
The Ogler’s Guide to Shibuya, Tokyo - thicknavyrain
https://atzerothorder.wordpress.com/2018/05/15/the-oglers-guide-to-shibuya-tokyo/
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billforsternz
It's rather odd how this blog post segues into an extended and uninteresting
(sorry) comparison between Starbucks and L'Occitane. There's probably some
insight into those aspects of urbanity that are strongly characteristic of
Tokyo in there. But they're heavily masked.

~~~
thicknavyrain
Completely fair criticism. It was more of an articulation of the kinds of
thoughts that came to mind when you're not only surrounded by the presence of
big companies all day long in Tokyo, but also the jarring presence of seeing
all too familiar brands in a city so alien. Like finding a McDonald's on Mars.

You're right, there is nothing deep linking either of those two, other than
the fact that they were the two companies that made me so painfully self-
conscious of myself as a consumer. I found I'd travelled to the other side of
the world to give money to the same companies and support the same
corporations that I did back home. It's was a weird experience, but I'm sure I
could have articulated it better.

Thanks for reading it anyway and for the honest feedback.

~~~
billforsternz
Thanks for replying in that spirit. I should have realised there was a very
good chance that the original author would read my comment. Subconsciously I
suppose I did else my fingers wouldn't have insisted on the "(sorry)" they put
in there. I am culpable in the sense that I wanted my instant fix of Tokyo
alternative culture and wasn't prepared for a longer read. That's largely on
me. Of course if you did find a McDonalds on Mars that would be totally
awesome and well worth writing about - a Starbucks in Tokyo, well. Maybe
structurally you could add the western brands stuff as a kind of blog
appendix, after putting all your Tokyo goodness out front. Just my $0.02
Thanks again for being a good sport, upvoted.

------
southerndrift
The crossing can be watched live:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKMuBisZsZI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKMuBisZsZI)

~~~
pasbesoin
I don't know whether the concept applies in Japan, but right now everyone is
walking like it's Monday morning. ;-)

Thanks! I rather enjoyed that, for a couple of minutes. I'll return to have
another look when things are hopping.

Haven't read the OP, yet. So, I don't know how much of a voyeur this makes me.
I do enjoy having unfiltered looks are places around the world; gets me out of
my own little corner of perspective and thought, a bit.

\--

P.S. In the process of reading the OP, now.

One of the best integrations of "flow of traffic" \-- almost as a Leitmotif --
into film, that I recall, is in Ang Lee's earlier film (before "Crouching
Tiger" and all that), "Eat Drink Man Woman". Set in then contemporary, early
90's Taipai. The flow of life -- which was also a central theme of the movie.

(And the soundtrack complemented and clarified those scenes, perfectly.)

~~~
seanmcdirmid
Many Asian arthouse films are of the spice of life variety (not many
Chinese/Taiwanese films anymore, but definitely many Japanese ones). If you
ever have time to kill on a transpacific flight, the Japanese section of the
entertainment system is always lots of fun.

------
sorokod
_cities have rhythms_

That may be so, but I live in London and do not recognize the simplistic
description of the London rhythm (I mean _" the guards at Buckingham"_ \-
really?)

~~~
thicknavyrain
I've never noticed the guards changing when going through town. What I /have/
noticed is the swell of tourists that surrounds the gates every time it's
happening and how it always seems to be when I'm trying to pass through, but
maybe that's too personal a grievance...

~~~
walshemj
I did when working near st pauls wonder why all those tooled up Police (ie all
carrying guns) where there for when I went out for lunch.

When 5 mins later an old rolls went by about 5 yards away and I realised oh
that's the Queen and Prince Philip

