Tower Books : TOWER RECORD’s book store

The U.S TOWER RECORDS has unfortunately gone bankrupt, but the Japanese TOWER RECORDS is still alive and well. (It is the same brand as the U.S TOWER RECORDS, but a different capital business from it).

There is a bookstore on the 6th floor of the TOWER RECORDS in Shibuya and you can get many kinds of foreign books and magazines there. I wonder if many English native speakers living in Japan would come and buy the books and magazine here? ( No doubt that many people also use the Amazon, though)

TOWER RECORDS Shibuya store is the largest CD shop in Japan. I bet you can find relatively “rare” CDs if you try there!

TOWER RECORDS JAPAN:Shibuya Store

Piece of Peace Tokyo : LEGO exhibition

I looked in Shibuya Parco LOGOS gallary. The exhibition named “Piece of Peace - world heritage exhibit built with LEGO” is holding until 25th Feb. 2008.

You can see “Tower of Pisa”, “Shirakawago”, “Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen”, and “Tower of Effel”.

If you think you want to see more and it’s OK to pay for that, please go up to Parco Factory in 6th floor.

There are 26 world heritages built by LEGO.

Piece of Peace - world heritage exhibit built with LEGO

Time-limited Ben Sherman Vending machine

Nano universe tokyo is a “select-shop” in Shibuya. There’s a cool vending machine in front of shop, until 17th February.

This is a campaign (but not free! it is rare case in Tokyo, I think) nano universe tie-up with Ben Sherman.

These drinks are all chocolate flavored royal milk tea! because Ben Sherman is a apparel brand of UK. The can designed like that wears checked shirt ;)

Ben Sherman
nano universe (in Japanese)

Walnut cookies

These are Walnut cookies with fancy boxes form SEIKOUTEI. They are free from preservatives, artificial color and artificial flavor.

I love the cookies and the cute boxes. They are always be nice gifts to everyone.

SEIKOUTEI (in Japanese)

Board candy : Ameya Eitaro

Eitaro is a long-established candy shop. 2007, last year was the 150th anniversary!

Their Isetan-only limited candy chop is unique ;)
Many kind of beautiful candies are there… liquid candies, board candies, alphabet candies, etc.

I’ve got strawberry & almond board candies.
crunchy but melt like cotton candies!
Please try them when you come to Shinjuku Isetan!

Ameya Eitaro (in Japanese)
about Ameya Eitaro (in Japanese)

Spring has come at Balcony (Japanese fashion brand).

Balcony collaborated with the flower shop”COUNTRY HARVEST”.
There are many flowers arranged with new spring outfit in the shop.

Balcony
COUNTRY HARVEST

Happy Valentine’s day!! （in Japan）

On Valentine’s Day, Japanese women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called “White Day” (March 14th), a Japanese creation.

Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones. The chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude which is called “Giri-choko (obligation chocolate).”

sale! sale! sale! 2008 winter (Tsumori Chisato)

The winter sale usually starts in January. They are my favorite stuff that I got on sale.

Tiger small bag and cashmere scarf form Tsumori Chisato.

Tsumori Chisato

MUJI ventures various businesses in Japan

by shrimpcrackerz

After MUJI New York store was opened in 2007, “MUJI” has been known internationally as much as “UNIQULO”.

In Japan, they have started as a private brand of the supermarket giant “SEIYU” in 1980’s. (Now it has become independent and been managed by“Ryohin Keikaku CO., Ltd.” )

Their first shop was opened in Aoyama, Tokyo in 1983. It is not a luxurious upmarket brand, but the fairly priced ultra simple & minimal products of theirs must have appealed to the taste of Japanese people.

MUJI OUTDOOR WEB

Flower MUJI

In Japan, they also venture various other businesses not operated overseas, including three camping sites, floral shop “Hanayoshi”, cafe & delicatessen “Cafe＆Meal MUJI”, as well as a housing business.

Café＆Meal MUJI

無印良品［無印良品の家］ (MUJI HOUSING)

They are a company that proposes customers the entire life-style and offers products for all aspects of individual lives.
But you know, people who are so dependant on MUJI are somehow looked down and called “Mujirer”.

MUJI U.S.A. Limited
MUJI OUTDOOR WEB (in Japanese)
Flower MUJI (in Japanese)
Cafe＆Meal MUJI (in Japanese)
Ryohin Keikaku CO., Ltd. (MUJI Head office)

Haruki Murakami is a running novelist

The new book by Haruki Murakami has been published in 2007. It is an essay about his “running”.

It seems that for Murakami, “running” is closely tied with his novels within him. I think that he is a novelist who is very conscious about the relationship between “being physical” and “expressing with words”.

He has tried many marathons such as the Boston Marathon or Lake Saroma Ultra Marathon, which course goes on for 100km.

He is also a triathlon athlete. He says that he jogs daily and trains himself quite seriously and he listens to his favoarites music of Beach Boys’s, Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s or Beck’s while he runs.

Sounds like his never-falling-off novels are partly supported by his run.

But he does not run for writing. That, I think, makes him a true runner.