Thebaghag in Tokyo: Day 2

There was actually a funny incident from the train station as we were looking for the train that would take us to Tokyo. DH’s luggage has this one rubbery plastic wheel that started to peel off. *Muwahaha*. He insisted on bringing this luggage because all our other luggages were just humongous and he couldn’t be bothered to have the same luggage experience as the last time. Soooo, when the rubbery plastic material started chipping off, the wheel became uneven and it started producing a very unpleasant sound as the luggage was being rolled away. People began staring at what was causing the noise. So there was DH, once again, embarrassed. He gives me an “oh boy here we go again” look and I just rushed off hahaha. I pretended I wasn’t with him hahaha.. *Baaaaad girrrrl!!!* 😀 Though it wasn’t as bad as our previous luggage incident, I have to admit we both had a good laugh over it because really, people were staring at the luggage that was making all that noise (ta-dug, ta-dug, ta-dug…) 😀

*Goes to show we don’t invest in expensive luggage hahaha… DH says maybe it’s time I ditch those $25 luggages…. hehehe if you ask me, I am not about to give those up!!! :D*

Before I get to blogging again, CT asked about my hotel, it’s in Ginza and the rate is Y25,000 (+-) per night (weeknight). Weekend rate is slightly higher. If you want a hotel that’s convenient, I suggest Hotel Mets in Shibuya. It’s right where the Shibuya station is, so you can actually just take the train straight from Narita airport and get off there. We never took the airport limo bus because the Narita Express was a lot faster.

Anyway, so the next day we woke up quite late. We had to roam around the streets of Ginza to check on the good stuff (designer stores). First stop, lunch! I initially contemplated on having lunch at Beige (Alain Ducasse) at Chanel, but then it was already 1pm, plus DH said we weren’t in Tokyo to have French food. (In other words, *ahem* NO budget. *Muwahahaha… ok that was my 1st attempt to be a wannabe in Tokyo haha). So we walked around til we found a tempura place. No, it wasn’t Ten-ichi (our 1st choice), or the other tempura place my Japanese friend had recommended (I’ll mention the name again when I remember).

We ate at a tempura place called “Casual tempura”. Hehe… so the price was very reasonable 😉 Y1,820 for 2 people.

After lunch, we walked around and I noticed how Japanese women really love their luxury bags. But they don’t seem like the type that would be “enslaved” to their bags. Seen on this lovely lady (love her nylons :D) is an Hermes fourre tout. This wouldn’t normally be the bag you’d see in the arms of designer bag- clad women in Manila. Hermes to them (at least to me anyway), is a Birkin, a Kelly, a Lindy, a Victoria, an Evelyne, and the occasional Garden Party and Constance. These women in Japan really “work” their bags. Which should be the case for everyone anyway. Note to self: Stop being a slave of my bags!

So we went to Hermes in Ginza. The store was HUGE. And I am in love with that dress in the window display 🙁 Sigh, I doubt I’ll ever be able to afford Couture. I can only admire from a breath away 😀 This window display’s quite interesting. That’s actually milky white water where the mannequin’s standing (hence the need to hold up the rest of her dress).

We went to the 4th floor (if my memory served me right) where all the bags were. I was in for a real treat. I saw a black crocodile 30cm birkin being shown to a client. And then there were other bags like a 32cm Kelly in Lagoon swift, a 30cm Lagoon swift Lindy, 32cm Gold, White, Poussiere Kelly… I could only stare at the bags with eyes watering, mouth drooling 😀

Across Hermes, is the Sony Building, but behind the 2 Hermes buildings, is a store called K Brand N. The store sold all kinds of Hermes bags! This was a reseller shop. Jackpot, I thought to myself happily. When we entered the store, I was floored. There were SO many Hermes bags. I counted at least 99 of them! Plus there were all sorts of Hermes leather accessories– Bearn, Dogon, coin purses, I mean we’re talking all sorts of H merchandise! I must admit I’m not so into small leather goods YET *I say the word “yet” because I don’t want to have to eat my words when I get hooked on them one day*. So I proceeded to check out the bags (most of them are brand new).

Hermes Birkin 30cm Black Togo: Y1,200,000. Hermes Birkin 35cm Brighton Blue Clemence: Y1,250,000. Hermes Kelly 32cm Lagoon Togo: Y978,000. Hermes Kelly 32cm Gold Epsom: Y895,000. Hermes Birkin 30cm Crocodile Emerald: Y4,700,000. (Estimated conversion to US$: US$1= Y106)

Daaaaaamn. The prices are sooo not cheap 🙁 🙁 I was actually hoping to score a dirt- cheap, semi- new birkin, but I guess this was not the place to find it. Everything in this store was serious eye candy though.

Ginza also houses Barneys NY, so we had to troop over to see what they have. I wasn’t able to whip out my camera this time because there were far too many people and there were so many sales attendants all over the place. The jewellery displays were as usual, simple but very tastefully done. I wanted to buy everything I saw, but of course the prices of each item I had picked out were nowhere near my liliputian budget 🙁

Further down, we saw another reseller shop named Atour Ginza. I was telling DH that this must’ve been my lucky day, coz the last time we were in Tokyo, I only saw 2 (or 3) resale stores over the course of our 4 day stay. In the Atour Ginza windows, they had SALE signs. So again, I hurried in. DH must’ve been bored but he didn’t show any sign of it. Tsk, such a good husband he is 🙂 *Ok so we also made a deal that we’ll spend a WHOLE day in
“his” side of town- Akihabara :D*

I espied a Curry birkin in 30cm for Y1,325,000. *Gulp*. The funny thing about this boutique was, they actually have a “bargain bin” full of Chanel wallets! So of course I had to check the prices even if I was just not in the market for a new wallet. Former price of this long Chanel wallet was Y98,000. It’s now “just” Y78,000. DH gave me a puzzled look to which I replied, “I guess the locals find these prices a bargain already?”. I was likewise stupefied actually. I spoke with one of the ladies working for the store. She was extremely friendly, but spoke little English, although she managed to laughingly say “This is Ginza”. Which meant that Ginza is probably not the place to find those designer “bargains” 🙁 *pout*

We decided to just finish the day in Uniqlo, Wako, Mitsukoshi, and Hakuhinkan Toy Park in hopes of getting something relatively inexpensive for the kids. Uniqlo was rather disappointing, as they had very little clothes selection for kids. The other department stores were also on sale, but yikes, I don’t think I can spend Y3,500 on a t-shirt for my kids! I just went to the Zara sale in Powerplant and had gotten stuff for under Php 500 😀

What we thoroughly enjoyed was going to these little confection stores like the Shiseido Parlour (which didn’t sell any cosmetics!).
Stores like Shiseido sold these:Some kinds of special mochi

I have no idea what those are– those green and purple ones. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on this?

Some kind of Jell-o with “goldfishes” inside. And boy, these are so not cheap either! Y3,675!

Other kinds of Jell-o as well. The dark brown/ plum one is actually made of beans. The goldfish one on the right tasted real good actually– It looked like a fish bowl, and well, I’m a sucker for these cutesy things, so DH and I ended up buying 2 to eat.

We walked all the way to Yurakucho for Printemps and Marui. Then we saw another reseller store!
Have no idea what name this store is. There was no English at all 🙁 But some of the preowned LV bags there were quite reasonable. A preowned LV monogram alma in good condition costs Y49,000 (that’s about Php 22k). They also had a slightly used Hermes birkin 30cm in orange swift for Y830,000. Not too bad a price already, compared to the resale stores we had gone to earlier in the day.

As night fell, we had to walk back to our hotel, and passed by Bottega Veneta.
Had to turn in early for the night because we were heading to Asakusa the next day. Yup, sightseeing was on the agenda for this Tokyo trip!

x
Mrs.T