Neither Bill nor I are big on shopping, but we decided to take advantage of the pedestrians-only streets to soak in Ginza on Sunday. We strolled around and didn't venture into any buildings except the large department store Matsuya, where we chose a Chinese restaurant among the couple floors of restaurants for lunch. The ceilings in department stores are very low, so travel up and down the escalators is real quick. Here are a couple of shots we took - the Matsuya is on the right - the large white building, and the other a beautiful display in a store window.
All the big stores names are at Ginza, so it's easy to part with some Yen if one is so disposed. The Mikimoto shop of fine pearls is one I'd like to see another time - supposedly very glittery and worth a look around.When we came up to the street from the subway at Ginza, directly in front of us was a very dramatic and colorful Japanese theatre where traditional Japanese Kabuki is performed - plays performed in elaborate makeup, flamboyant settings with trapdoors and overhead cables for flying around, clanging, etc. From what we understand, these plays go on for hours, but a ticket with an English headset can be purchased for an hour or so - probably enough for us to experience and enjoy the culture.
