It's rather odd how this blog post segues into an extended and uninteresting (sorry) comparison between Starbucks and L'Occitane. There's probably some insight into those aspects of urbanity that are strongly characteristic of Tokyo in there. But they're heavily masked.
Completely fair criticism. It was more of an articulation of the kinds of thoughts that came to mind when you're not only surrounded by the presence of big companies all day long in Tokyo, but also the jarring presence of seeing all too familiar brands in a city so alien. Like finding a McDonald's on Mars.
You're right, there is nothing deep linking either of those two, other than the fact that they were the two companies that made me so painfully self-conscious of myself as a consumer. I found I'd travelled to the other side of the world to give money to the same companies and support the same corporations that I did back home. It's was a weird experience, but I'm sure I could have articulated it better.
Thanks for reading it anyway and for the honest feedback.
Thanks for replying in that spirit. I should have realised there was a very good chance that the original author would read my comment. Subconsciously I suppose I did else my fingers wouldn't have insisted on the "(sorry)" they put in there. I am culpable in the sense that I wanted my instant fix of Tokyo alternative culture and wasn't prepared for a longer read. That's largely on me. Of course if you did find a McDonalds on Mars that would be totally awesome and well worth writing about - a Starbucks in Tokyo, well. Maybe structurally you could add the western brands stuff as a kind of blog appendix, after putting all your Tokyo goodness out front. Just my $0.02 Thanks again for being a good sport, upvoted.
I don't know whether the concept applies in Japan, but right now everyone is walking like it's Monday morning. ;-)
Thanks! I rather enjoyed that, for a couple of minutes. I'll return to have another look when things are hopping.
Haven't read the OP, yet. So, I don't know how much of a voyeur this makes me. I do enjoy having unfiltered looks are places around the world; gets me out of my own little corner of perspective and thought, a bit.
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P.S. In the process of reading the OP, now.
One of the best integrations of "flow of traffic" -- almost as a Leitmotif -- into film, that I recall, is in Ang Lee's earlier film (before "Crouching Tiger" and all that), "Eat Drink Man Woman". Set in then contemporary, early 90's Taipai. The flow of life -- which was also a central theme of the movie.
(And the soundtrack complemented and clarified those scenes, perfectly.)
Many Asian arthouse films are of the spice of life variety (not many Chinese/Taiwanese films anymore, but definitely many Japanese ones). If you ever have time to kill on a transpacific flight, the Japanese section of the entertainment system is always lots of fun.
That may be so, but I live in London and do not recognize the simplistic description of the London rhythm (I mean "the guards at Buckingham" - really?)
I've never noticed the guards changing when going through town. What I /have/ noticed is the swell of tourists that surrounds the gates every time it's happening and how it always seems to be when I'm trying to pass through, but maybe that's too personal a grievance...
Having thought about this a bit - it is naive/arrogant to claim that some essence of a huge, varied and nuanced city such as London can be captured in a single paragraph.
