Time for my weekly blog post about Japan. I found something really amazing. First off, let’s start with the background story:
This weekend I went with Maiko and two of our friends to a Tokyo neighborhood called Kichijōji (吉祥寺). I hadn’t been there yet, so I wasn’t sure what we would find. Needles to say, it was a pretty interesting place which was dominated by a large and dynamic shopping area. This was not just another boring department store or Ginza-like area. Kichijoji is crazy busy, and full of life. While walking around, we stumbled upon a large sign that proclaimed “Plaza Capcom”.
As luck would have it, we needed buy something from a store within the Plaza. So, not having been in a Japanese video game arcade in sometime, I convinced Daisuke (our friend) to head down to the basement level with me after we were done shopping. The girls begrudgingly followed, and what we found was amazing. We all know that efficiency is something that the Japanese are known for. Also, in Japan, playing games and eating food are both very popular activities. That being said… I give you Grocery Shopping Gaming:
Yes, that is ice cream, just like you would find at Safeway.
And yup, those are cans of Pringles — and these were not the only machines in the store (I only managed to get a few pictures while the staff wasn’t looking). The floor was littered with these games that had various food goods and household items. It was better than any grocery store I’ve ever been to — you had to play to get the item you wanted and if you lost, I guess you would not be eating that night. :>)
