Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 4

What all the cool skateboards are wearing this season

If your skateboard hates going around naked in public, in Japan you can buy it a nice outfit to preserve its modesty! Actually, it’s pretty common in Japan to put bespoke covers on belongings that might scratch or dirty the train on your way to having fun. I’ve also spotted basketball covers… and skins toContinue reading "What all the cool skateboards are wearing this season"

Fabulous folk art cats

If yesterday’s “Fairy Tale“ exhibit post wasn’t enough to get you to the current exhibition at the Hotel Gajoen before it closes, I’m here to push you off the edge of the table with THESE. The cat theme runs strong throughout the show, but the ones that really put a smile on my face wereContinue reading "Fabulous folk art cats"

Art X Japanese Folk Tales at this deliciously creepy art exhibit

From magical births to bamboo princesses, this whimsical (and slightly spooky) folk tale exhibit at the Hotel Gajoen is well worth climbing its Hyaku Kaidan (hundred step staircase) to see! The lavishly decorated rooms (each painted by a different famous master) are the perfect setting for the traditional arts on display, and each room hasContinue reading "Art X Japanese Folk Tales at this deliciously creepy art exhibit"

Taste Test: Japanese No-Alcohol Beer Smackdown

It’s been a few years since I did a taste test on Japanese no-alcohol beers, and now that so many people are opting to get buff instead of blotto, I thought it might be time for a rematch! Last time, they were more like the food stand-ins that stylists use for photo shoots: looks likeContinue reading "Taste Test: Japanese No-Alcohol Beer Smackdown"

Wingtips, with a mullet

Business in the front, beach party in the back! Summer in Japan is so hot and steamy that any hack that still looks office-worthy while cutting down on the unbearable sweatiness is fair game. • If you love to laugh at strange Japanese stuff you’d never see anywhere else…

It’s summertime at the goldfish museum!

Summertime is goldfish season in Japan, and nowhere is more spectacularly summery than the Art Aquarium Museum. The exotic fishies are surrounded by floral bounty… and there’ are none’s nothing more seasonal than the lotus blossoms that grace the tanks of these beauties… for a summertime classic twofer. Also new for summer are the bankContinue reading "It’s summertime at the goldfish museum!"

Proud alumnus of…

WART UNIVERSITY. Unclear how much one’s post-grad networking would be enhanced by flaunting this affiliation… • If you love to laugh at strange Japanese stuff you’d never see anywhere else…

Making Nuno Textiles: The best Japanese fabric art exhibition EVER

If you have even the slightest interest in all things textile, the first thing you do after you step off the plane in Japan is make a beeline for the Nuno store. It’s a treasure trove of cutting-edge fabrics designed by Reiko Sudo, the creative mastermind (and all-around warm and generous person) who has spentContinue reading "Making Nuno Textiles: The best Japanese fabric art exhibition EVER"

Alt Cherry

This spring has been hella cold and rainy, so not only did the cherry blossoms bloom a week late, everyone’s selfies in front of the pinkness feature brave smiles hunched in Seattle-worthy raingear. Which is why we need to be cheered by the pink pleasures of hanami season that don’t give a fig for theContinue reading "Alt Cherry"

Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024

If you think that “kimono fashion” is something that went out when samurai stopped roaming the streets, think again! Not only is modern kimono dressing alive and well, the annual Tokyo Kimono Show is where designers showcase their latest innovations. This year’s special exhibit was a rare chance to see Heian period robes (from whenContinue reading "Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024"