Rich people who come here will feel poor, and poor people who come here will feel even poorer. On Sundays, the main thoroughfare in the heart of Ginza is sealed off to traffic, and tables and chairs are placed in the center of the street for tired shoppers to rest. The crowd consist of local and international shoppers with loads of cash and/or credit. And also people who shop for windows, like me.
Swatch This Space
Walking by shop windows, I was attracted by the unique design of one of the lady's watches from the Swatch Vendome Collection on a poster by the roadside. Seeing that I was interested, the sales guy directed me to a strange looking portal, which turned out to be a cylindrical glass elevator lined with hundreds of Swatch watches.
The elevator took me underground to the Swatch showroom. The friendly saleslady Michiko was kind enough to remove the limited edition 37,275 yen Waving Crystal watch, the last one in stock, from the glass display for me to photograph (but alas my iPhone camera s*cks at close-ups). I really liked the design of the watch; it had a fantasy feel to it. If anyone wants to buy it, let me know. Only S$600 XD
Tokyo International Forum (東京国際フォーラム)
The Tokyo International Forum is an exhibition and concert hall and conference center, with one giant hall that seats 1500 and 7 other halls. There was supposed to be a flea market held here every second Sunday. Guess this was the other second Sunday - no fleas in sight.
Still, this place is a big draw for crowds. There's nothing like enjoying a roadside lunch bought from a mobile stall while listening to a free street performance of Bach. Of course, for those who have the money, they can always enjoy paid performances or visit the museums in the Forum.
"Bach is Back" as the banners proclaimed. Down the street they were selling CDs, books and music sheets of the famed German composer. Even McDonald's was having a presentation on Bach in the lobby of the Forum. Which reminds me, they were giving out Premium Roast Coffee free vouchers in the streets, and I haven't used mine yet.
380 CC
The Peugeot 380 CC was on display in the basement of the Tokyo International Forum. The red coupé cabriolet with it's hardtop retracted looked really sexy. I didn't bother with the black 5-door hatchback version also on display :P
At the Nissan Gallery along the Ginza Chuo Dori St, I had a chance to see the new Nissan Skyline Crossover (AKA the Infiniti EX outside of Japan), a fusion of the luxury coupe and luxury SUV. My impression was that this compact 4WD, 5-door liftback CUV looked kinda ugly except from the side. It is slated for release this summer in Japan.
Who Wants Imperialism?
Back in Shibuya, some extreme right wing wannabe reformists seems to be clamoring for a return to an Imperialist Japan. What gives?
Mother's Day Coming Soon
On a more compassionate note, Mother's Day is coming soon. Have you thought of a way to thank her? A sincere expression of gratitude surpasses all material gifts. お母さん、ありがとう！
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