Hello Tokyo: 30+ Handmade Projects and Fun Ideas for a Cute, Tokyo-Inspired Lifestyle

Australian graphic designer Bizys bases this quirky, joyful book of creativity on her blog, Hello Sandwich, which draws on her life in Japan. The book is well written and easily understood, and expresses her abundant love of Japanese culture. She provides ideas for making the most of a tiny Tokyo apartment with repurposed vintage items, short-stemmed flower arrangements in tiny vases, and a brightly colored pegboard for photographs and enhanced storage space. Picnicking in the city’s lovely parks is an adventurous, daylong activity for Bizys and her friends that requires musical instruments, games, books, handmade napkins, blankets (called “leisure sheets” locally), and, of course, food. Making a bento box is a major task. Bizys explains the rule of five when assembling a bento: one must include the traditional five colors, cooking methods, flavors, senses, and states of mind while eating. A variety of projects offers something for everyone seeking handmade items: decorated magnets, hair bows, bracelets, folders, and scrapbooks. Clever tricks with gift wrap, tags, and toppers are covered, and the book reveals the many fun possibilities of decorating for parties. Color photographs handsomely illustrate Bizys’s projects, and her background in art direction is evident. (Mar.)