Ginza
Ginza, the grand temple of Japanese materialism, is home to many "department stores" the size of convenience stores.  Here, you can buy $5,000 watches or leather goods that appear to be worth $50.  In a kind of reverse snobbery, the goods are purposefully built to look exactly like generic goods, down to the frayed stitching; supposedly, there is some subtle difference that is worth the two extra zeros.

The neighborhood attracts middle-aged women wanting to show off their money.  Many of the buildings are over 50 years old, and the restaurants have very flimsy tables that are easily knocked over.  When passing through the cluttered department stores, try not to knock over the pricey merchandise that block your path.  If you make the mistake of bringing a Japanese woman here, she will go berserk with joy and want to run around trying everything on.

Next: Kyoto
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