LIFE OF ROBERT COUTELAS

Just finished reading a very inspiring and beautiful book about life of French artist Robert Coutelas written by his last partner and advocator Mariko Molia Kishi (in Japanese). Right now I am so inspired by this artist from only a few decades ago who seemed to rather have lived in the 12th century.

Famous for his unique "tarot cards" or cartes which he painted on cardboard with gouache every night for 17 years (!), the number of cartes he painted before he died in 1985 came to a total of as many as 6000. "Mes nuits" (my nights), is what he called his cartes. Painting was one of his passions, an inner adventure, he painted to sell his works in order to survive.

I first heard about Robert Coutelas and saw some of his cartes at now a next-door neighbour gallery to my shop last year and have been curious to find out more about him. Since another exhibition on Coutelas is now held at this gallery this was the perfect time to read and learn a little about him.

Right now you can see many of his cartes as well as his other larger paintings and small sculpture pieces in Azabudai, Tokyo at this very charming petite gallery called Gallery SU until 28th June. Also a great retrospective exhibition Le monde de Robert Coutelas is currently held in France until October this year. If you are interested and have a chance I recommend you go check out the exhibition either in Tokyo or in Chartres, or if lucky both.

You can see some of his works on Robert Coutelas website (beautiful website!), unfortunately the English pages are under construction so go click either Japanese or French and then go to Works page.

Gellery SU
Room 6, 3-3-23 Azabudai Minato-ku 106-0041(google map )
Stations: Roppongi 1-chome (Namboku Line Exit 2), Azabu-juban (Ooedo Line Exit 6), Roppongi (Ooedo Line/Hibiya Line Exit 3)
*If you will be visiting on the weekend please pop in to say hi at my shop next-door - I'm open on Friday, Saturday & Sundays ;)

SUNDAY BEER EVENING

After closing my shop on Sunday, we rushed to Komazawa Park where Oktoberfest German beer festival had been held. I know it's not October, and there has been just too many Oktoberfest happening in Tokyo almost all year round. I must say when I first heard about another one to be in Komazawa Park I thought Noooooo. But it was actually quite nice, really nice. The weather was just perfect for beer outside in the dusk. Even walking home was all fun, fatigue was gone.

The above instagram shot reminded me of this photo I took of another beer evening in Melbourne, about 5 years ago... That was also a good fun! I wonder if this place is still there?

PERMANENT MAGAZINE - つくる、たべる、かんがえる

PERMANENT is one of the most beautiful printed matters I've come across recently.
They talk about food and dining culture, thinking from everyday dining scenes and focus on things like how and where what we eat are made or produced and who are involved behind it. Stories based on interviews with the food producers, tea makers and coffee roasters, and ordinary family homes with great photographs, incredible smiles of just some ordinary people in the small Japanese towns of Kyushu, it's all so good. All beautifully told with wonderful captures of real lives, nothing is styled but it's all real and beautiful. It makes me learn, think and smile (and hungry). It is all so inspiring!

They also make some excellent movies connected with contents of each issue. Here are some that I especially like, hope you enjoy them too!


TOKADO COFFEE - "The Roasting" version. From PERMANENT no.2


Lunch Time in Toho Village. From PERMANENT no.1


Breakfast in Kumamoto City. From PERMANENT no.2

You can see all the other amazing movies here.
And you can order your copy from my shop, both issues have just been restocked!

Oh, and Kinfolk has just launched the first issue of their Japan Edition! I haven't seen it yet but wonder what it's like to read Kinfolk in Japanese!

PERMANENT website (Japanese only)

RECENTLY, ON INSTAGRAM - MAY

May in Tokyo is really lovely. Flowers all blooming and young leaves shining, we get hot summery days with cool evenings that are perfect for night walks and drinks out on the balcony. I just keep wishing Tokyo's summer will always be like this. But... I just heard on the radio that the Rainy Season has settled in Tokyo today. No way! It's still May :( Like how cherry blossoms started to pop out weeks early, rainy season came weeks early too! I love hydrangeas in rainy season though, they look so pretty in the rain, don't you think?

Instagram photos:
01. Dash of red - I had to stop my hands to get my phone to take this while sweeping the entrance of my shop. / 02. Anthology magazines sent for my shop for people to browse through by the kindest Cookie-san!  / 03. Adorable card set designed by Michelle who came to visit me in my shop :) / 04. Mexican Embroidery in the afternoon sun. / 05. Gorgeous gift from Mogu-chan - she sent me the original artwork of what she did from seeing that cat on my instagram as a surprise! / 06. Beautiful paper cords from paperphine.com

KAGOSHIMA

the most incredible "secret beach" of Bouno-tsu

Sakura-jima at dawn.

beautiful satsuma-kiriko glassware museum

Digging through some old photos, I found these I took in my trip to Kagoshima nearly 5 years ago. It's such a sweet memory, this trip was one of the best trips I've ever had within Japan.

I met up with my friend who had flew in there earlier visiting her grandma at the Kagoshima airport one early December morning where our fun journey begun.
In case you wonder where Kagoshima is, it's a prefecture located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. It was a great 4 day road trip, we drove around (well my friend did all the driving and I was in charge of the DJ-ing as I don't drive) Kagoshima from Kagoshima City to Chiran visiting the War Museum and Samurai Houses then drove down past endless beauty of the green tea fields to the southwestern tip of the Kyushu island Ibusuki. 

It was beginning of December and leaves were changing colours in Chiran but in Ibusuki we could still see bougainvilleas flowering everywhere. We tried the famous steam sand bath getting buried in the naturally hot and steamy sand at the beach with only our heads sticking out, we kept on laughing and was fun but I don't think I will try again. We also went into this gorgeous onsen (hot spring) near Kaimon-dake mountain overlooking the ocean, it was fantastic!

We kept on driving through the coast line towards Makurazaki, a small fishing town heading even further down to this most amazing beach called Bouno-tsu. After we drove past Makurazaki, we saw nobody around. It was so quiet and somehow felt pretty scary, there were smuggler warning signs everywhere. "Call police if you see suspicious boats or persons". When we finally reached our destination, Bouno-tsu, my heart started beating so fast. Half with excitement and half with fear. It was the most beautiful and most spiritual sight I had ever seen. I was scared not just of the smugglers but was scared of the beauty, I never felt like that before or even after that until now. I hope one day I can go back there, in the summer time.

We drove back to Kagoshima City, then took a ferry to Sakurajima - an active volcano. The power of nature is really incredible, I felt so a lot while travelling around Kagoshima. Other things I must mention about Kagoshima is their sweet and gentle people and gorgeous food. Everywhere we went, we ate. A lot. They had so much to please us. I was really sad to leave.
I parted with my friend at the airport and flew back to Tokyo.

Now I wonder how my friend is, the one I had this amazing trip together. Since she moved out from Tokyo 3 or 4 years ago we kind of grew apart. And it turns out her birthday is coming this weekend, what a good reminder. Time to be reunited I think.