Saturday 1 December 2018

Pottery Class, Best Japanese Desserts & Sam Smith Concert! // MELBOURNE VLOG


Hello friends! It's my first Melbourne vlog in SUCH a long time - I had a rare (but lovely!) long weekend off, so I decided to fill it with lots of fun activities and take you guys along to show you my home city!

Come with me to my first pottery class at the most aesthetic studio ever, find out where I go for the best Japanese sushi train and cheese tarts in Melbourne and sing along with me at Sam Smith's concert!

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 17 November 2018

The Busy Streets Of Japan // TIMELAPSE


Keeping it short and sweet with some quick timelapses from a few of my favourite places in Japan.

Who's been to any of the locations in this video? Let me know in the comments below!

Featuring two of Japan's major cities, Tokyo & Osaka, these metropolises are definitely examples of Japan's hustle and bustle - combined they have a population of approx. 15 million people (what even?!)!

Most of these shots were taken a few years ago (on an iPhone and before I started YouTube!), and I had a lot of fun revisiting my old footage and putting this quick video together.

It'll be back to regular videos again after this one, so I'll see you guys again soon!

// LOCATIONS FEATURED
  • Dotonburi, Osaka 
  • Osaka Castle, Osaka 
  • Omotesando Hills, Tokyo 
  • Akihabara Station, Tokyo 
  • Meiji Shrine, Tokyo 
  • Takeshita Dori (Harajuku), Tokyo 
  • Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street, Tokyo 
  • Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

Watch the video below:



Share:

Saturday 3 November 2018

JAPAN CRATE Unboxing + Giveaway! // Kira Kira Subscription Box Review 2018


A monthly box full of goodies from Japan?! Sign me up!

Japan Crate is a monthly subscription service of snack, kawaii, noodle and beauty boxes, full of products from and exclusive to Japan!

For Japan lovers like myself, this is a rad way to continue reliving your trip, or for newbies to get a taste of Japan.

Plus, with Christmas coming up, maybe you even know a friend who'd love a little bit of Japan delivered to their door (or yourself... no judgment!)?

In this video I unboxed Japan Crate's Kira Kira Crate, which is their beauty subscription - watch to find out what was inside the box!

Want the chance to win your own Japan Crate Snack Crate?

Enter via this form. Giveaway is international and starts November 3, 2018 and ends 11:59pm AEST November 17, 2018. Japan Crate will contact the lucky winner directly. Good luck! ✨ 

**This video is not sponsored. Thank you to Japan Crate for partnering up with me for this video & giveaway to share a taste of Japan with one of you guys!**

Watch the video below:



Share:

Sunday 28 October 2018

What Is Solo Travelling In Japan REALLY Like? | JAPAN Q&A


How much money should I budget for Japan? Where is the best place to see cherry blossoms? When is the best time to travel to Tokyo? 

Find out the answers to these questions and more (a LOT more!) in my Japan Q&A!

Thank you to everyone who sent through a question; I did my best to answer as many as I could, there were literally 100+ (you guys are AMAZING!).

If there's anything you'd like me to elaborate on, let me know in the comments and I might make a dedicated video on it ☺️

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 20 October 2018

3 Day Girls Trip To Brisbane, Australia // VLOG


Where better for a girls trip than Brisbane, in Queensland Australia! ☀️

I flew to the sunny state with my childhood bestie Maddie to visit my best friend Jess (who remembers her from the first hijessicaanne in japan series?) and we definitely got up to some shenanigans in the sunshine...

From babysitting puppies and hugging koalas, to rooftop cocktails and manicures, it was a whirlwind three days of good times with my girls!

Watch the video below:


Share:

Sunday 7 October 2018

Fjallraven Kanken X Acne Studios Unboxing | What's In My Carry On Backpack?


I finally caved and bought myself a Fjallraven backpack! 🦊

I've always wanted to get one ever since I saw them for the first time in Japan on a trip a few years ago, so when Fjallraven released a limited edition collaboration with Acne Studios, that was it!

Check out my unboxing and review of this limited edition Kanken backpack, and stay tuned to the end to see what I'd pack for my plane carry-on bag ✈️🎒

Watch the video below:



Share:

Saturday 22 September 2018

JAPAN GIVEAWAY + What I've Been Up To!


It's literally been SIX MONTHS (oops) since I've picked up my camera and filmed a video! But you'd never know, since I filmed so many Japan vlogs in advance hehe

Find out in this video what I've been up to and as a big thank you to everyone who watched the second series of my hijessicaanne in japan vlog series, I wanted to give away a bunch of super cute Japanese spring-themed goodies!

Want to know how to enter? Check out the video below!


Share:

Saturday 8 September 2018

Tokyo Morning Routine 😴✨ | Get Ready With Me!


Not featured: pressing snooze 193743 times 

Get ready with me for a day out in Tokyo! In my morning routine, find out how I make an easy and healthy travel breakfast, my quick skincare regimen and makeup look, and what I'd wear for a casual spring day out in Harajuku. 

Also - I bought a mic! This was my first video recording with her, and I'm so happy with how the audio turned out! Hope you guys enjoy the new setup 💖

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 25 August 2018

I Travelled To Japan Alone! 🇯🇵✈️ // Tokyo & Kyoto Vlog Highlights


AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE. 

After four visits to Japan - on exchange, with family, my boyfriend and my best friend - it was about time that I took the trip to this amazing country solo! 

From instagrammable cafes and kawaii boutiques, to meeting new friends and seeing enough Totoros for a whole lifetime, this trip will always be a special memory for me. As you can see in the video, I could barely keep the smile off my face! 

And a BIG thank you to everyone who watched the second season of my #hijessicaanneinjapan travel vlogs - I hope you enjoy this highlights reel of all the best bits! 

I'm thinking of doing a Q&A video about Japan travel, so if you have any questions for me, please let me know in the comments and I might answer it in a future video! 

If you are yet to check them out, all of the Japan vlog episodes for both season #1 and season #2 are here

And stay tuned... there will be more Japan videos to come!

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 11 August 2018

HUGE Japan Beauty, Fashion & Nerdy Haul + My Last Day In Tokyo! // Solo Travel Japan


It's my last day vlogging in Tokyo 😢

I spent my morning packing my bags, and as you can imagine, after two weeks in Japan it was a good thing I brought an empty suitcase, because this girl bought a LOT. 

So I figured I'd film a haul of all of the beauty, fashion and nerdy stuff I found, so stay tuned to see what I bought in Japan! 

After sorting through all my new goodies, I went out in the afternoon to two crazy *AeStHeTiCaLlY* pleasing cafes - a fab American-style place called Burger Mania, and a totally Insta-worthy cafe called Canvas Tokyo. For my last day in Japan, it was a pretty perfect way to end the trip! 

To everyone who watched along on my hijessicaanne in japan series, thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed reliving these two weeks with me. There are some exciting bonus Japan episodes coming your way very soon, so the journey doesn't end here - and rumour has it, I may already be planning another trip for 2019...🤭 

See you again soon! じゃ,また ! ✨

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 4 August 2018

A Chill Day In The Quiet Neighbourhood, Nakameguro // Solo Travel Japan


Nakameguro is a gorgeous, riverside neighbourhood that is full of crowds during sakura season, but is calm and quiet for the rest of the year. 

I visited this ~normally~ chilled out district on my first day in Tokyo to see the cherry blossoms this area is famous for, but it was waaaaay too crowded with hanami-goers! 

So in today's video, I head back to Nakameguro during off-peak, and I couldn't have asked for a better day - there was barely anyone around, almost all of the cafes I went to were completely empty, and I STILL got to see some sakura flowers! 

I also made the trip to Meguro Sky Garden - a haven in a Tokyo's concrete jungle - and then back to Shibuya for the famous Ichiran booth ramen for dinner.

Watch the vlog below:


Share:

Saturday 28 July 2018

Shopping In Harajuku's Takeshita Street & Trying Japanese Kit Kats! // Solo Travel Japan


If it's your first time to Tokyo, shopping in Harajuku's famous Takeshita Street (or Takeshita-dori) is a must-do - full of kawaii fashion boutiques and instagrammable eateries, be prepared for a big day out in this crowded shopping strip!

After two attempts this trip, I FINALLY made it to Takeshita Street for a day of beauty and clothing shopping (plus, I may have bought a couple of cheeky giveaway items - stay tuned!).

If adorable, insta-worthy foods are your thing, I also went to Eddy's Ice Cream shop for the CUTEST cone, and if that wasn't enough sugar, stay tuned to the end of the video where I taste-test eight Japanese Kit Kat flavours (including, sake and WASABI. Yes.).

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 21 July 2018

The "Brooklyn Of Tokyo", Daikanyama! // Solo Travel Japan


In today's Japan vlog, I head to the upmarket district of Daikanyama - known as the 'Brooklyn of Tokyo'!

I may not have been to Brooklyn before, but the upmarket, effortlessly cool vibe of Daikanyama definitely transported me there - with a tonne of cute boutiques and backstreets, and the most gorgeous bookstore I've ever seen, if you have a spare day in Tokyo and want a relaxing district to explore, look no further.

But before I headed there, I had to make a stop at a dentist in Aoyama - you never expect to do something as mundane as go to the DENTIST while you're on holiday in Tokyo, but it was sooo lucky that I was able to find an english-speaking clinic!

Watch the vlog below:


Share:

Saturday 14 July 2018

A Day Trip To Kyoto & Kiyomizudera Temple!


One day in Kyoto is never enough, but for my fifth visit to this gorgeous city, I decided to spend it at my absolute favourite temple in Japan - Kiyomizudera.

The views of Kyoto from atop this World Heritage Listed Site are absolutely breathtaking - even on my fifth trip to Kiyomizudera (I've now been in every season!), it still completely blew me away! 

If you're currently researching a trip to Japan, put Kiyomizudera on your itinerary - it's my favourite spot in Kyoto and the area has everything you'd want in a day trip to this cultural city; amazing photo opportunities, great souvenir shopping (including TWO Studio Ghibli stores!) and endless restaurant choices!

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 7 July 2018

A Night Out In Harajuku & The AVOCADO Cafe?! // Solo Travel Japan


There are so many themed venues in Tokyo, so when I heard that there was an AVOCADO-themed restaurant in Harajuku, I HAD to check it out!

🥑🥑❤️🥑🥑 basically 

This is a bit of a short and sweet vlog, so I hope you guys enjoy it! 

With avocado overload, checking out some shops and taking purikura (super kawaii photobooth pictures!), come along on our lil girls night out in Harajuku!

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 30 June 2018

New Friends At Tokyo's YouTube Hanami! // Solo Travel Japan


I barely slept the night before this vlog.

The lovely Keira from Keira in Tokyo messaged me at midnight to invite me to the 2018 Tokyo YouTube Hanami (a huge cherry blossom viewing picnic!) and I was SO NERVOUS abut going that I stayed up all night, worrying that I wouldn't know anyone and that I'd make a fool of myself if I went - but I am SO glad that I did (go, that is!).

When you solo travel, you're kind of forced to get out of your comfort zone. It's SCARY, it's UNCOMFORTABLE, but it's GROWTH.

And I'm so proud of myself for busting out, because I had a rad time and met so many new friends!

If you were at the picnic and said hello - THANK YOU! Thank you for so warmly welcoming me, and being a part of one of my favourite days of my trip to Japan.

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 9 June 2018

Visiting Persona 5 Locations In REAL LIFE! // Solo Travel Japan


My all-time favourite game is Persona 5, where you play as a high-schooler in Tokyo who has to save the world while staying a model student (that description sooooo doesn't do it justice!).

But the coolest part is that it's ACTUALLY set in REAL LIFE Tokyo, so the locations in the game actually exist! So I thought I'd dedicate a day of my trip to visit some of the real life locations of Persona 5, and OH. MY. GOSH. These places are truly spot on!

Hope you guys enjoy the vlog, and if you've played P5 before, let me know in the comments who your fave character is! Mine is Joker - obviously ♥️

Watch the video below:


This video was also inspired by RyiSnow's video, comparing real life Shibuya to Persona 5's version of Shibuya! Check it out here.

💕💕 ALSO to everyone who came from Sammie's video - hello! I'm so excited to meet you and I hope you enjoy the videos that I have in store 💕💕

*I am not affiliated with or own any part of Persona 5 or Atlus; I just LOVE the game and wanted to share that with you! But definitely play the game if you get a chance, it is RAD.

Share:

Saturday 2 June 2018

Tokyo’s Hipster Town Shimokitazawa (LOTS of Cafes!) // Solo Travel Japan


If my home city of Melbourne, Australia had a long-lost twin in Japan, it would be Shimokitazawa!

In today’s vlog, I visited Tokyo’s ‘hipster town’, which is full of trendy cafes and vintage clothing stores (plus, an adorable bakery that make TOTORO-themed cream puffs! Yes, we know, I’m obsessed, etc. etc.).

I also caught up with Ken from MrKenDenis!! We went out for dinner and dessert and it was sooooo nice spending time together in Tokyo 💖

warning, i do a lot of eating in this video lol #wheninjapan

Watch the vlog below:


Share:

Sunday 27 May 2018

How I Take Travel Photos Alone & Bento Cooking Class! // Solo Travel Japan


UM. Those Totoro bento boxes were almost too cute to eat!!

Adorable themed bento lunches are super common in Japan for elementary / primary school age students, and in today's vlog I learned how to make my own! Because I'm a kid at heart 💖 

If you have a spare two hours in Tokyo, I highly recommend booking a local cooking class! This one was all in English, and it was so much fun using a tonne of new-to-me ingredients and learning some new cooking techniques. 

Afterwards, I headed into Shibuya to do some shopping and I explain how I take my Instagram photos while travelling alone! Spoiler - I have no shame 🤣

Watch the video below:

Share:

Sunday 20 May 2018

The Countryside That Inspired My Neighbour Totoro 🌱 // Solo Travel Japan


If you're a Studio Ghibli fan... you NEED to go here! 🌱

Because I'm travelling solo in Japan, I wanted to do something a bit different, so I decided to join an Airbnb Experience tour! 

I spent the day hiking through Tokorozawa in Saitama, which is the country town and forest area that inspired Hayao Miyazaki (i.e. the KING of Studio Ghibli!) to make the famous film, My Neighbour Totoro - which is one of my all time favourites! 

The guided walking tour included hiking through the 'Totoro Forest' (literally), visiting Korosuke's House - which the house in My Neighbour Totoro was modelled after! - and sampling the best green tea I've ever tasted at a traditional Japanese tea plantation. 🍵 

It was a total dream, and if you have a day spare in Tokyo and want to experience the countryside, Tokorozawa is a one hour trip from the city and WELL WORTH the visit!

Watch the video below:




Share:

Saturday 12 May 2018

Tokyo Apartment Tour & Exploring Harajuku Backstreets // Solo Travel Japan


You guys requested it! My Tokyo Airbnb apartment tour is here, and lemme tell you, this 👏🏻 place 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 gorgeous!

For my fifth visit to Japan, but first trip travelling solo, I really wanted to find an apartment that was in central Tokyo that could feel like home for my two week stay. This place exceeded expectations - it really was my dream Tokyo apartment! 🏠🌵

Hope you guys enjoy the apartment tour - I HIGHLY recommend staying in Airbnbs instead of hotels in Japan (they’re usually a lot bigger, a lot cheaper, and WAY cuter!) and a BIG thank you to my hosts for making my stay such a fabulous one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stay tuned to the end of the video too - I visited some of the cutest cafes in the backstreets Harajuku (think PIKACHU lattes and animal icecream cones! 😍) that you should definitely add to your itinerary if you’re heading to Tokyo.

Watch the video below:


Share:

Saturday 5 May 2018

Cutting My Hair In Tokyo, Cute Cafes & Kiddyland! // Solo Travel Japan


It's day two in Tokyo!

In today's vlog, I decided to get my hair cut and coloured at ASSORT Tokyo (a.k.a. one of the trendiest, English-speaking salons in Tokyo!) and revisit one of my favourite cafes, Cafe Kitsune - yes, owned by design house Maison Kitsune! 

Then in the afternoon, I went to some super cute cafes, including one that sold cakes INSIDE BALLOONS (wut) and made a stop at Kiddyland to pick up some adorable Pokemon merch - because OF COURSE! 

Hope you guys enjoy this vlog, and stay tuned for the next episode of hijessicaanne in japan... hint hint... an apartment tour is involved!

Watch the video below:



Share:

Saturday 28 April 2018

First Time Seeing Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo! // Solo Travel Japan


I’m back in Japan!! And back for the FIFTH time, because I clearly can’t get enough of the place 💖

Japan is my home away from home, and after visiting multiple times with school, friends and family, this was my very first time travelling overseas alone (!!).

And after receiving so many requests to do a second series of HIJESSICAANNE IN JAPAN, I decided to daily vlog this trip for you guys, so I have a tonne of videos coming your way - this is just the beginning!

I hope you guys enjoy episode one of season two, of HIJESSICAANNE IN JAPAN! I got up to a LOT - including seeing cherry blossoms for the first time 🌸😭💕

If you have any questions about Japan, solo travelling, solo travelling IN JAPAN, leave me a comment below as I’d be happy to answer them!

Watch episode one below:


Share:

Thursday 29 March 2018

Skincare Routine & Makeup Look ONLY USING FREE SAMPLES?! // VIDEO


I always keep all of my beauty samples and minis aside for travelling, and then I thought, what if I challenged myself to put together an entire skincare routine and makeup look ONLY using samples?

Spoiler alert, the result was a total disaster, but it made for a fun video 😅

Watch the video below:



Share:

Tuesday 27 March 2018

I Tried a PERIOD Subscription Box?! // ModiBodi X Bellabox Unboxing Review


Ladies, I took one for the team and tried a PERIOD subscription box! Aaaaand I filmed it, because I knew you’d all be curious!

I’m all about self-care, and ESPECIALLY when it’s that time of the month. So I was really excited to try out the limited edition collab box from Bellabox X Modibodi, which was FULL of period-friendly goodies to make that time of the month a little more bearable - want to find out what was inside? 💃🏻

(Spoiler alert… including a pair of period underwear. As in, you don’t need to wear a pad or tampon! #wut

Disclaimer: Bellabox sent me this box to review. This video is not sponsored.

Watch the video below:


Share:
© taken by surprise | All rights reserved.
Blogger Template Developed by pipdig