Vacation in Japan

This year for our end of the year vacation, we decided to go to Japan.  I have stopped over at Japan's airport many times and even stayed a night at the nearby hotel but never wandered far from the airport.After having travelled to many asian and european countries, I have to say, Japan is the most safe, friendly and easily accessible for first time tourist who do not speak their language.  It is also very clean even in Tokyo city with millions of people and traffic.

By the grace of God, I was able to locate a huge fabric store in one of the busiest district in Tokyo and managed to use the subway to get there without speaking a word of Japanese.  I really praise God for His guidance and knowledge to move about freely and safely.

While I was happily introducing myself to the fabric store (I feel kinda lost as everything is in Japanese) and trying to shop the fabrics (kimono fabrics are sold in ~13" wide unlike the usual 45" wide), DH left me alone and went sightseeing.  He came back a few hours later and help me check out so we could go get lunch.

Japanese fabrics are really beautiful especially the ones for making kimonos.  I gave in and bought several rolls of the kimono fabrics but I probably would be using them to make dresses, scarf, or quilts.  I also bought some patterns and fashion books (but they are all in japanese so I will have to look at the pictures to decipher them)

Praise God we also found the famous Kinokuniya bookstore and I bought some lovely japanese quilt and dress pattern books.  Here are pictures of some of my shopping in Japan (only craft items shown). 

During one of our sightseeing trip, we happened upon a vendor that sells vintage kimono fabrics and I was blessed to buy some.  They are the ones in the clear plastic bags.  I am thinking maybe making a collage art quilt with these fabrics as they only come in about a quarter yard or less.  We shall see.  I am so inspired and maybe alittle over creatively stimulated right now that my to-do-wish-list is just growing..... :)