More jingle jangle

I'm not sure why I've developed my recent fascination for jewellery. I have loads of course, a lot with sentimental value, some with financial value and also a lot of cheap tat that has allowed me the shopping experience, to be closely followed by the 'what was I thinking' experience when I got home. But I am not known for my jewellery. For my birthday a year or so back, my dear friend Billie took me to have my ears pierced. Rather surprising to discover that they had already been done some years ago and forgotten about.

After 8 months of knowing that the clothes and shoes won't fit, I think my lustful shopping eye has moved elsewhere. And here it landed, at the rather un-Japanese but still beautiful Tribu, who have a store in Tokyo, but also sell online in London. Tribu's stock is described as 'tribal body adornment' which isn't something I normally go for, and many of the pieces I have no idea of their purpose. But the fat black, green and cream designs, fixed with rope and silver or copper are gorgeous and really unusual. They have a hint of modern Maori about them and I loved the slithery snake that, in black, looked it might move.

More Shimokitazawa shopping

I'm still talking about it, I know, but there were 2 shops I particularly wanted to mention for their gorgeousness. The first was 'Dorobou-Nikki' whose designs were eversoslightly American Indian stylee but with a utility twist. It is predominantly a man's shop but frankly, I'd have walked out with half of the stock, including furry desert boots, utility bags and sweatshirt-style cardigans with big fat butterflies all over them.

The second shop was Shuhari, a tiny handmade jewellery shop, down by the railway line. A simple washing line hung outside with a handful of landscape pictures of blue skies. On the side walls were box frames containing the jewellery. Inside the simple white and wooden interior, the stock was shown on old wooden ironing boards, mangles and old knitting bobins.