Retail Therapy

Shinkansen first

The fastest Bullet Train line is the Tokyo – Morioka section of the Tohoku line. The one that goes up the East Coast. It is the only one with 200mph running. So a quick mornings work it was to be. I had a ride up to Sendai, it has a nonstop section of 70mins. It does the run, including one stop at an average speed of 144mph. 216 miles in 90 mins.

An early start so a takeaway breakfast. The bottle on the right is from a vending machine. It was hot, that is all it had going for it. It had coffee written on the label. What is the Japanese for the “misrepresentation of goods act”

Sendai, an accidental destination.

Like a lot of the Shinkansen stations the opportunity to develop around it has been taken whole heartedly. At Sendai there is a swanky department store. Japanese department stores are gorgeous places, all light, design and space. The staff impeccably dressed, greeting you in with a little bow. The layout of the merchandise is almost minimal. They also have a food floor, made up of different styles of eating. Not having much experience of shopping, I’m struggling for words and too shy to take photos.

Gift Buying

On pure visual evidence only the Japanese must be great gift buyers, whether it is for love or guilt, there are loads to be bought.

Stores like these are at every large station, not one or two stores, there could be four or five, all the wares, in this case chocolate are beautifully presented and come in lovely bags.

Bars

Now here is something I know a bit about. The locals drink, there is no doubt about that. Japanese drinking culture is legendary, drunkenness is tolerated. In these few days that I have been here, I have seen drunk, I have yet to see ugly drunk, and that I can see every time I go out in the UK.

All the eating out I’ve done, twice a day for the majority has been in Ramen bars, Sushi restaurants, grill places, all Japanese fast food. They do not do sitting around. You can tell the popular/good places they have a queue outside, however, the turnover is so quick. If you order a few dishes, they come continually. I never waited more than 5 mins for food to arrive (sometimes I had to wait for it to cook). There is an expectation that once eaten you’re off. When you get such good food at the right price point, it’s hard to look elsewhere.

I came across a new a style of bar, more spacious, more British dare I say. A Japanese representation of a British pub. Differences though, you get met at the door and shown to a table or stool, given a menu for the beer. I sat for 10 minutes awaiting staff to take my order, when I chased up the staff, find i have to order at the bar. Like all things, you pay for what you get. Reassuringly expensive is what I call it.