Many of us may have dreamed of picking up our lives and moving to the neon playground that is Tokyo. After 11 years working for Vogue Living—most recently as the Deputy Art Director—and admiring the country and culture from afar, art director Ebony Bižys actually made the leap. Since moving to Japan’s capital city in 2010, Ebony has been meticulously researching the best insider addresses that populate the island archipelago for her widely respected design blog, Hello Sandwich, and three self-published Tokyo Guide Zines and seven craft and lifestyle books. This past April, all of Ebony’s favorite spots have been compiled into one stellar guide aptly titled Hello Sandwich Japan (Hardie Grant, 2021). Here, Ebony shares her enthusiasm for Tokyo, as well as some of her favorite kissaten retro-style tea and coffee shops in her beloved country.
You've been in Japan since 2010. What drew you there? What keeps you there?
My love for Japan began when I was sitting at my desk at Vogue and opening the morning mail. I can clearly recall the day that the United Colors of Benetton catalogue came across my desk. It was shot in Tokyo’s Harajuku, and photographed in the style of Fruits magazine—this street-fashion style magazine that featured the kawaii (cute) and colorful fashion of Tokyo’s youth. I was amazed by the quirkiness and creative, playful style of Japanese fashion and knew immediately that I needed to jump on a flight to Japan as soon as possible.
At the same time as working at Vogue, I was also studying at Sydney’s University of New South Wales, College of Fine Arts and was mesmerized with the ways in which Japanese street fashion displayed such creativity not dissimilar to works of art. It was right there and then at my desk that I decided I would need to head to Japan to see this wonder firsthand.
Not long later, at the age of 18, I took my first trip to Tokyo and adored everything about this incredible country. The people, the culture, the design, the fashion, the attention to detail, the politeness, the tradition, the food, transportation that arrives on time down to the second, convenience store staff that twist the handles of your bag for ease of carrying before they pass you your shopping.... It was like nothing I had ever experienced before, but everything that I could have possibly dreamt of. Never had I ever felt safer, more mesmerized or more inspired in any other country.
After just one trip to Japan, I was hooked. I traveled to Japan nine times before I relocated, spending the entirety of my one-month annual leave from Vogue each year in Tokyo. In 2010, and with the cut-off age for the Australian working holiday visa for Japan fast approaching, I decided it was a case of now or never. I had decided to move to Japan “for a year.” That was 11 years ago.
Your book covers a wide breadth of different types of places, from ryokan retreats to multi-purpose cafes and shops. What unifies your selections and how did you decide what made the cut for inclusion?
My goal was to include places to eat, drink, see and do, as the cover suggests, ensuring that visitors using this guide were covered on all fronts. My motto has always been to include places that I would honestly recommend as an incredible experience for travelers who like the Hello Sandwich brand and style. As a result, all of the places in my book are places I would recommend visiting. It is basically a collation of all of my special secret Google pins!
