We are tired of shopping in the mall where all the shops are the same and they sell plenty of boring things.

But now in Tokyo, two new shopping malls have appeared and obviously they propose totally different joy of shopping.

One is in Yoyogi, next to Shinjuku, student area.It is called Yoyogi village. It is really like good small village, as they have 1 tasty bakery, 1 tempting smell of coffee shop, 1 good bar, 1 fabulous Italian restaurant, 1 travel agency, 1 small &intelligent bookstore, and 1 garment shop which concept is “one mile wear”. Every store in this village has certain reason to be chosen. They are nothing like others, just simply good quality.This is directed by musicians and architects.

The other one is in Daikanyama, a very fashionable place for young with wonderful vintage clothes, and nowadays this area attracts adults with babies. New shop is Daikanyama T-site. It is called “Otona Tsutaya(= Tsutaya for adults).What is interesting with this mall is that the book store is in the center of this mall. Tsutaya is the bookstore which has been developed with CD and movie rental service combination since 1983.

Nowadays we download the music and movies and even we read with tablet so that the number of people who visit store has been declining.

But this mall proposes the pure joy of being in the bookstore, which has wonderful selection to cover our curiosity, and happy to get lost in the store like labyrinth.

In this mall, there is a restaurant whose concept is “global comfort food”, an electric bicycle shop which is the must item for Tokyo life nowadays, a grocers for dogs, a toy shop for kids and relaxing outside space to have tea and read the books.

From these two malls, what we can find is that we want to satisfy our intelligent curiosity and we feel happy with the “bliss of life”.

Text by Kaori Leyasu.

www.yoyogi-village.jp

www.tsite.jp