Last two days in Japan

I'm leaving most of this post to John, because we spent time shopping, and lets face it - he knows his shops! However, I did remember something that I had meant to post, and thought I would share. We were reading a local bulletin in English for the Mt Fuji area, and there was an article on Motorcycle gangs, saying how they are more a nuisance than dangerous, and how much of an annoynce they are. The article finished up by saying that due to the stolen nature and the various parts of the bikes they are liable to break down. You may be lucky enough to come across a lone biker, who has been left behind because of breakdown. If this happens be sure to point and laugh.

 Meiji Shrine on a Sunday with a newly married couple (below) in the traditional Japanese wedding outfit. Clearly, the bride's dress was designed with comfort in mind- wooden cloggs and all...

 Now we have some retail- this fantastic looking building is called the Audi Forum- in an area that includes stores such as Forever 21, Levis, Prada... Certainly a brand building exercise obvious here.

 Again, another brand building exercise here with unique, high cost store buildings which could never make enough money to justify them.

 DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR!!!

 And of course it wouldn't be Prada without a building made of glass. I remember seeing pictures of this in college, but a picture really doesn't do it justice. It's a piece of art, not a store.

I would need a separate blog just to show all the pictures and have a discussion about the retail landscape in this part of Tokyo. With a huge footfall and massive rents/ real estate costs, these stores and the many, many other flagships show the power and assets of large brands.