3 ms·

It's rather odd how this blog post segues into an extended and uninteresting (sorry) comparison between Starbucks and L'Occitane. There's probably some insight

It's rather odd how this blog post segues into an extended and uninteresting (sorry) comparison between Starbucks and L'Occitane. There's probably some insight into those aspects of urbanity that are strongly characteristic of Tokyo in there. But they're heavily masked.

thicknavyrain 8y ago
Completely fair criticism. It was more of an articulation of the kinds of thoughts that came to mind when you're not only surrounded by the presence of big companies all day long in Tokyo, but also the jarring presence of seeing all too familiar brands in a city so alien. Like finding a McDonald's on Mars. You're right, there is nothing deep linking either of those two, other than the fact that they were the two companies that made me so painfully self-conscious of myself as a consumer. I found I'd travelled to the other side of the world to give money to the same companies and support the same corporations that I did back home. It's was a weird experience, but I'm sure I could have articulated it better. Thanks for reading it anyway and for the honest feedback.
- billforsternz 8y ago
  Thanks for replying in that spirit. I should have realised there was a very good chance that the original author would read my comment. Subconsciously I suppose I did else my fingers wouldn't have insisted on the "(sorry)" they put in there. I am culpable in the sense that I wanted my instant fix of Tokyo alternative culture and wasn't prepared for a longer read. That's largely on me. Of course if you did find a McDonalds on Mars that would be totally awesome and well worth writing about - a Starbucks in Tokyo, well. Maybe structurally you could add the western brands stuff as a kind of blog appendix, after putting all your Tokyo goodness out front. Just my $0.02 Thanks again for being a good sport, upvoted.

3 ms·

It's rather odd how this blog post segues into an extended and uninteresting (sorry) comparison between Starbucks and L'Occitane. There's probably some insight

by billforsternz 8y ago

thicknavyrain 8y ago
Completely fair criticism. It was more of an articulation of the kinds of thoughts that came to mind when you're not only surrounded by the presence of big companies all day long in Tokyo, but also the jarring presence of seeing all too familiar brands in a city so alien. Like finding a McDonald's on Mars. You're right, there is nothing deep linking either of those two, other than the fact that they were the two companies that made me so painfully self-conscious of myself as a consumer. I found I'd travelled to the other side of the world to give money to the same companies and support the same corporations that I did back home. It's was a weird experience, but I'm sure I could have articulated it better. Thanks for reading it anyway and for the honest feedback.
- billforsternz 8y ago
  Thanks for replying in that spirit. I should have realised there was a very good chance that the original author would read my comment. Subconsciously I suppose I did else my fingers wouldn't have insisted on the "(sorry)" they put in there. I am culpable in the sense that I wanted my instant fix of Tokyo alternative culture and wasn't prepared for a longer read. That's largely on me. Of course if you did find a McDonalds on Mars that would be totally awesome and well worth writing about - a Starbucks in Tokyo, well. Maybe structurally you could add the western brands stuff as a kind of blog appendix, after putting all your Tokyo goodness out front. Just my $0.02 Thanks again for being a good sport, upvoted.