In the Area

• Photo wedding with Salon de Parure

  Setagaya-ku

  I was sceptical about a 'photo wedding', I mean, it's not really as wedding, is it?  That said, if you want to avoid all the fuss and/or expensive of a regular wedding event, there are lots of photo wedding options to choose from in Japan.  After a lot of searches and research, we got our options down to two or three 'studios' that could do this.  After having a sit down with all of them, we settled on Salon de Parure.  Why?  Because the staff were friendly and accommodating, their 'office' is attached to a really nice coffee shop in a really nice part of Tokyo (Futagotamagawa), the pace of their operation seemed relaxed, and the partner was happy with the selection of white dresses.The photo wedding worked in three stages; an initial sit down where were thrashed out the kind of thing we wanted with what was actually available, another meeting to pick out clothes and accessories, and then, finally, the shoot.The dress selection and fitting took around 1- 2 hrs.  The shoot was an afternoon. Salon de Parure had a couple of nice 'studios' or 'sets' to choose from.  They seem to specialize in a kind of homely, natural, organic vibe.  On the day of the shoot, we had a coordinator, photography, and hair & makeup lady.  All were super friendly, really professional, and made the afternoon a lot of fun.  As I said, I was sceptical at first, but have to say I really enjoyed the afternoon.When it's all done, they send you a disk with the photos, from there you pick out the ones you'd like to have put in a photo album (if you selected this option).  They then put it all together, and send it to you some weeks later (I can't remember exactly how long it took).Overall, this place is highly recommended for a 'photo wedding'.  Not sure of their ability to handle English, but I dare say your partner is Japanese, so it shouldn't be a problem.These things don't come cheap, however.

  

• Doraemon for all

  Kawasaki-shi

  There seems to be a museum for just about everything and Doraemon is no exception. Doraemon is universally loved in Japan and is the staple in which every cartoon cat in Japan is compared against. Actually the museum is dedicated to manga artist Fujiko F. Fujio, but it might as well be called the Doraemon museum, since he is most famous for making that. Not to discredit his other works, because it is also lovely. When you get there, you are presented by a timeline of cartoons from around the world, when they are from in their own time. Of course, since Doraemon is from the future, he is shown right at the end. That is a nice touch, I think. The museum is very organized, and it is very hard to get lost. You see some original drawings by Fujiko F. Fujio and see the manga-making process, step by step. Outside the museum, you can find statues and sculptures of the characters from the Anime and Manga. You can even walk through a “Dokodemo Door” if you are so inclined, although it didn’t teleport me anywhere. Oh well. The café was pretty interesting as well. We ordered tea you mix yourself. Both bottles are clear, but when you mix the tea, it changes colors! It was like magic! To get there, just take a train to Noborito Station in Kawasaki and take the Doraemon-themed bus to the museum. It is totally worth it. Unfortunately, English support is pretty limited in this Museum. But even so, you can still find plenty of things to enjoy.

  

• Little Venice in Tokyo

  Meguro-ku

  In the center of the popular area Jiyugaoka in Meguro you can find a small magic place, which gives you the feeling to be in Venice. It is a little place with a small canal sorounded by houses in an italien design. You can also find a small condola there. A cafe and a few small handcraftstores are inside the houses. It is very nice to walk around and enjoy the italien atmosphere.If you are already in the Jiyugaoka area, don´t forget to make a visit at this small magic place.

  

• Not crowded, love this place.

  Meguro-ku

  The Toritsu Daigaku branch of Anytime Fitness, is about a 7-minute walk from Toritsu-Daigaku Station. It’s about twice the size of the Ginza branch, but in the free weight area, there is only one bench press, and one Smith Machine rack. However, without being specific about the time or the day, I’ve never seen it busy here. Also, the branch over at Komazawa Daigaku (University) is not so for away, which I suppose helps to spread people out. The Jiyugaoka branch of Central Fitness is also nearby, which I expect gets more crowded.

  

• Great PIZZA restaurant

  Meguro-ku

  Around 5 minutes walk from Nakameguro Station; Tokyo’s best pizza place. There are only two pizza items on the menu here, margarita or mariana. The pastas and salads are also delicious. The restaurant’s winding staircase is completely un-Japanese, and really interesting. One of those restaurants where you could go time and time again.