Elaborate, Elegant, Exquisite....Excessive.

I wrote about the wonders of wandering the Universe in my last blog post, and now I'm going to portray what it's like to shop at a 15-story department store in Tokyo -- a universe of it's own!

Let me first make it clear that I dislike materialism, I really do. And I've never been one to love shopping. (or "follow the leader" as I called it when I was younger since I tagged along behind Mom.) Shopping gets exhausting quickly, and I don't like spending money.

However...

I admit that it's easy to get caught up in wanting to buy stuff in Tokyo. There are shops all over the place with cutesy and classy merchandise displayed -- the kind of stuff that when you see it, you want it. And many of the women you see shopping look so darn trendy and chic, accessorized to the max and stylin' with their smart hats, high heel fashion boots and big, brand name bags.

But oh, to look like that you have to pay for it. Big time.

Some of the prices I saw in Tokyo blew me away. Check out the gorgeous material above. It looks like the price is $525,000, but since that's in yen and not U.S. dollars, it's really only $5,250. Only. Outrageous, huh?! Maybe it includes real gold thread or something; I don't know. Hmm, I wonder how many struggling families could be helped by that much money? That's just how my mind works, which is why I have problems spending much money on myself.

I thought I wanted to buy a kimono in Tokyo, but not with the price of fabric being so expensive! Honestly, Dana, when would you ever wear one anyway? But gosh, the thought of buying a kimono in Tokyo just sounds cool! And the kimonos on the mannequins (womanequins?) do look lovely. I ended up buying a cheap--but nice-looking--shirt instead. And who knows, maybe I'll find a good deal on a less expensive summer kimono at some point?

These dresses immediately caught my eye. (Why wouldn't they!?) They're princess dresses! So as I usually do when I see aparel I like, I browsed through the rack. Then I noticed the price of the one I had my hands on. $2,000!?! Ohmygoodness, I'm touching it!! I've never touched a $2,000 dress before, and I probably never will again.

On another floor of the department store, I came to the toy section. Actually, it was more than a mere section -- it was a maze of rooms full of toys! As soon as you get off the escalator, a giant "Hello Kitty" greets you. I've never seen so much "Hello Kitty" merchandise in one place in my life. What a child's (and maybe a cat lover's) paradise!

On yet another floor of the store, were several different cafes (ooh la la!) and restaurants. This little tart almost looks too pretty to eat! Almost. But at $7 a slice, I must pass. Dana, just walk away. Take a picture of the beautiful masterpiece, then just say no.

I am proud to say that I resisted temptation. I went shopping in Tokyo and didn't buy a single elaborate, elegant or exquisitely expensive thing, even though I was surrounded by them. It was quite an experience.

But I'm content with my slow pace lifestyle in Kuji, where the women I see shopping don't look like runway fashion models and the most happening place in town is the grocery store!