Here are the pix from my trip out to Nagoya, Japan to attend Shinzi Katoh’s first solo art exhibition in 20 years!
Muji to Go at Hong Kong International Airport Departure Lobby. Fairly big store with a lot of travelling companions, such as nifty laptop bags and even cute alarm clocks.
At Hong Kong airport — in transit to Nagoya.
My stay at Miel Parque Nagoya. I love it here plus the fact that it’s just 10 minutes drive to the Shinzi Katoh art exhibition.
Dependable service by the hotel front office staff, smiling even as I approach the desk from far, and always ready with polite greeting and a bow.
My workstation in the mornings and late nights. The closet on the left is small but perfect for a short trip. I love it how everything is so compact just against the windowed wall — closet, desk with standby torchlight below, electric heat-top, digital lock safe, drinkware store, fridge, and tv on a rotational top. Love the urban night view too.
Even space to put in a coffee table! Nice touch to the room.
A clean and compact have-it-all bathroom. And the bathtub is deeper than the norm!
Electric heating top for hot water! Stainless steel tumbler provided. Perfect for my late night cup noodles. There’s a vending machine on every even-floor for drinks (beer included) and cup noodles. Ah~ wonderful solution for them after-hours hunger pangs.
Too hungry on the first morning to hunt for anything more. Settled for a quick and cheap bite at a crowded cafe at an underground subway station. The crispy toast was only 130yen, and was really yummy too. Stuffed with ham, cheese, sunny-sideup and cabbage. Wolfed down the other half before remembering to take a pic. Actually this is one of the very few photos I took of my food. Busy concentrating on the eating!
The sushi display that really was just a quarter of the work with the clever use of mirrors! This was at a Japanese restaurant at the NHK building 1F. There was another restaurant nearby with special takeaway bentos for just 500yen. Quite popular with the office workers in that vicinity.
On my way to Shinzi Katoh Design office in Aichi a day before the Shinzi Katoh art exhibition.
Door to studio — our meeting room.
Mr Shinzi Katoh and me after our meeting.
Shinzi Katoh Design studio. Snapped this pic while waiting for Sensei and the co-workers. They were in the office to get ready to leave for dinner together.
Day of the exhibition! But first, to check out the new Shinzi Katoh store at La Chic mall. Remember I posted about this Nagoya mall last month? I thought no way I’m heading back to Singapore without taking a look for myself! No photography allowed, but Shinzi Katoh Design office very kindly made a call to the store to let them know I was coming with my camera. Look at all the goodies!
Sweet staff at the shop! For more pix of this shop, view the album on Facebook here.
Reached Jill D’art Studio later that day — that’s where Sensei’s art show is held. What a crowd!
Cat hatching a plot! This is my favourite ~
Sensei talking to one of the many guests who came to this opening party.
The Shinzi Katoh Design team! I was very honored to be seated next to Sensei.
Right-o! When it was say sayonara Nagoya! I took the miu-train back to the Nagoya International Airport. It’s an express with a flight-inspired interior. I topped up about 300yen to my commoner of a Meitetsu train tix to enjoy the ride.
It was a very comfy and fast ride, all done too soon. Why, that’s the control tower!
Back at the busy Hong Kong airport, in transit back to Singapore.
I spent a total of 4 days away from the family, that is, 2 days at the airports and on the planes, and 2 schedule-filled days in Nagoya. This was a work trip no doubt, but I managed to fulfill my bit of Singaporean duty and visited plenty of shopping malls, and tried out plenty of Japanese food from crispy deep-fried snacks, quaint bread and desserts, delish ramen to a grand 5-course dinner at a cool jazzy eat-in. Got lost once on foot, and took the wrong train once. All in all, it was a good trip out.
Hope I was able to share a bit of my outing’s fun!
