横浜人形の家 Yokohama Doll Museum

Hello dear readers! How are you?

Today I'm going to share some photos from my visit to the Yokohama Doll Museum. I found out about it by chance wandering around Yokohama one year ago, but on that occasion it was closed! I'm glad I managed to make it back there in a day it was actually open.

First of all, here's my outfit:

Headbow: Ange

Cutsew: axes femme

Jumperskirt: Innocent World

Bag: Metamorphose

Others: Offbrand

My petticoat looks so flat again! It seemed fine in the morning....

I feel like this outfit is a bit different from my usual style, perhaps the colour combination and the cardigan? But I'm pleased with how it turned out! 

Being a port, Yokohama has an interesting history of cultural exchange with foreign countries. The first exhibit we came across was a doll illustrating a sad little story from Yokohama's history- the little girl with red shoes. 

She was a girl from Shizuoka whose mother gave her to be adopted by American missionaries, thinking this was the best thing for her. They took her to Yokohama in order to travel overseas, but before they left they discovered she had tuberculosis, and she died without leaving Japan. Her mother didn't know this but went on thinking about and sadly missing her daughter.

You can read more about it here:

http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/japan/attractions/AkaiKutsu.htm

A song that was composed about her going away in her pretty red shoes is a very well known nursery rhyme in Japan (it's the first song in this video). 

Well, on to happier things! The next room was dolls from around the world. It seems like every civilisation that there has ever been has made dolls, and there were cases and cases of dolls from Japan alone, all of them varied and reflecting the different regions where they were made.

Apparently this one is the Japanese version of me!

We certainly have similar legs.

I really loved the Thai dolls! Thai costumes are so beautiful and I love the elegant way they turn out their hands and feet. I want to visit Thailand some day!

On the next floor there were Japanese dolls on one side and European dolls on the other. This pretty doll was very interesting, because though she is Japanese she was made using French doll-making techniques. I really like her cute expression and her elegant height and slim figure. She's wearing an outfit for a particular dance which I've forgotten at the moment!

There was also a Japanese doll's house with such cute accessories! I have a doll's house at home that I'm still working on (I will take pictures sometime) and now I really want this Japanese one. Just look at all the perfect little plates and cups and squids!

On the European side, there were some examples of automata. I'm really interested in them but they are quite rare so there's not often a chance to see them. They had a couple here and they also had videos of them in motion. This writing pierrot was my favourite!

He was very lifelike and very dainty at the same time. There was also a dancing Rococco couple but they just turned round and round and made you giddy.

This last case showed the difference betwen the way that Japanese dolls and European bisque dolls are made. Both girls are very cute! I was suprised to learn that the Japanese dolls usually have human hair. There are some creepy stories about the hair continuing to grow....

As we left the museum, there were a few more things on display,  dolls that have been made very recently. I liked this one because he reminds me of Közi!

 Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I think this museum is well worth a visit. Hina Matsuri is coming up next month, so it seems like the perfect time to go!

See you next time,

Sapphira

Happy International Lolita Day!

Happy International Lolita Day to all my lovely readers! What are you doing today? Whatever it is, I hope you have a wonderful time. If you're having any Jubilee celebrations, I hope you'll enjoy those too!

Today I went shopping with my parents and I continued with packing for Japan, which I started yesterday. I took my VM coat to the dry cleaners too- it's strange having to pack winter clothes along with summer things!

Here's today's outfit:

~Rundown~

Hat: corgi-corgi

Cutsew: axes femme

Jumperskirt: Handmade, purchased on egl sales community

Everything else: Offbrand

My fashion point today was 'Wear this dress, because you won't see it for at least 6 months!'

I'm trying my best to narrow down which pieces to pack, and this JSK didn't make the cut. Sorry, my dear JSK! It's even worse deciding on which shoes to leave behind.

Tomorrow I'm doing karaoke with a few close friends, it's my farewell party :(

It should be fun though! Maybe I'll take some pictures to show you, or even a video so you can hear my marvellous contralto..... Only joking!

Thanks for reading,

Sapphira

xxxx

Teddies to Teddy's

Hello readers!

Today it's another coordinate post, with a brown and bordeaux colour scheme. Although spring is in the air, it's still rather chilly so I was in a wintery mode at the weekend.

~Rundown~

Headbow, JSK- Innocent World

Cutsew- axes femme

Tights, boots- Offbrand

I wore this to have lunch in a cute cafe in town called Teddy's, hence the title.

I realised that I haven't taken a picture showing with the cape that came with my VM coat, so I took a picture by the little church. 

I really love the cape, though of course it makes it all the more fiddly when you have to take it on and off. It makes the coat more gorgeous right away, and it makes quite a difference in heat besides!

I hope you liked my outfit. Thank you very much for checking my blog.

See you next time,

Sapphira

xxxx

Edo Tokyo Museum

Hello readers!

Today I have some pictures to show you of my visit to the Edo Tokyo Museum. It's a great museum where you can learn a lot about the history of Tokyo in a really fun way! There are reconstructions of various buildings of different eras and the exhibits recreate daily life in Tokyo through the ages.

First though, my outfit:

I wore my new Meta socks and axes femme cutsew with my faithful old gobelins jsk.

The museum is near the sumo "stables" and we saw some sumo players squeezing through the ticket barriers at Ryogoku. 

Made another friend!

Outside the museum.

Edo used to be almost permanently on fire, and ornately tattooed fire fighters would carry a banner like this on their way to put out the flames. It's jolly heavy, but look at me lifting it with ease! (Ignore that chain suspending it form the ceiling....)

This is how woodblock prints are made! The bottom row are the printing plates, and the picture is built up in layers.

You can buy the results at a bookshop like this! If you have access to a time machine. Actually I wish I did!

There was a special exhibition of artefacts featuring dragons in honour of the New Year. This coat with gold embroidery was stunning! I want to be a prince and wear it.

How about this snazzy rikshaw? I would worry about tumbling out of it though....

I actually did fit in this reproduction of a 1950s Japanese-style house, believe it or not!

This is a Western-style room from a Showa (I think) era house. I think it's so adorable, like the dwarves' cottage from Snow White! Sadly the house is no longer standing, but this room is preserved in the museum.

These paddles were produced to promote a stage show, I think they're beautiful! It's lovely how these traditional objects have been updated over the years but never forgotten. These ones are so of their era.

After visiting the museum, we went to Venus Fort, a shopping centre built with an Italian renaissance theme. There were some nice shops like Anna Sui and Michal Negrin, but the ceiling reflects the real state of the sky according to the time of day and as we went in the evening it made me quite sleepy! 

The train journey there was very enjoyable. We took the Yurikamome line, which is up in the sky! The views of the skyscrapers and of Tokyo Bay were lovely.

Finally we had dinner in a Hawaiian restaurant. I'm not sure how authentic it was (is taco rice really Hawaiian??) but it was delicious.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

See you next time,

Sapphira

xxxx

Shopping and shopping and more shopping!

Another Japan write up!

This time I'll tell you about my shopping excursions in three different locations.

Before going to Nekorobi, I spent a bit of time around Shimokitazawa and Ikebukuro. 

I love going to Grand Bazaar in Shimokitazawa! The selection of second-hand Lolita there is usually more classical in taste, and since Shimokitazawa is a bit out of the way, it's quite peaceful. I also did some shopping at Mikazuki Momoko, the 300 yen shop. There are a lot of cute items there- household goods, hair accessories, socks, stationery etc. And all 300 yen! Well, 315 yen with tax....  

On the same day I visited Ikebukuro's Closet Child for the first time. The sections for Lolita, VK, Goth/Punk and dolls are all on one floor, but somehow the shop seems quite spacious and it's probably the most comfortable Closet Child I've been in.  

I also went to Sunshine City, the huge shopping complex in Ikebukuro. It's a huge place, with restaurants, an aquarium, and some rather nice shops such as Anna Sui, OLIVE des OLIVE, SWIMMER and axes femme, a romantic brand that is also popular with Classic Lolitas. 

I got a cutsew from axes femme! I really like this brand- they have a lot of very nice, detailed, fairly inexpensive items. Unfortunately I don't think this photo really shows how pretty the cutsew is. In Mikazuki Momoko I got a fur chou-chou, a glasses case and two pairs of socks. I can't resist bargains! I also picked up a Rose of Versailles sheet mask from the combini on the way back to the hotel. This one with Rosalie's picture is my favourite that I've tried so far. 

The next day I met my friend who was also visiting from England. We went shopping in Harajuku. Here's my outfit for that day:

I'm wearing my new socks and chou-chou!

We started off at Laforet, and checked out Justin Davis, Jane Marple, Nile Perch and all the Lolita shops on the basment 1.5 floor. Yes, Laforet has a bit of a strange floor system..... I was tempted by the teddy bear tights in Nile Perch but since I'm so long-legged I didn't want to run the risk of them not fitting. After Laforet we did Takeshita Doori and shopped our way back to the station. It's so much fun shopping in Tokyo with a fellow Lolita and a good friend! I hope we'll meet there again someday.

I got a couple of really nice things that day! Here's the loot:

The fur muff is from Innocent World. I've wanted a muff for the longest time, and this one is very handy because it's a pochette as well! There's a little pocket at the front fastened with a ribbon. I kept a heat pack and a handkerchief in there- perfect for winter! I had a little conversation with the shop staff- they were really kind! I'm glad I talked to them, even though my Japanese came out a bit strange.

The argyle socks are from Metamorphose. I liked them because they are rather British/Jane Marple-ish, and the colour scheme is perfect! Navy and bordeaux is a wonderful combination I think, and I want to start wearing more of it. I also like the bit of gold sparkle. I think they coordinate well with the axes femme cutsew.

We also attacked Daiso, the famous 100 yen store! There's a big one in Takeshita Doori with four or five floors. We both got some bottom lashes. I haven't tried mine yet, but my friend did and wasn't pleased. Still, I'll have a go sometime! I got some cross-type lashes, but they were a funny size so I cut them in half and they work quite well as subtle half lashes. The other item I got was moko-moko pants! Moko-moko (fluffy/puffy) items are super popular in Japan at the moment. I actually got some moko-moko roomwear last year at Uniqlo in London, and I highly recommend it! You can also get moko-moko socks of various lengths, moko-moko leggings, moko-moko pyjama sets, moko-moko tummy warmers, moko-moko room shoes....

Ah yes, I also wanted to show you this picture of pretty plastic bags:

The white part of the axes femme part looks like lace.

Well, that's all for this materialistic post. I hope you enjoyed it, and remember- if you get one new item this season, make sure it's moko-moko!

Sapphira

xxxx