A Spree in Ginza

Ginza crisp

Ginza at 10:00 am under the sun. Saturday. Bright blue. I grab my camera and shoot a few pictures at the Ginza crossroad in front of the Mitsukoshi department store. A woman waiting like us for the red light to turn green seems inspired and encouraged by my tourist attitude and props up her own camera for shooting in the same direction. 10 am. That's the time when the shops open. We came early to avoid the crowd that comes later. Through the Mitsukoshi window panes, we see the full staff of girls working for a famous brand I am not hiding - just can't remember the name - all clad in purple tee-shirts, standing the back facing the street, getting briefed in military style. Their faces reflected in the mirrors of their cosmetic trial desks make them look like an army of purple clones. After days of Minami-Aoyama commuting (yes, I am a Minami-Aoyama basher) Ginza is reaching higher stages in my biased ranking. Urban. that the key difference. We are playing rich walking along the avenue, passing by the Cartier and Vuitton boutiques, ready to spend way too much money in a few hours, the lack of it will generate a financial pinch in a few weeks. At a stone throw of the Apple computer church boutique is a tiny shogi and go sets shops where I buy a larger magnetic shogi game for more playing comfort next time we board a train or a plane. When? The Dalloyaux bakery cum restaurant lunch is no longer the super extra bargain it was, but still a good value. The cakes are ... haaa! luxurious. We are not on a discovery trail this morning in Ginza, just going through well known paths, the last one - a tradition lately - leading to a stop at the Washita shop at Ginza-1-chome. The closest spot to Okinawa in town, probably.