Mite!

One thing I'm looking to purchase this winter is a new purse. Classic black leather that will last a lifetime (realistically, several years) so I don't mind investing money into it but in order to know what to look for, I found this post by TheBudgetFashionista to have a lot of good advice. I may look a bit shifty smelling a bag and pulling on its seams in a luxury store but at least I'll know I got my money's worth.

Mite!

Mite kudasai! means please look! in Japanese. (Pronounced Me-tay.) Every time a post's title contains the subject heading "Mite!" you can expect a short post, maybe one or two sentences long, with a link heading to an interesting destination.

Today's mite kudasai! post:

Want to buy that new must-have purse or shirt but don't have the money? Then look no further, Japan now offers you a piggybank that will encourage (or threaten!) you to save your money. If you don't, then that little bank will explode and leave you with a mess to clean up.

Package with Care

Returning home to America, one of the things I missed most about Japan was not the food (thought it was greatly missed!) but the way items are packaged. Everything is done with care and attention to small details here. I know it’s considered a stereotype but it is true.

From the local conbini to your high-end designer gifts, everything is packaged with the intent to keep your items private and looking good—not to mention, with the intent to advertise! Tissues are handed out in the streets, a tiny paper slip showing a store name and contact details, bags are taped shut at 7/11s and in department stores to hide your purchases from prying eyes and to keep them from slipping out. Store clerks offer to put your previous purchases into their bigger bag, so everyone can see their label, clothes are folded, put in gauze or plastic and taped shut to keep them looking as fabulous as they were in the store.

Browsing in the mall back home in America, I was relieved to find everything cheap, cheap, cheap! I was not happy when they just shoved my clothes in a bag, without bothering to fold them (or doing a half-way job of it) after getting used to my items being treated with as much care as I spent on them. Or, in some cases, more care than what I had spent on them!

Buying chocolates, gifts for the holiday seasons, or jewery is an even bigger treat—you can watch as they box, wrap, and fold shiny ribbon over your newest purchase until unwrapping the package is just as much fun as buying it.

Where to go: Rock Bars

Tokyo has a vast selection of bars stemming from the workers’ love for alcohol. One of my favorite bars is PSY, a cozy, dark rock bar with a loud selection of music: that you, the customer, can choose from! Not to mention, PSY is the place you want to go if you miss your last train because it is open until 6am.

Cheap, good music, and friendly staff—what more could you ask for? Free drinks? Well, PSY has you covered, show up during a celebration or event and chances are you may be getting a free glass of whatever is being poured around. The bartenders are encouraged to drink on the job (not unusual in Japan) and if there is birthday party chances are they may be tipsy enough to refill your drink on the house. (Though don’t go there expecting to be cheap! Pay for your drinks, but if the alcohol is flowing and happens to not cost a yen, I wouldn’t say anything to discourage that vibe.)

Fellow drinkers are an interesting lot, with the occasional smatter of foreigners (they obviously know where to go for good music!) and every time I’ve gone I’ve had lively conversation even though I can’t say much in Japanese besides konnichiwa. At the end of the night, you too may add a few words to your vocabulary such as: newhalf (transsexual). A word completely useless in everyday life, but definitely accompanied by funny conversation at PSY.

PSY is located in Shinjuku, near McDonalds on Kabuki-cho. It’s across from the owl ramen stand, a great place for a short meal to sober up.

What are your favorite type of bars? I'm planning to make a trip in the future to an Alcatraz-themed bar in Roppongi...which I will be sure to record here.

The Debut of First Post

There are many blogs about living in Tokyo, but few cover the fashion, music and nightlife that I know and love. Over the past couple years, Harajuku Street has become a household name for fashion with an individual, Japanese-flair. To me, it is still just a street—it is the people and shops spilling into the street that fascinate me. And not just in Harajuku, but in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, and many other well-known (and not-so-known!) cities throughout Tokyo.

I want to record, through pictures and in-depth articles, the people, events, and nightlife that make Tokyo my favorite city.

TheTokyoScene will open this November.

This is my hello, world, yours—Tokyo.

A.