TOKYO: Ultimate List of My Favorite Places

This is my ultimate favorite places in Tokyo and an ongoing list, which I will gradually update. For those who seek for my recommendations, I have my Google Maps list saved in this article too. I hope my list can help you finding lovely places in Tokyo!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY MAP

Stationeries and art supplies:

• Sekaido
• Tokyu Hands in Shibuya (they also have a nice cafe on top)
• Loft (go to the ground floor and the one on top)

Coffee:

• Blue Bottle
• FRANKIE Melbourne Espresso in Shimokitazawa (SO GOOD OMAGAH)
• About Life Coffee Brewers

Design, art, photography books:

• Village Vanguard in Shimokitazawa

Accessories:

• Romantic Standard
• Punyus
• Wego
• Basically all around Harajuku

Concept cafe:

• Aoyama Flower Market Tea House (be ready for long queue)
• Honey mi Honey Pink is Heart Motel cafe
• L'occitane Cafe Shibuya for a nice view of the famous crossing (or if you're willing to queue, just go to Starbucks at the crossing

Kawaii Trinkets:

• La Foret (lovely local designers hand made stuff at a price)
• Flying Tiger
• Village Vanguard in Shimokitazawa
• Basically everywhere

Cute gallery shop:

• Nathalie Lete's shop (Le Monde de Nathalie)
• Gallery Doux Dimanche

For a lovely stroll around the neighborhood:

• Shimokitazawa
• Kichijoji
• Aoyama
• Omotesando
• The street of Aoyama-Itchome (in front of Shake Shack) for LOVELY AUTUMN golden leaves tunnel like this
• Main road of Ginza on Sunday for car free day!

Picnic:

• Shinjuku Gyoen
• Yoyogi Koen

Others:

• Gotokuji Temple
• Now Is Forever mural (seen many many many times here)
• Don Quijote (for crazy A-Z store that opens 24 hours)

Eat:

• Gyukatsu Motomura
• Ramen Ouka
• Yayoiken
• Dominique Ansel
• Shake Shack
• Luke's Lobster (I'm not a fan of, but I put them in this list because they kind of that meal you must try in Tokyo for most people)
• Uobei Sushi (for cheap sushi, taste wise - similar to Sushi Tei)

Stay:

• Nui Hostel (I stayed here many times, great hostel, clean, top notch service & they serve good coffee at their cafe)
• APA Hotel (affordable hotel at good locations, room is VERY small)

Wifi:

• E-connect 

Cheap luggage:

• Ginza Karen (my luggage wheel broke and I had to buy a new one. Bought 27" luggage for only Rp 700.000)

People I Follow: 5 Photography Instagrammers

I'm following thousands of people on Instagram because simply Instagram is my main source of quick inspo, besides Pinterest and people in real life. Today I'm sharing with you my top 5 photography instagrammers I follow on Instagram.

JIMMY MARBLE

JESSE MARBLE

ANAIS KUGEL

BOBO MATJILA

SHE SELF PHOTOGRAPHED HER STUDIO SHOOTS.

WAIT WHAT?!

LI HUI

Sketch Book #2

Letterpress Business Card

Tahun 2017 lalu aku decided untuk bikin business card yang 'serius'. Bukannya berarti business card aku yang sebelumnya gak serius yaa, tapi aku mau bikin business card yang well made dan bisa represent myself more to my clients. Menurut aku business card ini small thing yang lumayan berpengaruh untuk first impression aku di depan client aku, dengan kerjaan aku yang terhitung freelancing ini. Business card ini aku design sendiri tentunya. Aku udah lama banget mau punya business card yang letterpres. Intinya ini sih gara-gara waktu di Tokyo, pas lagi jaga booth #88LOVELIFE di Tokyo Art Book Fair 2016, aku ketemu dengan Karan Singh. Awalnya aku gak tau dia siapa, tapi dia kasih aku business cardnya, yang adalah letterpress business card. Aku inget banget saat itu aku langsung mikir 'ini orang pasti siapa deh soalnya business cardnya bagus banget!'. Then aku cerita sama Rudi tentang orang ini, ternyata Rudi udah tau Karan since some time ago karena this guy is apparently pretty famous. Hahahaha aku telat banget. Nah gara-gara Karan ini lah aku akhirnya decided untuk bikin business card yang letterpress. Tapi bukan yang langsung bikin pas pulang ke Jakarta ya, aku mikir-mikir dulu (mikir super lama). Soalnya letterpress ini mahal banget. Satu kotak business card yang biasa aku bikin dulu itu harganya gak sampe seratus ribu. Sedangkan business card yang letterpress ini harganya 20 kali lipat harga business card aku yang biasa. Gimana gak sakit kepala ya kan. Tapi akhirnya setelah mikir (mikirnya literally setahun), akhirnya di 2017 aku bikin deh letterpress business card ini, a few weeks sebelum aku berangkat ke Tokyo untuk Tokyo Art Book Fair 2017. Aku bikinnya di The Distillery, kebetulan memang udah terkenal dengan letterpress worksnya, dan lokasinya aku lewatin hampir setiap hari. Proses bikinnya lumayan cepet dan aku sempet ikutan nyobain mesin letterpressnya. Then after that I understand why letterpress cards are bloody expensive, soalnya nge-press nya berat banget alatnya, yakin yang bikin letterpress pasti bicepsnya kebentuk dengan sendirinya hahahhaha. Anyway, here are some pictures of the samples.

Business card ini bloody expensive sih menurut aku, tapi worth the price karena setiap aku kasih business card ini ke clients, selaluuu mengundang compliments. Jadi gak nyesel sama sekali bikin business card yang well made kayak gini.

PHOTO DIARY: SUMMER IN TOKYO

HOT SUMMER IN MY FAVE CITY :)

The Prettiest Rose Garden in Yokohama

Aku udah pernah share foto-foto dari English Garden di Yokohama ini di blog aku yang lama. But I want to share it again di sini karena English Garden ini bener-bener unforgettable. Waktu itu aku dalam rangka solo trip di Tokyo, tapi karena udah lumayan bingung mau kemana lagi di Tokyo, akhirnya aku decided untuk day trip ke Yokohama. Waktu itu sekalian mau liat Pikachu parade di Yokohama, karena ada schedule paradenya, jadi aku ke English Garden dulu. Panasnya jangan ditanya deh, ampuuuuuuunnnn. Inget banget sehari di Yokohama itu aku ga makan karena males (kebiasaan), jadi aku cuma minum kopi kalengan aja beberapa kaleng selama di Yokohama. My only meal sepanjang hari itu cuma breakfast susu dan onigiri di pagi harinya untuk sarapan, siangnya minum kopi itu. Baru terasa setelah jam 7 malem, udah seharian berjemur, laper banget, tapi kalo makan dulu bisa-bisa kemaleman pulang ke Tokyo nya. Akhirnya aku tahan laper sampe di Tokyo, udah mau pingsan banget saking lemesnya (dan over caffeinated tuh clearly gak bagus hahahahaha). Sepanjang perjalanan di kereta aku berdoa supaya gak pingsan, karena gak lucu turis sendirian trus pingsan. Akhirnya sampe juga sih di Tokyo dengan segala upaya dan gak putus berdoa. Anyway, here are some pictures from Yokohama English Garden. Bagus bangeeeettt! Masuknya 500 yen, bisa keliling taman selama yang kita mau. Emang paling bagus pas summer karena bunganya pas mekar semua. Kalo spring banyaknya Hydrangea aja. Foto-foto ini gak diedit sama sekali, cuma aku cropping dan resize. Warnanya bagus banget ya! Bagusnya foto kalo colorful di summer tuh begini. Tapi jangan tanya aslinya panasnya kayak apa hahahaha.