the tall blond guy goes to japan

Tokyo at its ugliest and coolest

Shibuya

Running out of time in this city! Today I saw some really ugly stuff. Just city, city more city, crowded, grey, unwelcoming, cold, rainy. Nasty place.

Welcome to Shibuya (note Tower Records in distance)

I don't think this picture can really capture the horrid greyness of everything out there. If it weren't for finding this diamond in the middle of the rough, I would have written this morning off as a waste of time.

Loft!!

When I was in Hong Kong, my favourite purchase was a jacket in a small boutique called "Loft". Loft was full of really neato little things. I have fond memories of that place.

Imagine my glee when I found six entire floors of Loft!

Loft is somehow associated with Seibu (remember, they're the expensive department store I warned you about). Loft is cool though. A coworker described it best when she called it a "lifestyle store". It's like a combination of Urban Outfitters, IKEA, Office Depot and trendy-clothing-store all in one, with some uniquely Japanese stuff thrown in. It could very well be the coolest store in the world.

It sells everything from household goods to gifty things to furniture and stationery- even an entire audio/video floor (which I made myself avoid). Painful.

Some very very cool thingers can be found there.