Sporty black mesh

I haven't taken a real summer vacation since I graduated college, so a rare outing is the closest to one for me. And this was also a rare occasion where a photographer and I took 5 hours worth of public transportation to get to a certain location. Can you guess where this is?

Hakone is known for it's hot springs, but the beautiful scenery, lush green mountains and forests, and a gorgeous lake that sparkles during sunset are also worth a visit. I highly recommend purchasing the 5000 yen  ticket from Shinjuku station that allows you to take all forms of public transportation to Hakone and back, including train, bus, ropeway, ship and cable car. Just make sure you don't go during the peak of summertime -which is why I wore the most comfortable clothing I own for this little trip.

大学を卒業してから、まだ一回もちゃんとした夏休みをとったことがない気がする。なので、私にとって日帰りの旅は結構珍しいのです。そして、カメラマンと二人で５時間もかけて目的地までたどり着くというのももっと珍しいです。この写真が撮られた場所、わかりますか？

箱根は温泉で有名ですが、周りの美しい景色、緑で溢れる山々と森、そして夕日になるとキラキラ輝く湖も観光にオススメです。新宿駅で５０００円の券を購入すると、箱根までの往復と、現地での公同交通が全部含まれているので、大変便利です。電車も、バスも、ロープウェーも、ケーブルカーも、船も、全部利用できるんです。でも、夏のピークに行くのは避けた方がいいかもしれないですね。だから私も一番動きやすくて、風通しのいい服をチョイスしました。

top: Zara; pants: Zara; bra: Calvin Klein; hat: zeroUV; sunglasses: zeroUV; sandals: Teva; choker: Choke Me Jewelry

All photos by Rhino Lee.

BABY-G x Trill Glamping party

It's summertime & the living's good. The other day, I was really feeling the summer vibes at the BABY-G x Trill glamping party out at Wild Magic in Toyosu. BABY-G teamed up with a Japanese curated app Trill for a girly evening of healthy BBQ and drinks. Apparently, "glamping" is a new word that means "glamorous camping." Perfect way to spend an evening outdoors, right?

I'm a huge fan of BABY-G's useful, sturdy and colorful watch designs which are great for daily use. Almost all of their watches are water and shock resistant, radio controlled, has a tough solar and light function as well as displaying world time,  tide graphs and lap/split time. It really is the ideal watch for travelers and surfers, runners, skateboarders, and other people who are active and need a watch that will not fail on them. I chose a black and gold watch from their new glamping series, and it's probably by far my favorite design. Check out more of their cute designs here.


夏の真っただ中ですね〜！数日前、BABY-G x Trillが開催したグランピングパーティーで夏気分を存分に味わいました！場所は豊洲のワイルドマジック。多くの方がバーベキューなどを楽しめる最高のスポットです。今回は、腕時計ブランドBABY-Gが、女性向けトレンド情報をキュレートしているアプリTrillとコラボし、女子が楽しめるお洒落バーベキューイベントを企画しました。「グランピング」とは、グラマラスキャンピングの用語。快適に夏の夜を過ごせそうですよね！

私は前からBABY-Gのファンで、機能性の高い、しかもお洒落で可愛いデザインがいつもツボです。デイリーに使える腕時計は、誰もが求めていると思います。ほとんどの腕時計は耐衝撃構造で防水機能はもちろん、タフソーラーやライト機能も使いやすく、電波受信機能、ワールドタイム、タイドグラフとラップ／スプリット計測機能も含まれているんです。トラベラー、サーファー、ランナー、スケートボーダー、そしてその他にアクティブな方にとってもお勧めする腕時計ブランドです。私が今回選んだのは、黒とゴールドのグランピングシリーズの新作です！もっと可愛いデザインを見たい方は、こちらへGO！

Beach Closet

Misanga bracelets are very popular in Japan during the summer season, and I was lucky enough to receive this handmade set of 3 from Beach Closet. This is a new brand my friend recently started up, and her bracelets are all handmade with care. I love the chic navy against the pop of orange and purple. Since the closest beach is over 2 hours away, wearing this beach-inspired bracelets gives me that ocean vibe that I'm going to need for the next 2 months. Thank you Beach Closet for these beautiful bracelets!

夏になると、ミサンガは人気ですよね！先日、友達からこの手作りのミサンガを頂きました。ビーチをテーマにしたブランド、Beach Closetのミサンガは、どれも丁寧に仕上げられ、色合いもチャームもとても可愛いし、お洒落ですよ！このシックなネイビーに、ポップなオレンジとパープルが素敵です。海を思い出させてくれるブレスレット、ありがとうございます！

OUTFIT | Playful summer vibes in Tokyo

dress: Forever 21

headband: PUNYUS

bag: Zara

shoes: Vans

sunglasses: zero UV

I am ready for some summer fun, seriously. The pool, the beach in Izu, the hot springs in Hakone, somewhere. At least my birthday is coming up in a few week.

もう夏の準備はできてるよー！プールでも海でもどこでもいいから、行きたい！来月の誕生日に、どこか行こうかな。

All photos by Paint with Stars Photography

OUTFIT | A 2D affair with Jump from Paper

backpack: Jump from Paper

top: Topshop

shorts: vintage Levi's

shirt: Gap

jacket: Patagonia

boots: Dr. Martens

hat: New Era

It's been a while since I posted an outfit. With the humidity creeping in over here, I could live in shorts every single day. Shorts aside, I want to introduce the cutest brand ever, Jump from Paper. I seriously had to do a double take when I saw the bags on their website - everything looks 2D, like cartoon drawings made into bags. Although it doesn't fit as many things as a regular backpack would, I can fit all of my daily essentials in this one. I kept the rest of the outfit casual to match the playfulness of the backpack.

And who knew Akihabara had hidden shrines with kitties napping in the afternoon sun? Too cute.

最近は、毎日ショーパンで過ごせるくらい、蒸し暑くなっております。ショーパンはさておき、今回はこの可愛らしいリュックのブランド、Jump from Paperを紹介したいです！初めてホームページを見たとき、マジでびっくりしました。２D？？のバッグ？？実際届い他ものは、ちゃんとバッグとして活用でき、しかも可愛い！今回はリュックに合わせて、カジュアルなコーデにしてみました。秋葉原の神社で子猫ちゃんにこんにちは。

All photos by Paint with Stars Photography

summer shoes

My casual shoes of choice for the warm summer months - Vans checkered slip-ons, Madrid Eva Birkenstocks, and Aldo platform flats.

What's your shoe of choice this season?

Love,

Samantha Mariko

it's summertime and the living's easy

(dress: gift from friend; shawl:old from Rimo; clutch: Drezso;

wedges: needsupply.com)

Yesterday, my friend had a used clothing sale at her place, and I ended up snagging this cute floral-print dress for free :) I never have enough summer dresses, so it was the perfect addition to my wardrobe. 

My recent addition is the photo app called "Afterlight," which I used for these photos. I think the filters are better than Instagram's. I definitely recommend this app! So fun to use :)

It's getting quite humid over here in Tokyo these days, but I'm so excited to spend this summer in Japan. Bring on the heat! 

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Samantha Mariko