I seem to have missed my photo today so here’s one from earlier.

Things I bought in Japan: shoelaces in flower-patterned fabric. A tiny bit of Japan, a tiny piece of beauty that I can sneak into my everyday life. Every time I tie my shoes, I get a little spark of joy.

I don’t usually buy souvenirs or even local crafts that are just for looking at. Instead I look for things that carry with them the character of the place, that I can use, in my daily life rather than on special occasions – even though few such purchases can be used quite this frequently.