accent color.

White is always a good friend of black. But I actually think I could have survive without the cardigan but only the shoes, as the black lace camisole already softened the overall heaviness.
This is what my killer look would be like. I like it! But it is so heavy, that I had to put on my red heels to take away some focus and in a complete look I would perhaps use a pair of red lips, too.

Playing with Color – Blue

It is not that I am going through all the colors we know. I used to buy my clothes in the blue palette a lot, as it is safe and it goes well with everything. The downside of that would be it is sort of a boring color series. Certainly, some blues have more characters, but I say use its versatility and go match-up.

The blue shirt is the center of this look. Pairing it with plead pants in blue-ish grey and to bring out the light, I chose no-color sandals and the purple hair accessory is the accent.
This is one of my more characteristic blue dress. Still, blue is the calming part of it, and accessories and shoes matching the white component make it more naturally harmonized.

So, this is what I have been playing around during this difficult time period. I hope I don’t have to have #2, and even worse, #3 coming up, as I really hope things can get back to normal soon… but none the less, I found staying home becomes more entertaining with such experiments, and taking notes of it.

I am not a stylist at all, but I enjoyed coordinating my imaginary outfits going out, and I hope you enjoyed it as well! 🙂