Zakka at Home in Japan

All the photos are courtesy of The Pal, who is a much better photographer than I.

I am so excited to be in Japan right now. Home of all things kawaii and zakka, I am in heaven. The attention to detail on everything from the warm toilet seats to the engravings on 800 year old temples is extraordinary- this is a culture that likes to get it right.

In a totally unexpected way, too, floods of schoolgirl Japanese are coming back. Words I haven't thought about for nine years or more are flowing out of me like water - such an odd feeling. These memories are of useful phrases such as "one way train ticket" and "I'd like the bill please" but are also peppered with "usagi means rabbit!" and "enpitsu means pencil!". Very strange indeed.

In that spirit of the stream of conscious, I thought I'd share with you a beautiful Nikko find called Nazuna - an antique and zakka shop that was a dangerous place for me to visit!
The most beautifully curated collection of antiquey things - I loved these old wooden spools (if I sewed they'd be coming home) and this set of Japanese family name stamps.
I ended up, in a very restrained way I thought, coming home with a few cards, an antique kimono jacket and a beautiful old key from The Pal for Christmas, which I shall find a chain for to hang around my neck.
I was also very tempted by these dolls, but my suitcase - yes, a carry on - is really already straining at the edges, and I haven't even hit Tokyo's stationery sellers!
I'll post some pictures of some purchases soon. In the meantime, Happy New Year! May 2009 be full of all you wish for.