Simple Living

Discovering Fountain Pens at Tokyu Hands During my time in Shibuya, I decided to explore the Tokyu Hands Department Store. I was pleased to find a modest but decent selection of fountain pens and inks on the 5th floor, with prices that were fantastic at just 1,500 Yen. I couldn’t resist picking up my second Iroshizuku Ink—Murasaki Shikibu (Purple)—which I had always wanted. To my surprise, it was cheaper here than on Amazon! Iroshizuku Ink: Murasaki Shikibu The name Murasaki Shikibu is a clever play on words, referring both to a famous Japanese author and a purple berry. The author had a penchant for purple clothing, and the berry is also purple in color. It’s intriguing to think that the berry might have been named after the author, which could explain why the ink is colored after her! In terms of its appearance, Murasaki Shikibu is not as vibrant as Kon-Peki, but I appreciate its more subdued characteristic. The ink flows well, possibly because I left a few drops of water in my Plat

Tokyo Blitz: A 3-Day Adventure I took advantage of the 3-day weekend and jetted off to Tokyo via Haneda Airport. During my short blitz, I managed to visit six locations: Shinjuku / Kabukicho Akihabara Shinagawa/Sengaku-Ji Ginza Shibuya Haneda Objectives for the Trip My goals for the trip included: Indulging in my hobbies (headphones, fountain pens, shoes, coffee, and reading) Finishing a novel Staying within budget Having fun I’m pleased to report that I achieved all my objectives! The highlight was staying within budget while enjoying nearly everything on my list. Budget Overview I took 66,000 Yen with me and used cash only, which made tracking my spending easy. I ended the trip with 50,000 Yen remaining (5 x 10k Yen notes). Lodging: 3,600 Yen Transportation (Trains): 2,000 Yen Food, Drink, Misc: 8,900 Yen Iroshizuku Ink: 1,500 Yen Total: 16,000 Yen That’s roughly $75 USD per day—an impressive feat in Japan! In contrast, anywhere else would likely have cost me $400 USD a day for

Exploring 'Snow Country' by Yasunari Kawabata I took a break from Mishima and picked up Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. I’ve been eager to delve into his works, and although I couldn’t find anything at the used bookstore, I spotted a new copy at Barnes & Noble. Sure, it might be cheaper online, but I feel it's important to support brick-and-mortar stores. After all, what’s the point of having them if we only buy online? First Impressions The book is surprisingly short, clocking in at just 177 pages. I figured I’d easily finish it over the weekend and then decide what to read next. Update: 5/28/17 It took a bit longer than I anticipated, but I finally finished the novel while I was in Japan. It felt like the perfect setting to read this book! Overall, I found it okay, with a general understanding of the story revolving around Shimamura, Komako, and Yoko. The cast is quite simple, yet their interactions create a compelling narrative. However, I sensed that the English