April 2019 was one heck of a month for me this year. Not only did I get to spend my first Spring ever in Tokyo with Shun, but I also got so much company from close friends. From going on a road trip at the end of March with Brian to Christina and Sandra visiting for 3 weeks or so, it was quite eventful, to say the least. I'll keep it short since this post is way overdue and I don't quite remember all of my sentiments for everything that happened. Looking back, I just know for sure that next Spring in Japan is going to be even more spectacular.

Asides from all of the photo credits, you'll also find the location where each set of photos were taken. Hopefully, this will serve as a mini guide to where you can grab your cherry blossom shots next year from a local tourist like me.

Outfit

April 1, 2019

Coat: Alpha Industries
Top: Shopbop (similar Mara Hoffman)
Pants: AGOLDE
Shoes: Common Projects

Photo by Brian N.
Shot in Roppongi, Tokyo

Outfit

April 5, 2019

Shirt: GAP Tee
Dress: &OtherStories
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: STAUD

Photo by Christina L.
Shot in Chidorigafuchi Park, Tokyo

Outfit

April 10, 2019

Top: &OtherStories
Pants: GRLFRND
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Sezané 'Croco Victor Bag'

Photo by Christina L.
Shot in Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Tokyo

Outfit

April 13, 2019

Top: Acne Studios
Pants: AGOLDE
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Sezané 'Croco Victor Bag'

Photo by Christina L.
Shot in Shinjuku Piss Alley (Omoide Yokocho), Tokyo

Outfit

April 14, 2019

Linen Blazer: (similar &OtherStories)
Top: GAP Tee
Skirt: VICI
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Proenza Schouler

Photo by Shun S.
Shot in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo

Outfit

April 21, 2019

Denim Jacket: Moontan via WCONCEPT
Dress: VICI
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Loewe Puzzle in 'Stone Blue'

Photo by Shun S.
Shot in Shibuya, Tokyo

Wearing

All pieces in this post

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Springing / 032019

It's better late than never, is not one of my favorite sayings, but one that I use pretty often on this journey of trying to document my life in a series of monthly blog posts. Here we are in June and I'm embarrassed to say that these are the things I did, wore, and digitally collected back in March. I'm not sure what exactly happened to most of my motivation for keeping these things consistent, but somehow I'm where I am now - and all I can do is try and catch up. With that said, I hope April and May's posts are coming soon to a screen near you.

March marked my very first Spring in Tokyo official, and I was actually looking forward to experiencing a local cherry blossom season that I generally miss when I visited late April previously. It also marked the calm before the storm as the events leading up to April seemed heavily packed, physically and emotionally.

Outfit

March 16, 2019

Coat: United Arrows JP
Sweater: LNA via Shopbop
Pants: GRLFRND Denim
Shoes: Chanel Espadrilles
Bag: Chanel (similar)

Photo by Shun S.

Travels

Hong Kong
March 17-24, 2019

Shun and I did manage to take a quick trip to Hong Kong again (I know we said we'd be making the most out of our Asia location to explore other SEA countries, but we couldn't resist when tickets were dirt cheap last minute.) I've been meaning to put together a travel diary from our time there as well, but as you can tell- I'm in no position to make promises on when, or if that's even happening. It was definitely a much slower paced trip than our first visit a couple of years ago, and we also managed to finally cross off some photo spots that we skipped out on the very first time. Just writing about Hong Kong is making me crave a cup of milk tea from the grandmas and grandpa's shop on the corner. Oh ,and I definitely could go for another order of tea-smoked chicken from John Anthony's too.

Outfit

March 24, 2019

Coat: Mute by JL
Top: Uniqlo
Dress: Topshop via Nordstrom (similar from Réalisation)
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Chanel

Photo by Shun S.

Travel

Tokyo Roadtrip to Nagoya, Nara, and Osaka
March 28, 2019

Towards the end of March, we got a spontaneous visitor (my old friend Brian from SF). He came on a whim, and since the cherry blossoms barely bloomed in Tokyo, we decided that we would do a road trip from Tokyo all the way to Osaka to spot some in more quaint areas. It was only a three-day trip, but it really made me fell in love with Japan, and Tokyo even more. I couldn't help but feel super blessed to be where I am coming back from that trip. I mean, have you guys seen this photo that we captured of Mt. Fuji by a random lakeside (since we missed golden hour due to traffic).

Anyway, I'll end this month here since my thoughts are diluted by how long it has been since - but hopefully I'll be able to share more updated things from here on out.

Wearing

All pieces in this post

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Lots of Love / 022019

It might be a little too late to even write this now, but I'm forcing myself to press a few keys to make a few sentences so that I can put together this post that's way too overdue. The past few weeks, actually months - has been a blur. A good blur at least. I'm finally starting to feel more settled now, emotionally and physically.

February was such a love-filled month spent with Shun. It actually makes me take back everything I've thought about dating long distance the previous few years going through it.

Below are just some of the few outfits that I've worn during the month of February hoping that by documenting them, I can look back next year and see if I'm able to restyle any of the pieces I've worn here.

Fashion

February 6, 2019

Coat: Mute by JL (oldie)
Sweater: via Shopbop
Pants: Uniqlo
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Proenza Schouler PS11

Self-portraits

Fashion

February 8, 2019

Coat: Maison Margiela (similar)
Top: Gap
Pants: GRLFRND
Belt: B-LOW The Belt
Shoes: Common Projects
Bag: Staud

Photo by Shun S.

Fashion

February 16, 2019

Top: Destroyed Knit
Skirt: Similar Leopard Skirt
Shoes: Acne Studios
Bag: J.W Anderson Pierce Mini

Self-portraits

Fashion

February 17, 2019

Working with Everlane has been something I wasn't expecting to happen while I was in Tokyo. But I'm so glad I got this opportunity. More on this outfit in a separate post 'No Grey Days'.

Coat: ASTR the Label via Shopbop (on sale)
Top: Everlane (c/o)
Pants: GRLFRND Denim
Shoes: Everlane (c/o)
Bag: Loewe Puzzle Bag (Stone Blue)

Photo by Shun S.

Wearing

All pieces in this post

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Takaragawa Onsen, Minakami, Japan

Having been spoiled by the calmest winter I've ever experienced in my life since moving to New York City at 8 years old - I was really itching to see some snow this year in Japan. Upon a quick search, it was easy to locate a bunch of snowy destinations and snow peaks perfect for a day of snowboarding, skiing, or any other winter-related activities within hours away from the center of Tokyo. But I was looking for something a bit more relaxing. Of course, there is no shortage of onsens and ryokans that are available in Tokyo but finding one that was close to some snow took some digging. I came across Takaragawa Onsen and I was immediately mesmerized by the open-air bath. So alas, I dragged my boyfriend here for a weekend get-away to celebrate our monthnaversary (no idea why we still do this after like 6 years, but I know there are others doing this still, so I don't feel too cheesy sharing).

During the booking process, we quickly learned that this onsen actually boasts the largest open-air bath onsen in all of Japan, making us even more excited to see it in person.

Getting to this onsen was a bit of a journey though. Instead of using the JR/Shinkansen trains, we got a package that provided a kaiseki-style dinner and breakfast along with roundtrip bus rides from Shinjuku Station. Taking the train would have saved us about 2 hours from the entire journey, but, it would mean that we would have to trek our way to the location of the onsen without their shuttle service. Compared to taking the train, the bus ride lasted about 4 hours total, with stops several times throughout at some pretty cool rest stops. My boyfriend and I agreed that this was probably just as fun as the stay at the onsen to be quite honest. It's not every day that you can take a long drive through rural parts of Japan without worrying about driving and just catching up and stopping for snacks. Plus we actually went on a weekday (Thursday) meaning there was no tourists in sight and only 6 other guests on a 40 person bus with us.

Using the hotel's mode of transport ensured that we would arrive on time for check-in. Meaning we didn't have much time to really explore the grounds before our dinner promptly at 6:30 pm.

Sleeping early allowed us to wake up pretty early the next morning to go soak in the onsen, finally. To our surprise, there are actually 4 open-air onsens in the vicinity. One each specifically for each gender, and two co-op baths (I believe). The photos above are of me in the gloriously acclaimed "biggest open-air bath onsen" in all of Japan. It was such a cool experience to be able to float around in warm water with snow and a river surrounding me. It was also really calm and peaceful since there weren't many people in around (hence being able to take these photos despite being in an onsen). It is also worth noting that you are given a yukata to wear for walking around and between the baths when you check in. Girls are given a short dress to bathe in the co-op baths too!

Alas, my snow cravings were satisfied and I didn't even feel that much burdened by it - instead, it made me even more relieved. If you're looking for a close to nature experience in Tokyo the next time you visit, then I highly recommend this little gem. I can only imagine how pretty it is during the foliage fall season.

For more of my Japan adventures, click here.

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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D600 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens.

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