I have been asked many a times.. if in Japan.. do the folks there use lamps like these.. that you can find in the West.. in speciality shops.  I have to let you know. .that yes.. some do use these lamps.. and please be made aware that those manufactured in Japan are definitely different . .than those you find manufactured in China.  In Japan.. the japanese believed that quality is above everything.   Everything you see here .. to make this table lamp successful is all hand made.. and inspected personally.   So yes.. as long as I see that sign “Made in Japan” .. well you know .. you can trust that they are quality product.

Traditional Japanese homes in Takano River looked like that. In the cold winter months, it would really be nice to have a tankless water heater.  I remembered my host family having to take turns because they wouldn’t have so much hot water to go round the entire household and i feel extremely bad, because they always let me have a hot bath first.. since i am the guest.  I really wished i could send them one now .. since they had been so nice to me.. during my 6 months stay in Japan.

My friend Chiko- San has just gotten a job in the USA and she and her whole family is moving there together.  We all know that moving or relocating is no fun and needs a lot of work and planning.  She is very excited but was getting stressful too because she didn’t know who can help her or how she can move everything from Japan to the US.

A good place to start for someone like Chiko-San is Relocation.com.  They have the resources and information you need for your move.  On this site you can find all the information you need, from buying a new house, moving, renting an apartment or even get some mortgage info.  Need a shipping quote? No problem!  They have all the info for folks like Chiko-san who is moving internationally.

December 19 was the day I remembered that I saw my first snow in Japan .. while i was there on a project.  I remembered the date so well.. because my daughter was also born on this day.  I was certainly not hoping to get so much snow.. after all, I’ve seen enough snow in Canada eh.  But i was glad that the hostess of the place we were staying in .. had  electric blanket ready for me when I got home from work. I love my host family.

I love the Japaneses traditional houses in Japan.. they are so simple.. yet very zen .. but don’t be deceived by these houses and think that they drink from the well.  Nope..! they are just like us and have the same kinda kitchen faucets like you and I have at home.The friend of mine that this house belongs to, was worried about not having a environmentally friendly building materials, so they build their house with an all wood theme. And it was on a hillside that looks down a valley that they chose the spot to build their home.  It was pure serenity.. and calmness when we visited their home. Gomanasai !

This is the Swissotel Nankai in Osaka, being a hotelier before with the Swissotel group, i had the privileged to stay in their complimentary rooms when i was on vacation in Osaka many years ago.  When we had first decided to choose Osaka as one of our destination, we didn’t know that Osaka is actually a very vibrant city.  The hotel itself is at the heart of Namba .. where you can just shop till you drop because Takashimaya which consist of a 7 storey high shopping arcade is just beneath the hotel.   And when you are tired out with the shopping, you can just head back to the hotel’s 9 different restaurants and bar and i have to specially mention their  bar stools because they were really pretty and comfy. You bet it was expensive.. !! had we not had gotten complimentary rooms, I doubt that we could have afforded to stay a week in Osaka.

Nice and great curtains are hard to find where I live.. and we all know that having great curtains can make a big difference in anyone’s home.  For those from around here, it seems that all the curtains available in local stores are either too long or too short, I’ve always got to bring my curtains to a tailor to hem them up, and of course they charge for every piece I bring in .. and when you have as many windows as I do you end up paying a lot more besides what you already paid for the curtains themselves.

With custom window treatments you never have to go through the hassle again because they customize all the curtains for you.  With a huge variety of fabrics and trims to choose from and with ordering online, you will definitely find something each time you want new curtains, drapes or custom valances.  I love the ones below,  the color can brighten up my kitchen and I like that it is not like your ordinary valances, I love being unique.

Noren are decorative silk-screened curtains used for centuries by the Japanese as door curtains, wall hangings and window curtains. Traditional noren are split down the center - allowing a person to pass through from one room to another. Commonly found also in japanese eateries.

These imported Japanese noren are true collectibles - many produced on premium Japanese cotton and hemp fabrics and depicting kabuki and geisha images taken from ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints. Their beauty and style suit most modern decor and they can readily be mounted and framed or used as wall hangings in addition to their traditional use as room dividers.

Handmade using authentic Japanese washi paper, this lamp shaped like an elongated bag, is original .. and charming. I love the autumn leaves on it.. simple yet so pretty… brings a warm to your heart. A curved handle on the top makes it easy to move the lamp anywhere around the house. This floor lamp has a dimmer switch, so that one can set the soft warm mood to just the level you want. Some easy assembly required but pretty easy .. and doesn’t take Einstein to figure it out. Plug/Switch can be adapted for any region or country. Crafted with pride in Japan and cost $169 .. a good deal.

An imprint of Hello Kitty on you toast.. and of course the cute toaster.. is really amusing.. and i bet would make your home something for others to envy. I think the toaster is for adults and children.  6 shades of settings, removable crumb tray, wide toast slots for bagels, decorative cool touch exterior, self adjusting bread guides, cord storage at the bottom.  Only at $36.99 … maybe this would entice my kid to eat toast.