Shopping

Above: Escape sling from high-rise department store.

Today was the day that had been allocated to rest and shopping. While I don’t normally have much brand loyalty, I do rather like some of the cheaper-end stuff Uniqlo (a Japanese value fashion brand). I had been told about GU, their budget brand just the day before, so I decided to check both brands out in Ginza, the most famous shopping district in Japan.

While Uniqlo was cheap by most people’s standards, it wasn’t cheap enough to buy at whim, I’d seriously need and like an item before spending $35-40 on it. On the other hand, I found lots at GU priced at $7-20 which prompted me to buy if I somewhat liked it and it suited me.

I managed to hit the JPY10000 threshold which allowed me tax-free purchase from a special desk. Good job I was buying at GU as the tax-free counter at Uniqlo had long queues – it appears half of mainland China was shopping there.

Some interesting things I learnt while shopping in Japan:

• It is necessary to take off one’s shoes when using the fitting room. Yes, one would have to do that anyway if trying on trousers but if visiting the fitting rooms multiple times to try on shirts, it does get rather painful.
• I’ve read that shops also offer women face masks so that their make-up doesn’t smear on pull-over dresses that they try!
• When one sees a “Push” sign on a Japanese glass door into a shop, it doesn’t mean the opposite of “Pull”. You don’t push the door. Instead you push the sign and it activates the sliding mechanism. That’s instead of having sensors that open the sliding doors.