Sunday, January 23, 2011

January 23 Tokyo

When we entered the staff entrance to the Tokyo Dome this morning, we could check the posted figures for attendance. Yesterday there were 36,874 visitors to the International Great Quilt Show, or 104% of last year's numbers. It was buzzing.



Liz Valentin introduced herself and reminded me that she had emailed about meeting in Tokyo at this quilt show. Liz is a feltmaker who works with freshly shorn fleece making handbags and accessories. Both she and her husband work for Cirque Du Soleil and will be working and living in Tokyo. What a fabulous opportunity. She is upbeat, enthusiastic, jazzed and just the person this should happen to. Did she tell me she is headed to Kyoto for a couple days, and will take in several handicraft workshops while there? (gosh, hope I am not confusing our visit with the 376 others I enjoyed today) It is much more meaningful to have email correspondence when you actually get to meet the peeson behind the keyboard. Hope she keeps in touch.




Yuko Sugimoto was wearing a clever and beautiful necklace. She was quick to add "it isnt my design, I learned it in a class" when we admired it.



These two bubbly and beautiful felters came for a new supply of wool AND to show me the photo of the 3 of us from the last time we were together at the quilt show. They didn't want to have them mentioned by name.



This tea farmer had a beautiful booth featuring his produce in many forms. He offers teas of varying leaf sizes and matcha powders so smooth and fine that when shaken in a bottle of water, it dispersed uniformly into suspension without clumps. The scent of matcha hangs in the air and I love it.
I apologize for the postings where, culinary tales overwhelm felting and beading content.


Tonight we dined at Yugyo-an Tankuma Japanese Restaurant in the Tokyo Dome Hotel. Kazuhide ordered us a special Kyoto beer. It was yeasty and bitter and cold and delish.


There were 9 elegantly served and impeccably designed courses. The contrasting textures and flavors along with the colorful arrangements epitomize Japanese cuisine.


I'm not going to make you look at more than a couple courses, to see what I mean.


Notice that the foreigner, moi, isn't the only one taking pictures of the food. Takashi here, Shoko and Kazuhide were just as into it as I was.
After midnight already? Gotta go...tomorrow's another day.
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