HIDDEN GEMS: LITTLE VENICE + A SLICE OF CANADA

Hello Internet peeps, for those of you that don't know my obsession with Canada is unparalleled so it's fair to say that this was one of the best days I've had recently. 

It all started in Nakameguro, which admittedly wasn't as striking without the foliage of the cherry blossoms. The walk however from Nakameguro to Jiyugaoka was lined with hip little eateries and aesthetic cafes. After ducking into a small burger joint (a burger joint that sold A&W RootBeer might I add) we headed towards La Vita. La Vita is basically a little sliver, heavy emphasis on "little", of Venice in Tokyo.

The place is really cute and feels far removed from the standard bright lights and neon Kanji of this city. Though in reality there isn't much to do in La Vita.

 The buildings are mostly empty spare a salon and small dog groomers. Yet the details in this little facade are immaculate. The gondola, the few inches of water, fresh pots of flowers lining the street, its all very bougie and all very fake (but nonetheless cute). 

After the long walk to Jiyugaoka my body was screaming for sugar. Thankfully there was a BeaverTails just around the corner. BeaverTails, for those unfamiliar, is a Canadian pastry which is slathered in different toppings (think a french crepe, but not as light and fluffy). The store front screamed Canada as was covered in maple leaves, little beavers, and photos of the home land. It was definitely worth the trip! 

To burn off the calories we walked around Jiyugaoka. This hip little neighbourhood has some seriously cool shopping. My favourite place was a camera store called Popeye's. 

There selection of cool vintage camera's and novelty film was to die for. The small store was crammed with people browsing the carefully curated collection of cameras and accessories. It's definitely worth visiting for the camera fanatics out there, especially those into vintage cameras. 

The days wrapped up with some coffee and people watching. Jiyugaoka is filled with little coffee stands where baristas craft you the perfect drink for on the go. Unlike any of the other stands we encountered, this place was doling out coffee from an old VW MiniBus. I don't think I've ever come across something so ~kawaii~ and aesthetic. 

For those looking for something different in Tokyo, something that feels a lot less chaotic I highly recommend checking out the area between Meguro and Jiyugaoka! There are so many  little gems to uncover in this area, and the vibe is perfect for a sunny day! 

X,

F.