Paprika Girl @PaprikaGirl_JP Twitter profile

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Paprika Girl

24 days

It's August (葉月) in Japan! The heat continues, but so do the festivals, fireworks, watermelon and yukata! Obon (お盆) starts this month, and there will be opportunities for spooky stories and recitations. Take a moment for remembrance this month as you try keeping cool.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

11 months

Quick PSA: Daiso has rice scoops that shape the result into cats. This is what they look like when served with green curry; my husband’s specialty.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 months

@ShouldHaveCat They are adorablest. They get less wrinkly as they get older, but never have I had a cat with that much genuine love and affection for his owner. They’re so friendly, have so many expressions, and make the best hot water bottle ever!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

22 days

Just to let everyone in on what’s happening on JP Twitter, Turkish sharpshooter Yusuf Dikec has been named the highly-meme-able olympic hero “Toruko Ojisan” (#トルコおじさん). When it was discovered that the casual, under-equipped godhand of cool old dudes was a cat lover, well

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

20 days

When traveling Japan, I usually take the non-highway roads through the mountains. There are called “to-u-ge” (峠). Though it takes slightly longer, you get to see hamlets and valleys off the beaten path. It’s significantly cooler than the towns in the summer, as well.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

I just finished watching the Indian film RRR, and it’s probably one of the best films I’ve seen in ages. A perfect blend of CG, music, and insane action. It’s completely over-the-top, but by far it makes movies fun again! And holy bananas, is that Ram Charan handsome❤︎ @RRRMovie

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

A kawadoko (川床) is a restaurant built right over a flowing mountain stream. Popular during the summer for obvious reasons, Kyoto has them in an area called Kifune (貴船). The cool breeze and rush of water beneath us as we ate lunch was a very welcome feeling. We went to

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Ah, the quintessential Japanese coffee-house “morning.” For 500 yen, enjoy thick buttered toast, a boiled egg, and a hot coffee. In the background, the chatter of local old ladies, classical movie soundtracks on the radio, and the rustle of a grandpa’s paper in the corner.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Today on my morning walk to get fresh bread for breakfast, I passed a very tiny home bakery near my house. I love these tiny businesses in the suburbs that people run from their living rooms! I’ll be coming again. (The lemon pie is divine!)

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

5 years

Oh, my beautiful Kyo Machiko! You will be missed! My very favorite Japanese actress has passed away at the age of 95. I will raise a pint to her tonight. #京マチ子 #japaneseactress #sexy #silverscreen #japanesefilm

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 days

Pro-tip for those who live in Japan with traditional homes. Some things, like replacing of shoji screens or tatami, gardening and plumbing fixes CAN be done by yourself, but get put off for later because of the effort and tools required. For those fixes, search for your local

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Currently one of the trends in Japan is how drinking Yakult 1000 improves gut bacteria in such a way so that you get better sleep. Over the last two months I’ve tried consistent use of both Yakult 1000 and Pirukulu 400 (a cheaper alternative). I found no difference in their

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

11 months

I’m thoroughly charmed by this etiquette poster on the Osaka subway, asking people to let passengers disembark before boarding. We have a hoard rushing in, consisting of military, rugby players, sumo, prophets and Tarzan, lead by the indefatigable Obatarian - the iconic local

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 months

I’m seeing a lot of jinbei (甚平) this summer, more than in recent years! Jinbei are a light cotton top / shorts set for casual weekend wear during the summer. They’re very inexpensive, and appropriate for both men and women.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

7 months

Here's an Infographic of how we in old Japanese houses must prepare for the winter cold. Many older Japanese homes are designed for summer, so adjustments must be made for the winter months. For one, we bubble-wrap the window panes (inside) behind the shoji. We use kerosene

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 years

My favorite element to a Japanese home is the beautiful engawa (縁側). This is a passageway that faces the outside garden, where you can sit an enjoy the view. I finally found a house nearby which has the perfect engawa, and have just applied to move. Wish me luck!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Waiting at Starbucks in Chofu in preparation for a much anticipated introduction, I ordered the most ridiculous cake on the menu. The hostess asked if I wanted two forks. Why no, young lady. This old obachan is going to enjoy the whole sweetie all to herself. ❤︎

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 month

Sure, hanami, but have you ever done “Hasumi?” (蓮見船) this season, instead of viewing sakura you can board a boat and ride through lily pads and lotus. Matsudo (松戸) in nearby Chiba is famous for this experience, enjoyed as a watery ride for hundreds of years.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Many older Japanese houses use the space under the stairs as “tansu.” (箪笥 drawers) I find this very practical! One day I hope to live in a home with tansu stairs.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 years

This is the adorable “Neko-mimi Musubi,” a style for tying the Nagoya obi on a kimono. Some obi are even designed with a cat face pattern to best appeal the charm of the tie! #kimono #adorable #kitty

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

9 months

On the morning Chuo Line (中央線) as we pulled into Shinjuku (新宿) just now, the conductor told all disembarking passengers to keep warm and not to catch cold today. I find that a charming and humanizing moment to enjoy before work begins.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

When traveling to Tokyo from Kyoto on the Shinkansen (新幹線), sit in seat A. When traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo, like I am today, sit in seat E. That way you can get an unobstructed shot of Mount Fuji as you pass it by.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

There is nothing I wish more to have right now than sasabeni (笹紅). Through the Meiji Period, ladies would redden their lips with a color that had a green sheen. It’s a teensy bit pricey, so I’ve put it off for years and never taken the plunge. Here I

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 months

This is the Kissa Ginza (喫茶店銀座) in Ebisu in Tokyo. It is an “anaba,” (穴場 unusual hidden spot) a time-slip coffee shop that has not changed since mid Showa. Many, many V-cinema and yakuza movies have been filmed here, and it continues to be a popular, active location.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

You may see a Buddhist monk near a Japanese station, mumbling for alms. This is called "takuhatsu" (托鉢). The monk isn't there to recruit or make money - he's there for YOUR karma - blessing YOU for sacrifice. Even if you tithe only one yen, the act counts as much as a thousand.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

In Japanese, you use the word “crank in” (クランクイン) when a film begins shooting, and “crank up” (クランクアップ) when it ends. This is a reference to the earliest days, when motion picture cameras were spun by a crank. In 13 days, we have filmed two 50-min episodes of a

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Pro tip: never buy fake blood. It’s ridiculously expensive. On Japanese television, this is what we use. Less than 300 yen per liter.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

I’ve always admired the slow, quiet life of Akita (秋田県). So lush, so secretive. The onsen, the friendliness. I sometimes wish we had family from this area. I could live in a house like this forever.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Tsuyu (梅雨) is the rainy season in Japan. Humidity is high, rain is abundant, and flowers like ajisai (紫陽花) bloom everywhere. Your skin gets nice and hydrated, too. This season I will be in Kyoto, in places like Ganzenji (岩船寺), below. Ah, the mist!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 months

@DontShowYourCat Aww, sweet kitty. I want to pick him up and cuddle him.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 years

Tonight, we have Kaiten Sushi at home!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 month

Tsuyu (梅雨) has officially ended, and we are heading into "taisho" (大暑) - the "great heat" part of the summer. It's time to take out the ro (絽) and sha (紗) kimono. I love sha's translucence. Summer kimono make for great night sake outfits, like here in Harmonica Yokocho

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 months

Yesterday I found “cat donuts” in Inokashira Park (井の頭公園). I’m a bit under the weather today, but cat donuts and coffee on the engawa (縁側) improve the situation.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

On my way to work today in Meguro, I must’ve had a furrowed brow. A lovely, snow-haired old lady next to me fumbled with her bags, and as she left the train she handed this to me with an angelic smile. It reads, “please keep this new 500-yen coin as a lucky talisman.” I will.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

The heat is coming to a close, and I can go out again. Summer kimonos are sheer like lace, but it's hard to appreciate them without a breeze! Today I wear a ro (絽) kimono with an antique half-sized obi (半幅帯). I have about two weeks left to enjoy the summer collection.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

7 months

If you want to try Japanese clothing but find kimono impractical, you can always try a samue (作務衣). Literally "work clothes," they are available for all seasons. The one I'm wearing today is quilted and lined with fleece, so all I need is heat-tech and a scarf.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 months

One of the things I love about living in Japan is how there is a sense of personal responsibility that permeates the general public. It’s visible at certain moments, especially when no one is looking. You’ll see a gentleman who notices a stray can on the side of the road, and

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 month

I just spent two days making o-sechi (お節) - a New Years’ meal - for a foreign photographer friend who didn’t understand why you couldn’t just order it in summer. I think I did a pretty good job, limited seasonal vegetables and all considered. I also photographed how I made the

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

After a long and tiring day of taxes, I'm off to Asakusa (浅草) to treat myself to an evening of sake and entertainment. I'm wearing a yuki-tsumugi (結城紬) kimono with a bright red, festive obi (帯) accented with gold threads. O-tsukare-sama! (お疲れ様！)

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

The other night in Gion (祇園), I visited a remarkably fun live house called Grease which plays nothing but oldies - both Western and Japanese. The quality of the music is excellent, but it surprised me as being a club for dance fans! The patrons were mostly older, but what

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Though shoji (障子) walls are of another era, the tradition lingers in tea houses. While attending a recent chaji (茶事), a serendipitous outside moment transported me to a sight of old. What a beautiful summer view. Imagine a whole street of this.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

9 months

Today after walk I took a stroll through Inokashira Park (井の頭公園) near my station. The autumns foliage is out in full force, and there are many delightful views for picnicking. Take a nice flask of atsukan (熱燗 hot sake) for a traditional afternoon!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

10 months

A few weeks ago, I received a gift of a number of antique Japanese dolls (日本人形). Among them, this unique doll was in a pose of a weaver. (織物職人) I painstakingly dusted the item, washed the old fabrics, and reconstructed the broken pieces with rice glue, finally polishing

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Former PM Abe Shinzo was shot today in Nara. It was likely an assassination. Add this to the list of sudden changes happening around the world; not for the better. Please stay safe, and take a moment to appreciate that which you have today. It may all change tomorrow.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Just now, a neighbor stopped by to say hello for the first time; a sweet little old lady with white hair and an elegant demeanor. She took great interest in the shamisen in the zashiki (座敷) and asked all about it, eventually bidding me show her what I was playing. I presented

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Today l am wearing a shibori (絞り) yukata with a ro (絽) Nagoya-obi. One does not usually wear a yukata to a tea ceremony, but today is special, and I was instructed to do so by my tea master. Kyoto is always hot in July, so I’ve lifted my hair high to let the breeze in!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Brown is quite underrated as a beautiful and versatile color, although it's well represented in kimono. Today I'm wearing an autumn awase (袷) with a bright red obi (帯 sash) and a lucky stone obidome (帯留め) of a white gourd. At last the autumn has set comfortably in Japan!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 years

For those living in Japan: do not underestimate the value of getting to know your local temple. Through them, I find homes, gain introductions, become connected. For example, at Shinmeigu, I take a weekly private lesson in Shodo taught by the calligrapher to the Emperor.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

I arrive to shamisen practice, and my teacher is out in the backyard doing this. Ah, I love Japan.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

6 months

Early this morning, it snowed in Tokyo. This beautiful sight of snow falling in the spring has been called "Haru no Yuki" (春の雪) throughout the centuries. It is considered a "kigo," (季語 seasonal term) and is a common theme for literature and poetry in Japan. As you might

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

7 months

Today I'm wearing a high-chirimen (縮緬) awase (袷) tomesode (留袖) kimono. I have a few engagements this weekend, so I've had my hair done with a clip given to me over the new year's vacation. I can wrap my hair up in a furoshiki (風呂敷) cloth overnight, and it will keep for a

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

S: Director, terribly sorry, we weren’t able to book that motel by the izakaya you liked. Me: Oh, pity… S: We had to book the onsen instead. Sorry for the inconvenience. Me: ……..it will have to do.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

There are names for the many patterns you'll see on Japanese fabric! The deeper you dig into the background of the simple things you see around you, the more you know. For example, Seigaiha has a celebratory image, and Yoshiwara-tsunagi is associated with old Edo.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Christmas preparations in Japan have begun! A post-war tradition associated with the "western" nature of the holiday, Japanese will often enjoy a cake for Christmas. This year I special-ordered a pink and purple cake from Minette, which is known for its cat-shaped chiffon cakes!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

5 months

I love rain in Japan. The glittering rocks, the shadows, the way green springs to life. It feels like Japanese gardens are designed to be viewed in the rain. I always think of better ways to improve the garden when it’s soaked in life.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

It's my birthday today! What a lovely day to be up and working on what I love best. I'm spending a whole day inside drawing and writing with cat on my lap. I hope something good happens today!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

This is my “ikitsuke.” (行き付け) A tiny, retro little shop called Hagi (萩) which serves the most Showa burgers ever and closes at 5. It smells like my Chicago grandmother’s house - concrete, 70’s cigarettes, wood dust and watermelon. The walls hum with shikishi (色紙) and the

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

One of the most overlooked elements of jidaigeki (時代劇 period films) filmmaking is sound. Ambient sound of the past was very different from today, and not quiet! Tankabai (啖呵売) were unique ditties sung by merchants passing at specific hours of the day. One could tell the

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 years

“Pop” (ポ��プ) in Japan is a word that refers to the handmade signs in convenience stores and other shops that give it unique personalization. I love them - they tend to be really cute, and the crafty talent of the employees shows.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

5 months

Good morning. Today I’m off set, so I’m wearing a sakura-colored Yuki-Tsumugi (結城紬) kimono with green highlights in the obiage (帯揚). Notice that in much Japanese color coordination, brown fills in where western sense would call for black.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

This is my new fuurin (風鈴) from Mitsukoshi (三越). It’s from a Japanese maker called Nohsaku (能作). The sound is absolutely divine; like the ripples of a drop of rain in a deep lagoon. Fuurin chimes are tightly linked with the image of water in Japan.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 months

Oh, the robai (蝋梅) are blooming in Tokyo! Literally translated “wax plum,” they really do look like they’re made of wax, don’t they?

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 months

It’s Toji! (冬至 winter solstice) On this day it’s traditional to float yuzu (柚子) in the bath and eat one of “Winter’s seven roots” (冬至の七種): pumpkin, renkon (lotus root), carrot, ginnan, kinkan, kanten, or udon. Stay healthy and happy for the rest of the season!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

This is the lovely sankayo (山荷葉), a flower native to the hills of Nagano (長野県). It turns clear when it gets wet. It so happens it’s in bloom right now, another hidden jewel of the rainy season in Japan.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

In order to protect my plants from the summer burn, I have installed a temporary yoshizu (葦簀) over parts of the garden. It is thatched like a sudare (簾) shade, but larger and meant for outdoors. Misting the yoshizu during the day keeps the air near the house cooler.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 years

There are three types of bows - Shin, Gyo, and So. While depth is hard to gauge, you can remember them best by how much of your hand touches the tatami. I took a video with my tea friend to show you today. #etiquette #japan #teaceremony #お辞儀

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

6 months

Please allow me to share a quick and ineloquent recap of a touching experience I had last night. Yesterday, I had an impromptu call from an old friend of mine; a “senpai” assistant director who I have known for some fifteen years. He asked me out of the blue to come to a showing

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Tomorrow on NHK World there will be a showing of the first part of an Isabella Bird documentary I took part in. The director, Miss Nagaoka, spent years of her life researching this. It will go on to become a 4 or 5 part series filmed over many years, always in June.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

To the guy at the ticket gate who went out of his way to find me a window seat on a fully-booked train, thank you. To the salaryman who offered me a coffee when the cart came by, thank you. Kindness has relieved me of what had begun as an otherwise frustrating travel day.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Lunch at Uzumasa. 280 yen for this teishoku (定食), a set meal with miso soup and rice. I’m going to make a thread of this…

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 years

It's Ohmisoka (大晦日 - New Years Eve) in Japan! There are so many ways to enjoy this evening of renewal. I am at one of the jikka (実家 family homes) near Mount Fuji to spend time with the in-laws. How will you spend this day?

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 month

One of the treasured sounds of the Japanese garden this season is the suikin-tsuku (水琴窟). A gentle trickle of water from a bamboo pipe that can be heard from the engawa (縁側) porch or the windows. These are DIY items - the process of choosing just the right receptable,

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 months

For Tango-no-Sekku (端午の節句 Boys’ Day) I'm wearing a lively hitoe (一重 single-layer) kimono and an obi that depicts children playing. Beautiful weather to be out and about this season!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

11 months

A unique invitation has me in a matsuri-style dancing kimono of bright, colorful (and yet traditional) insanity! I almost never get to wear this kimono, but Japanese dancing affords me the rare occasion to go a little nuts. May this day be ever brightened - if only indoors!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

19 days

Today is the Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. Let’s not remember the day as an abstract mushroom cloud in grey film, but as the culmination of what hatred, anger and fear threatens to do to us. The higher we build the walls, the heavier they will be when they fall.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

One year ago, I filmed a documentary on the first leg of a journey by traveller Isabella Bird. Yesterday NHK decided to share it on YouTube here: If you have a few minutes, please watch! And if you like it, send a message to NHK via their website (link in

Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Tomorrow on NHK World there will be a showing of the first part of an Isabella Bird documentary I took part in. The director, Miss Nagaoka, spent years of her life researching this. It will go on to become a 4 or 5 part series filmed over many years, always in June.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

7 months

Today I am wearing a red and black tsumugi (紬) awase (袷), with a New Years' obidome (帯留め) depicting Mt. Fuji on a fan (扇) shape, which represents celebration. I would have worn it earlier, but I haven't had a chance to go to hatsumode (初詣) yet! Work will have to do.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

6 months

The mejiro (メジロ) are out! Famous for sitting on blooming ume (梅 plum) trees like mine in the garden, they are easily attracted by sticking a cut mikan orange on a branch. I could not get a picture of him on the mikan, but he’s just outside the window every day, so I’ll try!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 months

Japan makes it easy to fall in love with pottery. These dishes were all acquired for less than 500 yen each. On the left we have two Edo Period plates, in the center top a modern Mino-yaki, bottom center a 100-yen Kyo-yaki plate, and on the right two Showa plates. Mix and match!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Today we took the first proper family photo we have had in five years. The cat was easier to control than my husband. He tends to sit grim and stoic like Emperor Meiji instead of smiling. (We are wearing summer kimonos. Mine is a 150-year-old refurbished family heirloom.)

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

I'm off to a nice lunch with a Twitter friend, then an evening at the cinema, so today I wear a comfortable beige and red plaid yuki tsumugi (結城紬) kimono. Can you spot a little bit of my Next Generation geekdom in my outfit? 隙が出たようですね！ (Special thanks to @MKOliver66

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

16 days

I'm in Japan, and in Kichijoji (吉祥寺), so when I tell my friends and family to come to my town they never refuse. Today I have my cousins coming in from California, so it's dinner around the corner! I am wearing a casual yukata (浴衣) with a han-haba obi (半幅帯) tonight.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 months

It's a bit early in the year, but I have already switched to hitoe (一重 single layer) kimono. Today I wore a comfortable Aizu Momen (会津木綿), a casual cotton weave with distinctive - yet subtle - vertical stripes. If you're thinking of getting a kimono or samue made, I do

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Off to an evening work meeting. I decided to wear a pink tsumugi (紬) kimono in honor of the impending sakura! I think I purchased this one a year ago in Kyoto, actually. Notice the brown obi (帯). In the world of kimono, brown is the new (old?) black. It goes with everything.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 years

I'm sad to learn a colleague passed away by his own hand. Actor Miura Haruma (三浦春馬) was a child star who was gradually maturing into a handsome man and increasingly strong actor. He will be missed. I will light incense for him today.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

My hotel is across from Nijo Castle (二条城), so this is what I come home to every night. Tadaima〜❤︎ #Kyoto

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

3 months

In Daikanyama (代官山), there is a remarkable underground tea room designed for tea otaku. It is called Chokeikyo (聴景居). I visited the other day and was astonished at the in-depth explanations, unique flavors, and tranquility of the exclusive space! They are even delicate

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

4 months

Biking home tonight reminds me how truly blessed I am to live in Kichijoji (吉祥寺). The sound of the creek, the wind in the trees. Entire neighborhoods bathed in the perfume of spring flowers. A safe, fruitful, happy existence for which gratitude is in order. Blessings counted!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

9 months

I live in an old neighborhood, and in the mornings I am often greeted with the smiling faces of neighbors sweeping in front of their houses. I was first taught this etiquette by my grandmother-in-law, who has been a great source of practical advice for living in Japan.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

While drinking in Asakusa, a group of geisha passed. The sweet, young, 22-y.o. actor with us crumpled! By chance, I knew the Mama, so I asked if she might bring the girls to get a picture with the young man. I’ve never seen such joy! I hope this made your night, kid.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

“Paprika! You’re in Kyoto! Come to my shop at Miyagaya-cho!” “Sorry, I’m broke right now.” “Really? Then you must be hungry! Come over!” …if anyone wonders why Kyoto is so very wonderful.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 months

I’m off to a day of activities wearing a rich lavender tsumugi (紬) awase (袷 winter kimono) with a Hakata obi (博多帯) tied in a koken-musubi (後見結び) style. This is one of my favorite times of year, since layered silk feels so gentle on the skin!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

8 days

I’m headed to dance lessons before the awa-odori festival, so today I wear this yukata (浴衣). Specifically designed for dancing, it’s made of cotton to absorb sweat well and still look sharp. Note the fan pattern on the blue. I’ll be dancing with fans just like that.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

In a rush, off to a chakai (茶会 tea party) in Ogikubo (荻窪). For this I'm wearing a warm chirimen (縮緬) awase (袷 multi-layer) kimono in a rich dark red. No jewellery or ornament can be used, and only very minimal makeup. I'll post pictures of the chakai afterwards!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

11 months

Isn't it the most beautiful day? Today I'm wearing one of my favorite hitoe (単衣 = single-layer) kimonos for a nice lunch in town. Made of linen, kimono can be made of any material you like. Enjoy the weather!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

5 months

As I get older I have learned to buy local, and buy for life. I happened upon a display in a creators' corner in Kinshicho which had the most gorgeous cotton pants. They're called Sumida Denim (すみだデニム). Handmade and spun from domestic cotton, they're super comfortable and

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

When going out to drink in the countryside without a designated driver, you can phone for what is called a "daiko" (代行). Priced like a taxi service, the driver-for-hire will drive your car home with you in it. Very useful if you want a nice evening in an area without public

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

1 year

Inspired by a tweet by @Japan_Australia , I spent my morning at Tenju-an (天授庵) in Nanzenji (南禅寺). It's such a remarkably peaceful place. I had a matcha tea and used my final day in Kyoto to quietly reflect on a long month in the old capital.

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

2 years

Today I'm wearing a tsumugi (紬) kimono for casual outings. The obidome (帯留め) I am wearing shows a sunrise over Mt. Fuji (富士山), a very seasonal item that's perfect for new year!

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Paprika Girl

@PaprikaGirl_JP

14 days

Tonight in Asakusa (浅草） was the toronagashi (灯篭流し), an obon-festival event commemorating our dearly departed. Wishes for the other world are written on paper lanterns in a quiet, mature event for a summery evening. Naturally it was followed by an icy Asahi Beer at a local

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