My first trip to Ginza with a Japanese friend

Activity > Tokyo > Sightseeing > Ginza

This trip to Japan had been decided entirely on a whim. For some time, I had been entertaining the thought of going to the Land of the Rising Sun and enjoy watching the cherry blossoms in their springtime beauty. Of course, it did not hurt that the country had much to offer in the way of shopping, electronics, and gadgets aside from the glorious sight of those delicate blooms. So, when I discovered one of my friends making out with my boyfriend, I took all that money I had saved up for a Caribbean getaway and splurged it on a trip to the other side of the world — far, far away from backstabbing friends and faithless, horny boyfriends.

For one thing, I liked the way the Japanese respected themselves and each other so much so that public (and lewd) displays of affection were virtually taboo. I had the feeling I would work up some brokenhearted and murderous rage at the sight of lovers smooching in Paris or lounging mostly naked by the clear Caribbean waters so it was with some sense of rightness that I chose to languish in a country where most of the population were reserved and kept private matters, well, private.

Of course, because I had no one else to spend my hard-earned money on, I gleefully hiked my way to the nearest station that would take me to the heart of upscale shopping in this side of the world — Ginza.

I got off the Yarakucho Station and made my way to where it said "Muji" on the map. I had an immediate crush on that line of department stores the moment I read about it somewhere. There was also virtually no Muji branch where I was from so I had to make do with buying some items online. This was like IKEA of Asia. Women were bound to find this highly worth their time and I was not one to turn a deaf ear on my feminine side.

After purchasing several office supplies and a cartload of stationery and pens, I walked down Chuo Dori where the street was closed off to traffic for the benefit of shoppers. I was only too happy to disappear into the crowd where I was left to my own thoughts while I window shopped. The busy streets were a welcome distraction from my own morose throughts.

The clock tower of Ginza Wako rose into view and I immediately found myself walking through the glass doors and into the air-conditioned interior. The dizzying array of shops made the shopaholic in me scream with glee and I immediately took to purchasing cute items for my friends and family back home. The Japanese made everything with pride in their work and these would make fine, useful gifts for the folks back home.

It was almost sundown when I finally found myself outside the Kabukiza Theater. I bought tickets for a single act and took my seat. The outrageous makeup and acting made up for a great deal of comic relief and I found myself laughing in spite of things.

By the time I made my way back to my hotel, I was bone tired and barely had enough energy to wiggle my toes. But with the deep satisfaction of someone who knew that the world would right itself in the end, I fell into a dreamless slumber.

This trip to Japan had been decided entirely on a whim.

For some time, I had been entertaining the thought of going to the Land of the Rising Sun and enjoy watching the cherry blossoms in their springtime beauty. Of course, it did not hurt that the country had much to offer in the way of shopping, electronics, and gadgets aside from the glorious sight of those delicate blooms.

So, when I discovered one of my friends making out with my boyfriend, I took all that money I had saved up for a Caribbean getaway and splurged it on a trip to the other side of the world — far, far away from backstabbing friends and faithless, horny boyfriends.

For one thing, I liked the way the Japanese respected themselves and each other so much so that public (and lewd) displays of affection were virtually taboo. I had the feeling I would work up some brokenhearted and murderous rage at the sight of lovers smooching in Paris or lounging mostly naked by the clear Caribbean waters so it was with some sense of rightness that I chose to languish in a country where most of the population were reserved and kept private matters, well, private.

Of course, because I had no one else to spend my hard-earned money on, I gleefully hiked my way to the nearest station that would take me to the heart of upscale shopping in this side of the world — Ginza.

I got off the Yarakucho Station and made my way to where it said "Muji" on the map. I had an immediate crush on that line of department stores the moment I read about it somewhere. There was also virtually no Muji branch where I was from so I had to make do with buying some items online. This was like IKEA of Asia. Women were bound to find this highly worth their time and I was not one to turn a deaf ear on my feminine side.

After purchasing several office supplies and a cartload of stationery and pens, I walked down Chuo Dori where the street was closed off to traffic for the benefit of shoppers. I was only too happy to disappear into the crowd where I was left to my own thoughts while I window shopped. The busy streets were a welcome distraction from my own morose throughts.

The clock tower of Ginza Wako rose into view and I immediately found myself walking through the glass doors and into the air-conditioned interior. The dizzying array of shops made the shopaholic in me scream with glee and I immediately took to purchasing cute items for my friends and family back home. The Japanese made everything with pride in their work and these would make fine, useful gifts for the folks back home.

It was almost sundown when I finally found myself outside the Kabukiza Theater. I bought tickets for a single act and took my seat. The outrageous makeup and acting made up for a great deal of comic relief and I found myself laughing in spite of things.

By the time I made my way back to my hotel, I was bone tired and barely had enough energy to wiggle my toes. But with the deep satisfaction of someone who knew that the world would right itself in the end, I fell into a dreamless slumber.