We are Japanese! - Hope, Pray, Shine for Japan

It's devastating to watch the clips of Tsunami that hits Japan.

Heartbreaking.

May the light shine brightly in Japan.

i-zcream heart Japan.

I just want to share never been post pictures

of Shibuya & Harajuku, Japan, from my last trip last year.

Japan is amazingly beautiful.

It's streets, lights, creation, inventions, fashion & people.

Not to forget the food, culture & strong traditions.

I hope you enjoy the pictures & always say a prayer for Japan.

From all the love around the world;

We are Japanese.

Follow this link for your support, donation & contribution;

http://illustrationrally.blogspot.com/p/ganbare-nippon-japan-tsunami-appeal.html

Fashion Illustration by the wonderful & talented
Jennifer Lilya.
I'm Loving it Jennifer!
As always.

You can follow Jennifer amazing works here:
http://www.facebook.com/jenniferlilyafashionillustration

Also, check Lady Gaga, 'We pray for Japan Bracelet',
All proceeds go directly to Japan relief efforts.






Follow this link:
http://www.ladygaga.com/news/default.aspx?nid=34654

There will always be a miracle.
Let's hope, pray for Japan to shine again.
I have installed a 'Donate to Japan' widget below if you
like to do your part.

DON'T GIVE UP JAPAN!

If you love to read more about Harajuku,
Please follow this link,
http://www.i-zcream.com/2009/12/hardcore-harajuku.html

Don't cha' wanna H&M in Singapore...fashionistas?

If you haven't got the news, let me it break for you.

The hottest fashion piece of information thats hotter

than Paris Hilton, 'That's hot!'

is that H&M is coming to our shore, finally!

Yeah!

Lanvin for H&M

Yeah! to most of us,

Nay! for true fashionista...

I bump into a friend in town and before we said 'Hi',

we exclaimed....

'Have you heard?!'

Then I replied 'yeah!'

and we talk about it like on & on...

about H&M coming to Singapore.

We said goodbye without saying, 'How are you?'

(gosh! where's my manners?)

...but hell 'ya it was such a powerful small talk!

We understood each other & concern about

our feelings regarding this issue...

She's a stylist and travels a lot and both of us do.

H&M in Americana, Los Angeles.

(Wish I could show you more pictures of this store,

but the security was tight..)

Small talk meant to be small...so let just me tell you...

she don't want H&M to be in Singapore.

Why?

It's something to look forward to visit H&M stores

when we're travelling!

Now it won't be special.

Not in the, 'Where to go?' list.

Not in the, 'What to shop?' agenda....

To which, I agreed.

It's like a treasure not to be found here

that you'll gain bragging points

when exchanging fashion buys with your friends.

'Oh! Got this fabulous top from H&M in Japan!'...

(with twinkle starry eyes..)

It's also well serve as a starter topic to chat with fashion people

& acquaintances in parties.

It all started with this H&M top which led to when, where, the weather,

the flight, the service...on..&...on...&..on...

Well, most of us travel to Hong Kong to get quick

dose of H&M fashion which is near.

I do love H&M, the only piece I got

was a Lavender Top which still hangs in my wardrobe.

Wore it once.

Got it while I was in Harajuku a year ago.

Oh!! the weather was so cold &

it was Christmas in December.....(got my point?)

Lanvin for H&M

In fact, I did blog about it!

To know what my sentiments about H&M

coming to our shore or to see pictures of H&M Harajuku

read here.

I'm so much in love with this Lanvin for H&M commercial,

saw it first in LA, in my hotel room & I can't seems to

get it off my mind.

H&M will reach our shopping paradise shore only next year.

Where else in Orchard Road.

'Till then get some Lanvin for H&M in Hong Kong

or anywhere else if you're travelling.

You still got a change to brag.

P.S. I think my prayers has been answered...

Travelounge: Lights! Secrets of Sex! Food in Japan!

When the day turns to night, Shibuya doesn't sleep! 

After the heavy downpour, I was so bored in the hotel that 

I decided to take a stroll down the road. Didn't expect anything but just wanted

 to enjoy the cool weather and the sights of the street by night. 

The temperature dipped, luckily I was prepared with my leather ZARA jacket! 

As I walked down the street of Shibuya at 8pm, the roads are getting busier... 

maybe people on their way home from work. 

Hmmm...so many guys just loitering around the streets. 

Braving the cold, I searched the alleys & lanes for adventure!

 Upon close inspection.....that last me till midnight these are 

what I learnt about the city of Shibuya....

The Fabulous Shibuya 109. I love this place! Non stop

levels of shopping! What you need you will get it here!

Mostly street fashion wear and I'm Loving it!

This Order & Pay Vendor machine. Order & pay here.

Get your ticket, pass it to the counter and get your food!

So fun that I wanted to bring this machine home!

The Lights! Billboard! Almost blinding you!

They are everywhere and of course I'm Loving it!

Wish Singapore have more Billboard!!

This yummy mighty delicious hot soba that comes

in a tiny bowl! Simply home-made-powerful! So good that

I wanted to bring the chef home! The best part it's cheap!

The inside of the eatery. Small & cosy.

I'm telling you, the best food are from these

local eatery and not from the restaurant! You'll find

real authentic dishes here. Recipe from the traditions & brought

down from generations.

The delicious eatery shop!

Very home-made food.

Just lucky to stumble

to this place!

Tuck in the back alley...just across the eatery..
I saw this! Well curious... I did
venture in... to find you know what..
Sex toy! Penis pumps, vibrators of all sizes...
OH! you know....the usual suspects!


Not sure where I was...I keep going in further
the lanes & saw many video shops.
Small ones and this big one!
I figured that it's must be a video
renting shop! So I went in and it's not...
The rent video alright! but it's porn!
Customer can view the video in the comfort &
privacy of your own room. So all the guys that I mentioned earlier standing
on the streets were actually pimp and they are from these shops!
They are looking for customer for sex shop and I was daring enough
to approached one of them. Sadly they don't understand English.
I don't speak Japanese. All he said in English that I could fathom was,
'Girls...Drinks Happy Hour...'


This is a smaller sex shop. Selling all kinds of
sex toys & videos. I say it's really cool!

The Lights of Shibuya, colorful and captivating.
What you need you

will find in the street. Sex? Food? Happy Hour? Billboard! Fashion!

Shibuya 109! Many other High End Brands too!
I love this place!

So much to embrace! The city breath a different air from

day to night. The best part of it all...these places are just next to each

in a walking distance.
Happy travelling & adventure if

you're heading to Japan!

Travel location: Shibuya, Japan

Travelounge: Hardcore Harajuku!

I'm in Harajuku Japan! The weather is cold!

It was raining and the slippery pavement makes me walk like a geisha!

Afraid of falling flat on my face I took small steps while my eyes wanders.

I love Harajuku! In fact I love Japan! It's Fashion are amazing!

Amazing.... Shibuya is so trendy. Harajuku is the heartbeat of all...where it's started.

Sadly I managed to spot a few Harajuku girls but they decline on photo taking!

What's up with that?

Anyways I was told by a local acquaintance that these girls are rare now.

With more fast forward fashion brands from the west open in Harajuku,

the girls are now looking more 'normal'.

I don't know how true is that but she did mentioned that

there are only certain days when you will be able to see true blue Harajuku girls.

Sadly when I was there, that was not the day! In all that theory,

still I wander around the streets just to venture and look-see-look-see....

This very friendly guy allowed me to have a photo with him.

He definitely stood out from the busy crowd.

A little chat with him says that he's a graffiti artist and so...snap!

I took the metro/subway. It was fun and easy.
May get confusing because there's so many poster
and advertisements all over the place.

Yes! Enjoy beautiful life! That's so cute!

This is where all the independent local designer shops
are. Some looking like Haji lane...

Cosplay shop

Stumble upon this weird graffiti...maybe the Afro guy did this?

This shop signage made me burst out laughing.
Sorry but its corny.

This guy start to pose in front of me when

he knows I was clicking away at the streets!

He gave me a series of poses!

Well I just took one.

Love the Uniform darling...

I learnt that people here eat and go, not sure why?

Maybe it's the culture?

Here you have boys gobbling their food on the go.

In the eateries I notice too when they finish their meal they leave.

Not like us still chit chat for another hour after our meal

when other diners are waiting upon for seat..

Not sure what these guys are doing standing in the middle of the road.

but when I got close they seems to pass some papers to selected people.

I wanted to have it but they walk away! Hmmmm!

I still wonder what is that......

I hope to come back soon... when I save more money!

It's expensive in Japan...but it's worth to see the people and culture.

Just a vast different from the rest of the world....

The night life of Harajuku & Shibuya paints a different story...

The Lights! Billboard! Sex trade! Secrets in the ally!

Great food! Other Amazing Stuff!

Come back soon for the dark side of the streets...

Travel Location: Harajuku, Japan