Saturday, November 18, 2017

And this just feels like spinning plates

In 2007, whilst I was between roommates, I was also between plates. The only kitchen items I really had was a set of glasses and a set of knives, so it was time to start outfitting my kitchen. Some friends and I went to Target and I got a black and white plate set (dinner plates, bowls, small plates, and mugs for four) and some other kitchen basics. At some point, I acquired another set of four dinner plates/small plates/bowls from my uncle, so now I had service for eight that was at least coordinating with my original set. When I moved to my very own apartment in 2009, I had most of what I really needed to outfit a basic kitchen and dining room. Though, in the case of this hobbit hole I lived in for 3.5 years, these were the same room.

By the time I got married in 2012, I didn’t really need anything. Want? Oh definitely. Registeries and wedding gifts make sense for the couple who are moving out of their parents houses to start their lives together. They are less crucial for the established adult, much less one who has lived alone for awhile and enjoys cooking. For the most part, I had purchased things that would last and that I liked, and still do. We did register for wedding gifts, but mostly just for upgrades to the stuff we already had. We didn't register for plates or other dining item, nor did we receive any, and that was just fine. 

Now in 2017, those plates are starting to show some age. My black and white plates are a little scraped up, but still usable, but my black plates from my uncle have cracked or broken, so I'm only down to service for six. We've invited more than that over for Thanksgiving, so while some people would say "paper plates!", I say it's a perfect excuse to buy some Japanese plates!

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, we headed up to Kappabashi-dori in Tokyo today, which is known as a kitchen district. Need a kitchen gadget or dining implement for your home or restaurant? This is the place to go!

Many restaurants locally have plastic food displays outside to show what they sell. This is where you buy it!




Need signs for your American-style restaurant?


Our new dinner plates

Small plates

Mount Fuji soy sauce plate

On the way up, I had a pleasant surprise as we cut through a mall for a train transfer. Their Christmas decoration theme this year is Pandaful Christmas! I had absolutely zero chill about this serendipitous find! 





Pastry filled with red bean paste. Not my favorite flavor, so we didn't try these, but they are cute!

Chocolate danish - now this was tasty!

Zero chill

On the way home, we stopped by a Tokyu Hands in Yokohama to look for an item that was sold out at different location a few months ago.  We found it, plus a few other fun things. We also got lunch nearby.
Blake likes penguins - not as much as I like pandas, but enough to justify this little dude.

It was a great day - Saturday errands made more exciting by doing them in Tokyo and Yokohama!

4 comments:

Heidi said...

I LOVE your zero chill picture! Also, I love your plates and the fake food store. We were supposed to go there, but I think that was the day some of us went to the fabric district instead. Also, I like the "Congratulations" sign and the tiered cake.

Unknown said...

I need a fuji soy sauce plate!

Giggles said...

There needs to be more "Congratulations" signs at Christmas. Congratulations for getting your Christmas cards out! Congratulations for getting the lights up! Congratulations for not losing your sh** with all the stress! You get the idea.

How awesome would a play kitchen for kids be with that fake food? Very awesome!

Oh, and beautiful plates.

AmandaStretch said...

Heidi - It's very close to the fabric district, so that makes sense!

Summer - Let's go!

Giggles - I do get the idea and I fully approve. As for the fake food, I'm going to look for some play Japanese food for my nephews (and maybe for us - even if we don't have kids here, I will be stocking up on some things before we leave). The stuff at these stores is pricey!