Japan 2023 II
tokyo trip 2023
gotokuji 豪德寺
The reason I stumbled upon Gotokuji is quite amusing. After returning to Hong Kong last year, I attended an art fair show at Landmark Central organized by @ztoryteller.office. The event featured illustrations by a Polish artist @Mateusz Kolek. Intrigued by some of the illustrations, I ended up purchasing his book and a silk print from the exhibition. Inside the book, there was a giclée print of Gotokuji that sparked my curiosity, ultimately inspiring me to include a visit to Gotokuji in my Tokyo itinerary.
What are you?!cat or mouse?
Tokyo - Tori-no-ichi Fair
I consider myself fortunate that two friends of mine, whom I've known for over a decade in the UK, are still able to travel together. One of them moved to Tokyo for further studies and work after graduating from a university in England, and gratefully, this friend accompanied me to COLDPLAY concert!While exploring Tokyo, we were lucky enough to visit Shinjuku for the Tori-no-ichi Fair. This fair, if I'm not mistaken, is exclusively held in November. Nonetheless, it marked my first-ever visit to Japan in November, providing the opportunity to experience the fair for the first time, and it was truly a fantastic sight. Despite the temptation to purchase a souvenir, the logistical challenge of transporting a large item back home and the unappealing smaller options led me to choose capturing the beauty of the fair through numerous photos and videos to preserve the memories.
Navigating the crowd and immersing oneself in the fair proved to be quite a hustle, a situation aptly described in Cantonese as "people mountain people sea."it's funny to see a friend help the other friend to take picture in front of a crowd. Oh, she's influencer, the dedication required to consistently post every week is truly commendable.
This is the place where everyone comes to recycle the "prayer souvenir" from the previous year, only after presenting it to the divine and
expressing their gratitude.
We had a delightful evening strolling together, indulging in local snacks, and exploring Donki , chitchat, it feels like the youth time.( oh i
bought the instax pal in donki, quite fun to use, and it’s a party topic starter, but of cause the quality of the photos are bad)
Flea market
The following day, I woke early to visit the flea market near Ginza. However, the weather took a turn for the worse, with heavy rain pouring
down. My coat got soaked, and the outdoor stalls remained closed. I patiently waited for 30 minutes until the rain subsided and then
immersed myself in the world of antique items, vintage clothes, and paintings.
Meet up
One of the most unexpected and thrilling coincidence of the year occurred when I discovered that my ex-colleague was also attending the Coldplay concert on the same date. Surprisingly, we had no prior knowledge of each other's plans to be there. Seizing the moment, I promptly sent her a direct message to inquire if she would be interested in meeting up for an afternoon rendezvous. It was a delightful experience catching up with her in Tokyo, especially considering our last meeting had taken place a year ago.Following my farewell to my ex-colleague, I joined my friends for a yakiniku dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. I brought along the new camera I purchased from Donki, which turned out to be incredibly fun to use, despite the somewhat lackluster picture quality.
Another Meet up
The following morning, I reunited with a university friend I hadn't seen since 2020 or 2021 due to my frequent travels and residence in South Africa. Interestingly, our paths crossed once more, this time thanks to COLDPLAY. What a coincidence!In Shinjuku, we convened for lunch featuring a delightful bowl of ramen. Our leisurely stroll through the streets unfolded as we sought out a distinctive film exclusive to Japan—the Fujifilm Superia 400. Concurrently, we embarked on an endeavour to locate a Cartier timepiece that had eluded my friend's pursuit for several years.
Before bidding farewell, I presented her with a roll of Kodak Vision 3 250 D film, encouraging her to delve into the realm of movie film alongside traditional photography. I hope she finds joy in exploring this cinematic medium. ; )