03:31:12 [100:365] - home?

Our stay in Japan is just short of 3 more weeks to go.

Our day in Kyoto usually consists of a small outing in the morning followed by a lunch at home and an afternoon nap for Roo (and a tea/sweet time for parents)... then another mini outing in late afternoon. We have been making a point of coming home for Roo's nap... and it has helped us to pace ourselves.

Kyoto has been interesting. It is full of amazing/inspiring things...

Before we left our home in Los Angeles in February, I felt that I might fall in love with Kyoto so much that I would wish to live here one day... but on the contrary to our original thought, we haven't found emotional "home" here in Kyoto.

I suppose we never know how our connection develops with places until we get there. 

We are happy to be here... and we are happy to be heading to our home in Los Angeles in a few weeks:)

We have one more week in Kyoto by ourselves followed by another (last) week with FB's parents from Germany... then one week of cross-country traveling before we depart Japan!

We are anticipating cherry blossom in any days now... and I can't wait to see the magic happen:)

xoxo
-wakako

p.s. photos from beautiful Moss Garden we visited with our friends Naomi, Patrick and their cute boy Milo!

03:28:12 [99:365] - season of cherry blossom

Finally... Kyoto's air is starting to warm up! We've been chased by cold wind throughout our trip and it's so nice to feel the spring.

Today we had special lunch with our friends at Wakuden in Kyoto station... and the very first thing that came out on our tray was a cup of cherry tea. It was so beautiful... that I wished I could bring it home. It tasted just as wonderful as the Sakura-mochi... :)

Even though traveling through nearly freezing temperature has been difficult (especially in an old machiya where the indoor temperature control is almost nonexistent), being able to witness the changing season is the best reward of traveling a country with four seasons.

We are eagerly waiting for the cherry blossom to come...

cheers,
-wakako

03:27:12 [98:365] - red gates

Fushimi Inari Taisya was probably the most visually memorable temple we have visited so far! 

Sacred space is everywhere in Kyoto... and it felt like pathway inside of all these gates was one of those special places.

03:26:12 [97:365] - Kyoto finds (so far...) and an idea for the shop

I would love to share some of the goodies we have found in Kyoto so far! Some new... and some old.

I usually like my product photos clean and crisp with white background but I really enjoyed taking these photos in our Machiya with an original clay wall as a background. Maybe because these items are from Japan... they look good in their natural environment.

It also made me wonder... "what if" we had a small vintage section at our baum-kuchen shop. Maybe not for online... but at a (future) physical store with highly (and highly) curated vintage items from Japan, Germany and places between.

I love the intimacy of stories that these vintage items could bring to the shop... It will be hand picked from market full of stuff... and will be a proof of qualities I try to instill with new products I share at our shop.

What do you think?? Crazy or interesting?

03:25:12 [96:365] - new / old

25th of every month is... Tenjin-san (aka. one of the biggest flea market in Kyoto) filled with antique and vintage items! From the experience of our last flea market visit, we knew that we would be more productive on our own... so Roo went to the 3rd day of daycare from the morning and we had 3 hours to get to the flea market, shop and come back!

The outing became a mixture of material sourcing for the baum-kuchen original items (more vintage folk fabrics!!), product inspiration, pop-up shop inspiration and a bicycle date!

I have to admit... that we said "nah!!" to each other quite often at the market... There were a lot of "stuff" out there... and not everything was worthy of coming home with us especially because we love having very little in our household. But when we said "yes!!", I knew it would be our treasure for long time to come.

Time to start packing a box from Kyoto to LA!

p.s. I also very much liked some of the wooden furniture they are making!

03:24:12 [95:365] - obsessed with vintage fabric scraps

I believe in good materials. I also believe in lasting life of good materials.

So... you could imagine how I went CRAZY at Gallery Kei where the owner Kei-san finds, restores and sells Japanese folk art fabrics. I especially love fabrics that had patchworks everywhere. When kimono, comforter cover, etc. etc were worn in, women in rural farm didn't throw them away... but added patchworks so they could continue using them... Now those fabrics look like a piece of art with their aesthetics of patchwork and stitching. They are absolutely beautiful and I could have bought the whole store...

A few pieces of fabrics came home with me... and I am dreaming what I should use them for.