Mutant Strawberries
Bought some strawberries today. I think they may have been grown in Chernobyl:
Archived entries for Shopping in Japan
Jil Sander returns to Uniqlo for Spring 2010
Jil Sander and Uniqlo clearly know when they’re on to a good thing: from tomorrow (23rd December) those of you living in Japan will be able to get your paws on items from the +J Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The UK gets the collection on the 7th January, with the US following a week later on the 14th.
Official press release:
The season introduces fresh perspectives on volume, teamed with perfect harmony in fibre, colour, optics, and touch. Experimentation is essential, but subtle, leading to new interplays of material and motion.
Iconic simplicity
Leaving sporty stereotypes behind, +J endorses functional elegance, dynamic textiles, and distinctive shapes. Softly articulated, silhouettes give free reign to movement and ease. Fabrics are straightforward, expertly woven, alluringly sculptured, neat and subtle. Initiating marriages of convenience between structure and fluidity, delicacy and determination, coupling strong characters for the common good.
Natural nobility
The collection quietly bridges the emotional and the formal, femininity and masculinity, experience and evolution. Luxury lies in inspiration and discreet perfectionism, applied to truly modern tailoring. Environmental concerns move to the heart of research, engaging in clothing that is both responsible and innovative.
Clarity and Lightness
Opting for the precision of airy colours, white and pure ivory feature as the radiant centre of energy and confidence. Pastel hues, pearly reflections, and chalked out acids create luminous lightness. Waterproof textiles become more feminine, made of ultra-fine cotton, tech-satins and sumptuous wools with an overwhelming impression of liquidity.
Prices (for Japan):
Outerwear, Coats & Jackets 4,990円 ～ 14,900円
Bottoms 3,990円 ～ 5,990円
Shirts 3,990円 ～ 4,990円
Cut & Sewn 1,990円 ～ 4,990円
Knitwear 2,990円 ～ 9,900円
Links:
Uniqlo +J sites in Japan, the UK (press release) and the US (press release).
Four of the Best: Men’s Clothes Shops in Japan
Splashing Out
If you’re looking for a well-crafted Italian suit, new shirt for work or a nice tie or two then Beams is the place for you. The January sales provide a good opportunity to pick up items at half price, as well.
Not quite as highfalutin as Beams, with much of their stuff coming in at a lower price point. Ships is a great place for casual items, especially classic American workwear -plaid shirts, etc – and British country gear (by country gear I mean wax jackets and so on, not Land Rovers, clay pigeons and field spaniels).
Buying the Basics
The best bet for everyday staples like socks and underwear. Uniqlo has seasonal collaborations with well-known designers – most recently Jil Sander – but don’t expect the quality to be up there with the best. Their HeatTech line of thermal clothing has received wide acclaim and is proving incredibly popular with the frozen masses.
The new kid on the block (ie, I didn’t know about it until a few weeks ago), Universal Language is a bit like Ships but much cheaper. I believe it’s owned by high-street chain The Suit Company.
Four of the Best: Restaurants in Marunouchi
Narita Express Specials
Got a bit of a wait before your shinkansen or Narita Express departs from Tokyo station? Feel a bit peckish? The following places should see you through:
Konaya
5F Oazo Building, Marunochi. Open 11.00am – 11.00pm
Curry and udon, together? An unlikely combination, you may think, but they make perfect partners. In fact, the chefs at Konaya have pretty much created the impossible – an edible Pot Noodle! Perfect for cold winter days, and very handily located one floor above Maruzen’s foreign books section.
Essenza
5F Marunouchi Building. Open 11.00am – 11.00pm
A simple, no nonsense Italian restaurant on Marunouchi Building’s fifth floor. The counter seating encloses the entire kitchen area so you can watch the chefs do their business.
Anniversary Favourites
Need a good restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, or just fancy splashing out? The woman (or man) in your life will most definitely appreciate dinner in either of these fine establishments:
Salt
6F Shin-Marunochi Building. Open 11.00am – 11.00pm
Australian chef Luke Mangan’s Tokyo restaurant never fails to disappoint. A fantastic selection of Japanese-inspired delights that use the freshest ingredients available. The oval-shaped seating helps to create an intimate atmosphere, and the staff are always courteous.
Peter
24F The Peninsula Tokyo. Open 11.30am – 10.00pm
Peter’s private lift in the lobby area of the Peninsula Hotel whisks you to the 24th floor in seconds, and when the doors open you might forgive yourself for thinking that you’ve been transported to the starship Enterprise. At night the dark, shiny surfaces and low lighting give this restaurant an otherworldly feel. The dinner menu offers a great selection of set courses to choose from, and – considering that wine is included – at very reasonable prices.
View Four of the Best: Restaurants in Marunouchi in a larger map
PJN95TGDNEBY
Hair today, gone tomorrow
Japan, like any other country, has an abundant supply of products for the follically challenged male. Do you find yourself weeping in the shower at the sight of your beloved hair flowing down the plughole? Have you been desperately trying to glue your pubes to your head with Pritt Stick? If you answered “Yes! My God man, yes!” to either of these then you might want give the following options a whirl:
Spray-on hair
Essentially a can of hair-coloured spray that dyes your scalp and thickens your remaining strands, thereby miraculously giving the appearance of more hair. The biggest downside to this one is that a bout of exercise will leave trails of brown-coloured sweat soaking into your shirt collar. Plus you also need a fair amount of hair remaining, otherwise you run the risk of people mistaking your head for a conker.
Hair restoring lotion
This miracle of modern science usually comes in a special applicator-head bottle thingy (ie, you massage your head with end bit). Apparently, it treats the root cause of the problem (ho ho!) by encouraging hair follicles to grow. Too much application can, however, lead to a rather sore scalp and the unfortunate office nickname of “Cherry Head”.
Fake hair
This is my favourite, purely because the TV adverts have people with enormously long bits of fake hair stuck to their foreheads, arms, and other entirely random places. They spend much of the advert yanking at it while pulling an “Oooh look, it’s soo strong!” expression at the camera. In short, great for bungee jumping fanatics.
Glue-on wigs
Live in a wind tunnel? Watch a lot of tennis? Then you, my slap-headed friend, need a glue-on wig. This is for the man who has lost enough up top to justify physically sticking a Yorkshire terrier-sized hairpiece to his dome. I, for one, would like to see what this particular option looks like after a day of 30-degree heat and 100% humidity.
The hair transplant
If it’s good enough for Mel Gibson then it’s good enough for the common man. Quite expensive, though, and a poor job can leave you with a strange pattern where the hair was implanted. In some circles this option has earned the nickname “The Chucky”, for obvious reasons.
The barcode
Some men will forego the above options and sweep the last remaining tendrils of hair over the top of the head in a, err, sweeping motion. This look has been falling out of favour in recent years, probably because women are sick of spending their weekends with a wispy-haired pillock:
As for me? Well, when the time comes to shave-it or save-it I’m going to stick with creosote and Kiwi shoe polish.
Organic Japanese Beer
The LOHAS movement is a big deal in Tokyo, especially among the young, well-heeled Nakameguro set. Although it seems that many people view it more as a fashion statement than a “lifestyle of health and sustainability”, plenty of companies have realised that serious money can be made by going organic. Thankfully, this also includes breweries:
The verdict: A little bit on the bitter side but worth a try. However, for this kind of money (about ¥300 a can) I think I’ll stick to Suntory’s Premium Malts.
Uniqlo Designers’ Invitation Project: Gilded Age
Every few months Uniqlo introduces a new range of clothes in conjunction with famous design types. One of this season’s collaborations is with Gilded Age, whose clothing is “inspired by the craftsmanship of the Gilded Age and assembled from artisanal fabrics.”
Blimey. Well, a bit of Googling reveals that the Gilded Age (1878-1889) was shaped by America’s greatest industrialists – men like John D. Rockerfeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. These chaps created the modern industrial economy and helped America’s manufacturing capacity dwarf the likes of Britain, Germany and France.
What does this mean for the clothes, then? The Uniqlo collection utilises natural, earthy colours and light, comfortable fabrics, with jackets boasting a deconstructed smart-yet-casual cut that would normally cost you a lot more than ¥5,900. The only problem is finding a store that hasn’t already sold out!
More: The Designers’ Invitation Project at uniqlo.com (in English)
Kuruma banare (車離れ): de-motorisation
While car companies are currently in a terrible financial situation, with sales having slumped in developed countries, most do see light at the end of the tunnel and anticipate a recovery. In Japan, however, the decline may be much harder to reverse.
In 2009 it is predicted that 4.86 million new cars will be sold in Japan, which would be the first time in 30 years that sales have fallen below five million. What is even more worrying for Japanese car makers is that young people – men especially – are far less interested in cars than they used to be.
While owning a car used to be a status symbol, Japanese youngsters these days are more likely to be spending their money on the latest mobile phones, MP3 players and other electronic gadgetry than on their first car. The convenience of public transport in urban areas also leaves childless 20- and 30-somethings with little reason to buy one.
So how can car manufacturers make their products more appealing to young Japanese? Perhaps one way forward is for companies to generate more revenue from car-related services than from car sales. A car-sharing scheme could prove popular, especially when coupled with an online “car booking” service that can be accessed from mobile phones. All for a monthly fee, of course.
What do you think will happen to the Japanese car industry?
Related: “Japan auto sales plunge as young lose interest” – The Detroit News
Muji’s 2008 advent calendar
Muji has released a quite enormous advent calendar this year. I don’t think there’s enough room on my desk at work for this little beautie:
Each day has its own drawer, containing a piece of the treasure of the Sierra Madre. The 19th contains what appears to be a lozenge of pure gold, as you can see below:
(¥2,100 from Muji. Click here to find your nearest store)
H&M in Ginza
Although H&M’s Ginza store has been open for several weeks the masses still appear content to spend a beautuful autumn day queuing up outside:
At the time this photo was taken the wait to enter was 2 hours, and it reportedly took another 2 hours to try clothes on in the fitting room:
Chuo-dori, one of Ginza’s main streets, is closed to traffic on weekends:
Walking from Shibuya to Harajuku
I went to Shibuya and Harajuku yesterday for some shopping and a bite to eat. Google Japan were doing one of their “Things you can do with Google” promotions (“Googleで、できること”), which I’d heard about at Danny’s Tuesday night dinner (more stuff about this from Ken and W+K). The sign says “Fly in the sky in Shibuya”:
There were a set number of tickets available throughout the day for people who wanted to take part. There was no shortage of balloons:
Here some staff members were preparing to attach the first flyer of the afternoon to the balloons:
By this time lots of people had gathered round to see what was going on. The first flyer – a girl in her early twenties – was helmeted and attached to the balloons by several sturdy-looking ropes. Finally, after quite literally minutes of anticipation, the girl was released:
Well… that wasn’t quite what the crowd were expecting, although the girl did seem to enjoy herself. So did this chap:
It’s a short walk from Shibuya to Omotesando: one of Tokyo’s poshest streets:
This is the interior of Omtesando Hills, which was opened in 2005 and designed by Tadao Ando. The shops are eye-bleedingly expensive:
Omotesando Crossing is where Meiji-dori and Omotesando meet. It’s always busy around here:
Roadworks along Meiji-dori. I like the illuminated traffic cones. They would serve as a fantastic addition to any university student’s bedroom:
This is the exterior of Uniqlo’s special UT store, which is a short walk towards Shibuya from Omotesando Crossing:
As you can see, Uniqlo now sell Japanese women in conveniently-sized plastic containers, and at very reasonable prices:
Oh, so they’re just t-shirts then. How disappointing:
