9 days in Fukuoka (and a day in yufuin) (please turn on subtitles in CC) Let's start! Who is ready to eat??? we have arrived in Fukuoka! December 18: ramen tour and hakata city The airport is only 20 minutes away from the city center Making it super convenient to travel! We just dropped off our bags We'll do a room tour later because right now we're going to get a hot bowl of ramen Found this ramen shop close to our hotel Hakata Issou Tonkatsu ramen Adding loads of fresh garlic We saw the table next to us order the rice bowl so we did too Surprisingly that bowl of ramen was quite small so we're heading out to find another ramen shop haha AMU Plaza Hakata City I know Christmas will be over by the time I publish this But I will briefly touch on 'Christmas Advent'- a Christmas market that sprawls across the entire city Because Fukuoka has the largest Christmas market in Japan! We're going to hit up different Christmas markets over the next few days. And the first one is at Hakata station This is so romantic! Along with the illuminations, people can buy food at the market and eat under the Christmas tree and stars There's also a section just to buy ornaments Time for our next ramen stop: World's shortest escalator haha Let's go up to 'Ramen Street' ShinShin Hakata Ramen There was a brief 15 minute queue Hakata style ramen with cha shiu I saw this chain featured in many Fukuoka vlogs so I wanted to try it Personally I like Issou more! We stopped by KFC to see their Christmas menu This year's keepsake Christmas plate and bucket! Chocolate Shop Picked up something sweet for dessert tonight Now let's head back to the hotel! The Basics Fukuoka It has a library theme and you can borrow books from front desk All the books are separated by theme Admittedly I booked this hotel for this lobby haha Showered and changed into the hotel PJs Tonight's lazy plan is to watch Youtube and eat dessert I saw many locals recommend this chocolate shop so had to try It's a cube of soft sponge cake encased in powdery cocoa It's not my favourite- I like my chocolate rich and dense Goodnight, Fukuoka! December 19: fuglen fukuoka, day trip to dazaifu shrine, canal city, charcoal yakiniku Good morning! We're starting the day off at Fuglen Fukuoka Fuglen Fukuoka This Fuglen feels more 'corporate' since it's inside an office building We are also here to stock up on some beans for the home cafe! We missed the autumn leaves but there's some gingko still left Today we're heading off on a short trip out to Dazaifu By train it takes about 45 minutes to get there The mint coloured Nishitetsu train! We got off to transfer to the Dazaifu train Apparently each car is decorated in a different season It was raining by the time we arrived :S Tenzan You can't miss this shop with all the berries on display Everyone was ordering this so I queued up too haha You can watch them slather on the matcha paste and mochi Strawberry Daifuku Monaka This 'sandwich' was delicious! Yasutake The store interior is really attractive so we went to look inside They sell rice cakes with red bean filling which I learned is a Dazaifu specialty! I don't like red bean but we ordered one to try: Umegae Mochi I like it because it's piping hot! Fukuya Sweeping the streets for more snacks: Mentaiko Ochazuke This was so comforting and warm on a cold winter day At this rate we are never getting to the temple haha Starbucks Coffee These snow globe espresso cups caught my eye I bought one and they gave us some complimentary coffee Finally we are getting to the shrine which was our original plan! Haha Dazaifu Tenmangu Admittedly I think we spent more time snacking Miffy Bakery On the way back to the train station I had to stop by Miffy Bakery Each branch has its own exclusive merchandise I'm going to put together a Miffy care package for a friend! 抹茶スイーツ処茶和々 太宰府店 Matcha premium gelato You can choose from a variety of matcha 'intensities' We had a good time in Dazaifu! Canal City Hakata This Wego was pretty disappointing for vintage clothing Onitsuka Tiger Should I buy them Should we buy them Finally it's time to see the 'Canal City Xmas Disco'! Hmmm personally I don't think it was worth waiting for haha Maybe my tastes have changed since my last time here, but the shops at Canal City weren't very interesting We've actually spent a Christmas in Fukuoka a few years ago with Victor's family And we stayed at the Grand Hyat that's also located at Canal City Ghibli Store On our way out to dinner we stumbled upon this Ghibli store They had a wide selection of Ghibli stuff that I've never seen before A Calcifer coaster!! I missed out on the Loewe collaboration But this is very cute For Christmas 2023 they have a Calcifer candle! We didn't have any luck making a reservation at this yakiniku restaurant So we're hoping the queue will be short haha Nikuichi They said 1 hour wait and gave us hot barley tea We ended up waiting only 20 minutes (but we noticed they told everyone '1 hour' haha) It's 7:30pm and we went HAM on ordering food The waitress came twice to make sure we wanted this much food haha I think this was one of our favourite meals in Fukuoka It was good price for quality! Plus it was comfortable to sit at and wasn't smoky Steak Tartare This building reminds us of the Tokyo 'Nakagin Capsule Tower' Time to get dessert: I'm going to give you guys a quick room tour of our hotel This is the first hotel out of the 3 that we'll be staying in at the city This one is called 'The Basics Fukuoka' I'm currently standing in the bathroom and it's very spacious Kind of like a traditional Japanese bathroom but there's a lot of counter space And right by the entrance we have an area to hang clothes And from the entrance we have the bedroom This is a very atypical hotel because there's so much space! So that we can literally just put our suitcases out and still have room to walk So our bedroom actually faces the other side of the hotel which is a C-shape And then we have our mini bar and TV This is our bedroom and it has the book wallpaper that echoes the main entrance with the library Mainly chose this hotel because of the aesthetics of the library atrium And also it's a 3 minute walk to Fuglen Very close by to Hakata station where all the malls are We're going to try a dessert from Lawson This is a collaboration with Godiva and it's part of their December dessert menu Can I have some? You can ask your personal trainer UCHI Cafe x Godiva chocolate mousse with almond praline How is it? It's just "chocolate tasting" That's what it is- it's a chocolate cake! December 20: shrimp bowls, kishida shrine, ohori park, cafe hopping and motsunabe Starting the day off at the cafe inside our hotel (it was just ok) Our first stop is to eat seafood bowl breakfast! They open at 11:30am and we got there 15 minutes before opening 海鮮居酒屋 魚喜 Secured my spot!!! I heard there are limited quantities of this famous sweet shrimp bowl Sweet shrimp bowl This is a work of art Victor ordered a second seafood bowl after haha Very satisfied with breakfast: now walking over to the shrine next door Kushida Shrine Since the weather is still good, we'll make our way to a park These girls look like they're going to the same place haha Ohori Park A cafe located by the pond &LOCALS Ohori Park Shop The teahouse also sells local produce and snacks from Kyushu Matcha latte + hojicha Dashi omelet set Each meal comes with a careful explanation of the food and preparation I feel like I'm in Canada but with cuter cafes haha I'm so full so we're taking a walk around the park There are so many birds here Instagram vs... ...Reality It was very windy during the winter haha To chocolate On our way to the train station we stopped by this chocolate shop The owner was very friendly! chocolate canelé There are many cafes I want to check out in Fukuoka, so let's go: NO COFFEE When we walked in, we were surprised to see the entire shop full The minimalist concrete interior reminds me of cafes in Hong Kong There are a few cute stores to check out around the area Sam found this store called 'Standard Manual'. Let's check it out! The Standard Manual Upstairs you'll find small decorative items and furnishings On the ground floor there are gardening supplies,
dead stock military items and clothes This pink/yellow building looks like it belongs in Hong Kong We have made a pilgrimage to Victor's favourite shop haha HIGHTIDE Hightide is a Fukuoka based stationary store After visiting the Tokyo shop, we were excited to see the 'flagship' Honestly the store interior felt very dated After visiting their Tokyo branch, we were a bit disappointed with the limited selection of items If you are in Fukuoka it is worth checking out,
but the Tokyo shop is a lot nicer! Stopping by Fuglen to quickly pick up a few gifts for friends Um...we ended up getting some hot drinks as well haha 'Riripa organic' drip coffee Notes: papaya, orange, peach, black tea Fuglen hot chocolate Drinking at Fuglen at night is a whole different vibe Beams Didn't get anything at Beams this time Sumisu JR Hakata City A really nice stationary and gift store! NABE & PEACE Tonight we are trying 'miso motsunabe' Which is beef intestines hot pot I think this is very famous in Fukuoka after doing a lot of research on restaurants! Since we're in Hakata, I wanted to try this local specialty Even though we don't really like eating innards haha It tasted good but it was really greasy
and made me feel really bloated afterwards Visiting Lawson and Family Mart to see their desserts (and picked up this cat card haha) Souffle pudding a la mode 5/10 December 21: a snowy day aboard the Yufuin No Mori vintage train, onsen ryokan It started snowing here in Hakata- it's -3C! Today we're heading off to Yufuin by train We have to pick up the Kyushu 3 Day Rail Pass we reserved online We had to queue for 30 minutes just to get our tickets We also decided to put 2/3 luggages into the lockers and leave them overnight (In hindsight best decision ever) White Glass Coffee Time to warm up with a coffee before we hop on the train I can watch the snow for hours "Good coffee, good day!" We also decided to get a bag of beans! "Christmas plate" Victor: you guys are all in Christmas colours 😂 Grilled chicken sandwich and minestrone soup Tiramisu It's time to check out of the hotel and head to Yufuin! I love the snow!!! We also took some photos at the office tower attached to the hotel 駅弁当 新幹線口 You can reserve an eki-bento on the train but I got lazy haha Love these little ramen stalls on the platforms You can feel the excitement when the Yufuin No Mori train arrives It's like a celebrity has arrived and everyone wants a photo! You have to pay for the (northern) Kyushu rail pass and then purchase another seat reservation on top You must make a seat reservation for the Yufuin No Mori! Every car has a different decoration There is also a dining car where you can purchase cute souvenirs, drinks and snacks only offered on this train! But I recommend going at the end of the journey to avoid crowds They also bring a trolley
full of things you can buy from your seat! Beef and mentaiko ekiben I want to get a commemorative train stamp With one hour left, we went to get a drink at the dining car Yufuin cider It was such a treat to ride the train with a snowy landscape! And for the kids: kids can also dress up like the captains in the dining car The staff also come around to let you know when there's something to see out the window Would recommend booking seats 'C' and D'
so you can see the waterfall We just arrived in Yufuin by train Now we're heading over to our onsen ryokan which is a 15 minute walk from the train station This is why I'm glad we only brought one carry-on to share 癒しの里 観布亭 As soon as we arrived, I just jumped into the onsen I made a remark about wanting to reserve dinner but they weren't able to provide it when we arrived So convenience store for dinner it is: Dinner is Served Tonight's omakase dinner is brought to you by Chef Lawson and Chef 711 First up we have the Kyushu-inspired ramen complete with a soft boiled egg And over here we have some fried chicken Complete with a side salad and wafu sauce Moving on over here we have a slow cooked oyakodon That has been in the microwave for 30 seconds Mmm... overdone haha December 22: a snow day at yufuin floral village, art museum and tenjin christmas market Having breakfast at the hotel before exploring Grilling horse mackerel over charcoal I am conflicted about this hotel I booked- so please book with caution I wanted to find a ryokan that had a private onsen And one that was close enough to the tourist spots that we could walk it since we don't have a car But the hot water was very patchy At breakfast we heard another couple from HK discussing about the lack of hot water situation too haha This ryokan has many great Google reviews,
but personally I would not stay here again 🙏🏻 Maybe we just got very unlucky! Despite all that, I think Yufuin in winter is stunning! But as you can see we didn't expect snow and only wore Converse lol Good morning! We are walking over to the Yufuin Floral Village Which is about a 10 minute walk from our onsen hotel. We already checked out Originally I was going to rent a car But I wanted to take the Yufuin No Mori train so that's why we decided to buy the 3 Day Kyushu Railway Pass But unfortunately because it is the winter I totally forgot that there's potentially snow So not sure if this was the best idea but maybe we'll rent a car next time Yufuin Floral Village This is probably the most popular attraction here in Yufuin It's a small village inspired by Cotswolds in England You can find a lot of Ghibli merchandise here! Google reviews are accurate: very cute but very compact Most people think it's overrated but suddenly it started snowing And it became a magical snow globe! This was probably one of my favourite moments in Fukuoka! I recommend coming for a picture (just need a little patience) but I didn't purchase anything Suddenly the clouds let up and the sun returned HOMME BLUE CAFE Stumbled upon this cute ceramic store just around the corner We're going to hide away at Bread Espresso Get some hot coffee, get warm, before we continue exploring the village Bread, Espresso & "Mu" steamed cube bread Victor loved the steaming hot bread after being in the snow French toast The French toast was warm and custardy with a crisp exterior After visiting the Kyoto location, we thought the sets here were better (Maybe because the bread is actually served hot) Hot latte in snow 🫶🏻 Say 'freeze'! FREEZE Stumble upon this vintage car museum We're at the Miffy Bakery in Yufuin now haha Miffy Mori no Bakery This is a Miffy themed bakery and shop I couldn't resist buying something from the bread collection! Miffy... snowman? Across the hall is the bakery and cafe You can watch them prepare the bread And order ice cream, bread and coffee Another day, another Miffy purchase Yufuin Kinsho Croquettes While Sam went to shop, I went to get a snack Beef potato onion croquette SNOOPY Chaya Yufuinten There's a huge Snoopy souvenir shop They also have a teahouse but I heard the queues are long WOODSTOCK NEST Wow they even have a shop dedicated to Snoopy's friends haha We ended up getting a snack here Pudding soft serve Didn't really like this :S We just finished at the Miffy shop and Snoopy cafe And now we're heading off to the art museum that we bought tickets for COMICO ART MUSEUM YUFUIN It's recommended to book a slot before you arrive This reminds me of Nezu Museum in Tokyo The museum was designed by Kengo Kuma He also designed the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Nakameguro! The collection of art is very small But includes popular artists like Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami And even a dog sculpture by Yoshimoto Nara! I did not expect to see such a modern art museum here in Yufuin! Our last stop before heading back to Hakata is a coffee shop! Ordinary Day Coffee If you're looking for a cafe near the train station before going back to Hakata I found the cutest one in Yufuin! It looks like a Korean cafe Tiramisu The sun is setting Wow this 711 has an amazing view of Mount Yufu! People are queuing up to take the train back to Hakata! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 Ramen Kanetora I think a lot of people come here for very spicy noodles We queued for about 30 minutes Tsukenmen with cha shiu You can request for less spicy! If you like Afuri ramen, you'll like this place! CHRISTMAS MARKET TENJIN Hitting up another Christmas Market tonight before they close I love the lights and the traditional holiday decor I ordered a hot chocolate so I could get a mug They gave me a little plastic bag to carry my mug home so I can wash it and keep it! Tokyo Stay Fukuoka Tenjin Here we are standing in the Japanese toilet Exact same layout as the Tokyo one At the entrance we have the classic washer/dryer, the microwave, the kettle And then Victor's pant press Moving into our main bedroom This one is exactly like The Tokyu Stay in Ginza except the finishes are a lot nicer and more modern As you can see there's a lot more ambient lighting We even have a little coffee table And then a desk with this very chic lamp. And we also have the view of the city below which you'll see tomorrow morning Washing the mug and bringing it home with me! December 23: Bills Fukuoka, shopping in daimyo, eel rice and speakeasy bar with Japanese sweets Today's plan is first to get some breakfast and then we're going to do some cafe hopping and shopping in the Tenjin area where we're staying Bills fukuoka Unbelievable there's no queue! Full aussie breakfast Ricotta hotcakes Getting dessert right after breakfast because we're in the area Ishimura Manseido They sell traditional sweets but have a dessert I want to try: Vanilla ice cream curls on custard, followed by fresh marshmallow TSURUnoKOnoKO (marshmallow and custard parfait) ??? Juliet's Letters I went to this European style stationary store for a card Vintage photos of daily life turned into postcards 3COINS＋plus mina Tenjin Store Mandatory stop at the dollar store Stopping by Parco to check out a few shops on our list: The vinyl selection is limited in the Fukuoka branch Parco also has a couple of vintage stores you can find across Japan gelato pique I don't normally shop this brand but these caught my eye North Indian style butter chicken curry Soup Stock is the best spot for a quick and easy lunch I think we've found the trendy area of Fukuoka! Vintage stores on every corner of Daimyo! Little Stand Daimyo store This coffee shop only does takeout I ordered their most popular items Bari chai and BARI (chocolate) pudding The chai was like a dessert in a cup Flamingo Spotted this popular vintage store right across the cafe Vic is trying on this womenswear corduroy jacket But it fits him perfectly! And I like this colour! Can spend a whole day just exploring this neighbourhood! Borderline Records Stumbled upon this used record store and decided to check it out They had an incredible selection and at very good prices! We picked up a few things! White atelier by CONVERSE Just like the Tokyo store you can buy special edition Converse Or make your own custom pair Flying Tiger Copenhagen Located in the same mall is a Flying Tiger! I always like browsing their seasonal merchandise 一 (はじめ) I discovered this eel restaurant while researching Fukuoka It only had local reviews and I wanted to try less touristy restaurants They specialise in conger eel (anago) Eel omelet Grilled and steamed anago set We couldn't decide between grilled or steamed so they let us have one piece of each The anago is definitely fluffier and lighter than traditional unagi I highly recommend visiting this store! I'm looking for a bar but all I see is a yakiniku restaurant Bar Contrast This speakeasy bar is hidden behind a wall matcha milk + whisky cocktail
sencha gin and tonic They also serve traditional Japanese sweets to go with your cocktails The sencha was our favourite! December 24: homeware shops in yakuin, mentaiko tsukenmen, hotel room tour Itookashi seafood bowl grilled mackerel morning special A cafe born in Fukuoka! Rec Coffee Tenjinminami I will try their recommendation :) We also got a lot of beans I got the Geisha blend latte And it's bomb because it doesn't just taste like milk and dark espresso It's very bright and citrus-y and I highly recommend it! Moving to our last hotel of the trip! THE HOTELS HAKATA 春重 This is a very new boutique hotel I discovered The interiors are very calming (room tour later) H.L.D. Today we are checking out a few homeware shops! They sell many brands like Vitra and String- but I can only window shop as a tourist We're going into this mall with many furniture and homeware stores ACTUS Fukuoka Store This shop had a wide selection of souvenirs for the home I feel like I'm in Pottery Barn (Japanese edition)! They sell everything from home fragrances to plants to tableware Let's walk to the Yakuin area NONE TOO SOON LIFE & OBJECT Another beautiful lifestyle boutique They also sell APFR! B・B・B POTTERS This was by far the largest and most popular homeware shop in all of Fukuoka! You won't find very trendy items but a lot of classic designs This shop feels like the 'William Sonoma' of Fukuoka haha Upstairs they have both a shop and a cafe There are many small stores hidden upstairs Tram A general store full of curated home goods and tableware I just like how everything is displayed Downstairs from 'Tram' is a vintage furniture store Victor is hungry so we're grabbing a late lunch The Basket We passed by this tiny burger joint in the middle of Yakuin And decided to give it a try Everything is made fresh to order Cheeseburger with fries Stopping by Lawson to get strawberry shortcake for Christmas Coffee County Even their machine is purple haha This cafe got a lot of good reviews from 'coffee geeks' so we came here to try Victor ordered a geisha drip My order arrived first because the barista didn't
approve of his first extraction 😂 They carefully explain about the coffee process when his order arrived Chocolate cake + latte You can feel the excitement over Christmas Eve! Many the shops have queues of people buying gifts Now that we can check-in, let's do a room tour of our last hotel This is our last 2 nights at 'The Hotels Hakata' This is their 'Harushige' branch We have a toilet that is separate from the shower And at the entrance/walkway leads to two twin beds once again Sam's over there with our dining table. The view is of the streets but it's covered a little bit by some wooden slats On the left we have your typical coffee machine, mini fridge, water boiler, and a random sink Moving on to the showers, There is a compartment that covers the sink area It's quite tight but very clean and very minimal The tiles are black and the sink is right here! It's a rainy Christmas Eve so we're going to do some shopping Where are we eating for dinner tonight? Something nice Will take shelter at a department store Honey Coffee Was thrilled to stumble upon the coffee roastery recommended by the barista at Little Stand They let us sample the coffee before purchasing! Madu They sell the same items as the Tokyo location Dollar store spree time DAISO Lachic Fukuoka
Tenjin Store They sell the cutest cards... It's still raining outside but we're getting hungry This illumination reminds me of 'Blue Grotto' in Shinjuku! This place is really famous for their mentaiko so we're going to try it because the queue is very short I heard during the day you can queue for about 1.5 hours just to get inside! My first time trying mentaiko tsukenmen Mentai Nikomi Tsuke-men The soup base looks sour and spicy but it was actually really delicious! Highly recommend coming in evening when there's no queue This part of the Christmas market is Santa themed haha December 25: christmas omakase, vintage cafes and festive KFC lunch Our hotel also comes with breakfast! Cute bentos but too much rice for me in the morning An underground mall that reminds me of Paris Look at the ceiling of this underground mall! It looks like wrought iron! Wow this vintage bag store is from Tokyo! KURASUKOTO This is the cafe I most wanted to visit in Fukuoka It has vintage-inspired interiors and large windows to make it feel bright It's a bakery, bookstore and cafe! Lemon cream gratin The cafe has many delicate desserts I want to try Pudding + Custard Donut Set I ordered another drink because the teapot is so cute! The donut was a little too oily for me Before you leave, there's a shop upstairs This was one of my favourite shops- just the right amount of pretty and useless objects to justify buying haha We pre-ordered a Christmas set from KFC we need to pick up We heard that having KFC for Christmas is a tradition in Japan So we want to try it too haha Got the (chicken) bag! Setting the mood for Christmas lunch Kentucky fried chicken christmas set
Lawson strawberry shortcake We're currently on our way to a coffee shop that was recommended by a follower who lives in Fukuoka! Hopefully it's good! And then tonight we have booked ourselves an omakase for our Christmas dinner! ORTO CAFE The dark green house is very attractive I'd say this is more of a bakery than a coffee shop Order downstairs and enjoy on the 2nd floor Chocolate cake + latte Another day, another slice We have some time before dinner so going to help a friend buy a bag she's been looking for Saint Laurent They have it! The queue at the tax return counter was really long... Waited around 30 minutes just to do the tax refund So I've been trying to find this vest For the longest time It's a Japanese brand called 'Tai On'. I wanted the vest version because they also have a zipper on the side You wanted this since Tokyo but couldn't find it there Now heading for our omakase Christmas dinner! すし幸德 Who would've thought our Christmas would be spent eating: Shirako fish sperm Only in Japan 😂 Female crab There are only 6 seats in this restaurant Sushi is served directly on the counter Run by a couple- the master has been preparing sushi since he was 15 years old Sea snails The chef shows us a book explaining each fish (very useful indeed 😂) Grouper rock cod Mackerel Katsuro oni (striped tuna) Squid Grouper soup Swordfish Conger eel (anago) kanpyo maki He showed us the certificate for the tuna And here comes my favourite: Toro (fatty tuna) Thank you for the (Christmas) meal At the end of the day, I back up all my footage onto a hard drive This tiny hard drive is from Kingston It's so small for a 4TB hard drive Perfect for carrying around during trips Good morning! We are leaving this afternoon back to Hong Kong So I found this really cute pancake spot for breakfast because they open at 8am! Shirogane Sabo Sit amongst books and trees while you dine This cafe serves pancakes on the first floor for breakfast I want to eat sweet/savoury pancakes! Sausage & bacon/eggs pancake I'm just surprised syrup costs extra money :S A lot of people told me there's not much to do in Fukuoka But I think we did a lot for 9 days and it was a lot of fun! Let's go back and unbox all our souvenirs: Fukuoka shopping haul Hey guys! We're back from Fukuoka and you guys already know the drill! But we're going to do a very quick shopping haul! As you guys know we love our coffee, records, sneakers and vintage shopping So the categories will be very similar to Tokyo And we'll start off with coffee! First up is coffee beans from Rec Coffee We actually have this coffee shop included in our cafe Reel from Tokyo on Instagram If you didn't know they're actually from Fukuoka themselves so we got a couple of beans from them The reason why we keep buying beans from Japan is because they're a lot cheaper than Hong Kong (almost half the price!) And they also really like light-roast beans (which we also like as well!) This is their classic Hakata blend (we got 2 of these) And this is their Geisha which is also really good- we tried it in the coffee shop And this is their Ethiopian blend and also the 'holiday blend' All these beans are from coffee shops in Fukuoka This is from Onca Coffee This one is from Coffee County And the last one is from White Glass Coffee We went to this coffee shop called 'Little Stand' and Vic tried their iced americano And he wanted to buy the beans but unfortunately the barista said they were sold out He sourced them from a place called 'Honey Coffee Roasters' in Fukuoka where he used to work And we just stumbled upon the roaster in one of the department stores And we ended up getting two bags of these You can't visit 'Fuk' without going to 'Fuglen' This is a classic coffee shop you guys already know from Tokyo This is the classic Geisha blend And this is the one we already have called 'Danche Organic' This is going to be a gift for our friends We also got these drip coffee bags for our friends who don't have a coffee machine at home Heads up if you buy from Honey Coffee Roaster or Rec Coffee they also give you a free cup of coffee with every purchase of 200g of beans The next category is homeware/daiso/stationary We got this at a homeware department store in Fukuoka I needed a new coffee spoon I now have 3 coffee canisters that I carry my beans in so I needed one more spoon that I can scoop my beans out And this one is a nice classic colour of wood and made in Japan! As you guys know I love documenting my baking here on the vlogs And I wanted to get some glass bowls so it's easier to shoot and highlight the ingredients The first one is from 3 COINS And I like actually how light it is but it's got a bit of depth so I can still shoot The second one is from the cafe/shop called 'Kurasukoto' And I just like how this one has a very nice lip so I can do some nice pours Super random: I got these little ziplock bags from Daiso because they have little strawberries and strawberry shortcake on there for Valentine's Day Next up: I also got this green umbrella because I'm going through a really weird phase of being obsessed with olive green So this actually has a quick release button. And you push it again it can also retract it easily (And it's also from Daiso!) These next few items are from the brand called 'HIGHTIDE' As you guys know we are obsessed with this brand that we discovered in Miyashita Park in Tokyo However the store itself was a little disappointing compared to the Tokyo one Actually if you're in Tokyo you should go to that one Last time I was at HIGHTIDE I bought some packing cubes This time I just got a couple of stickers that are 'kissaten' inspired which I'm going to stick on my suitcase I got a storage container which is also in olive green And then also a measuring tape which is also in... olive green Lastly a tape dispenser which is also in the colour of.... Guess??? Drumroll please.... Olive green! One random item I got from Muji is this Japanese New Year curry Because I don't think I've ever seen this at the Muji in Hong Kong One cool thing that I found when I was researching on Fukuoka Was that they have a collection of mugs for the Christmas season And they're sold at different Christmas markets around the area I got this one at the Tenjin Christmas market So for $50 (HKD) you can get a hot chocolate in this collectible mug And they give you a plastic bag so you can wash it and bring it home If you know someone who is a Starbucks lover and loves collecting Starbucks mugs, this souvenir is the perfect gift I got this mini snow globe and this is the Japan-themed one There's one for Fukuoka, Tokyo, Osaka But this one won me over just because nothing beats Mount Fuji with a cookie moon on it I have a friend who is really obsessed with Miffy And I had to create a little care package for her The first one is a Miffy wall hanging I got this for her because she's pregnant with her first child So I thought this would look really cute in a nursery Also I like how there's a bell on it so it makes a soothing jingle sound Also each store has its own exclusive items so I also bought her this mini plate that's exclusive to the shrine location At the Miffy Bakery store in Yufuin I got this little pouch for her And it's got a Miffy bun bread face on it which I thought is really cute as useless as it is! The shopping bag does cost an extra ¥50 But I couldn't pass it up because the colours are so cute and I think it would look nice if I shipped it off to her in one of these bags And at the Loft store I also got her a couple of red envelopes with Miffy on it Completely random but I just thought it would fit the Miffy care package theme Wrapping up this stationary category, I got this card from Juliet's Letters that you've seen in the vlog And this one is from 711 I just got this because I just like this cute, cozy cat illustration on it Moving on to vintage and clothes: I got this women's corduroy jacket from a brand called 'Appleseed's' at Flamingo I love the colour lilac! It's a typical 'shacket' The texture is very nice The only thing is is that the buttons are on the wrong side The only thing is that the buttons are on the opposite side of what I'm used to so it'll take some time to get used to opening and closing this jacket up Sam: welcome to my world I've been trying to find this vest- especially this brand of vest called 'Tai On' It's a Japanese brand I've been trying to find it in Tokyo for the longest time- couldn't find it anywhere Not even Beams, Ships, Freak Store But finally I walked into a 'Beauty and Youth' in Fukuoka while Sam was waiting for a tax refund and I found my dream olive green vest! This is probably my favourite purchase of this trip! It's from a brand called 'Gelato Pique' It is a Japanese pajama and loungewear brand We were passing by the store and this piece caught my eye in the window display It is from their holiday collection It's a fleece cardigan with a Christmas theme to it: you see it's got the bear, Christmas tree, and the logo splashed all over the front and the back It also came in cream but that one sold out by the time I re-visited the store Even though there's a very limited time I can wear it, it's perfect for now since it's very cold in Hong Kong No one is going to see it anyway so I'll be wearing Christmas trees until March! Super cozy, super warm! I love the oversized buttons and a nice little detail are the sleeves which are double rolled/double folded So they're extra comfy and you can snuggle in it! I got this military crossbody bag from a store called 'Freak's Store' (Nice bag) The colour is also olive green I like it because it's really big: it can fit my cameras and tripods In a very stylish way! We discovered this record store while walking in Daimyo after coffee at Little Stand And this is probably one of our favourite finds of this trip: Each of these records cost ¥250 Which is about $15 (HKD) only Which is USD... $3? And these are some pretty decent jazz artists The next category is shoes The 'Reacts' are very comfortable because they have a brand new sole that you can walk long durations in I actually have a few of these already that I bought in Tokyo. This is my third pair Next up is the brand 'Onitsuka Tiger' that we've never purchased from before But we thought it was time to try out a pair of shoes So Victor got a pair in this white leather and black And I purchased a pair of Mexico 66 in the silver colour Really been into silver lately- maybe it's just a holiday thing. But I think they're really cute and they kind of remind me of the early 2000's And lastly we have a bag unboxing I helped my friend purchase this from Iwataya which is affiliated with Isetan and the Mitsuokoshi family So without further ado, let's open it Originally when I went to the store I asked the sales associate if they had this colourway Originally they said they didn't but after checking the app and on the backend they found one in this colour So here we have the Yves Saint Laurent '5 à 7 hobo bag' in this beautiful burgundy patent leather And I like how this looks so nice for a festive holiday season And it's got this brushed gold hardware with it I'll just show you a quick comparison with my own 5 à 7 bag Here is mine in the croc edition, and here's my friend's in the patent leather I mentioned this before in my Tokyo shopping haul But if you get the Isetan guest card, you can get an additional 5% off on all your purchases with the majority of brands So this bag I managed to get 10% tax back with the 5% off guest card And I saved her about $4000 HKD compared to retail here in Hong Kong
