So, Matsuzakaya, the old department store in Ginza, was born again with a new chic name of Ginza Six. It took several years (to what? Build?). Ginza is one of the busiest streets in Tokyo. When I was 20 years old, I heard that wherever I was walking in Ginza, I would be walking on astronomically expensive land. And Matsuzakaya was located on the fattest of fattest land, and the size was unbelievably large – it stood tall and long on Ginza 4-chome which is in the center of Ginza street.
Now it looks completely different, but standing in front of Ginza 6 takes me back.
It takes me back to memories with my father.
Cars are not allowed in Ginza on weekends, and a big crowd is gathered in Ginza. A Vietnamese girl takes a picture for me - there are foreigners here and there.
I go in the western style, large and modern entrance to Ginza 6. The building opens all the way up to the 6th floor – on the ceiling are giant balloons, adapted from pumpkins of Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese contemporary artist who is famous for steel pumpkin sculptures.
The first to fifth floors feature international brands like Bulgari, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent – I get dizzy and take an escalator to go straight up to the 6th floor, looking at the inner construction of the open atrium as I go. And there is something I didn’t expect on the 6th floor – Tsutaya Books.
Tsutaya was introduced through the Korean media a long time ago, but the first time I actually visited the Tsutaya in Kyoto was several years ago. I was taken aback by its uniqueness in Kyoto. The first Tsutaya store opened in Tokyo, and the new Ginza 6’s Tsutaya surprises me – can a book-themed store be this cool?
In this digital age, it’s not easy to sell paper books even in a country with the highest reading rate worldwide. And I am shocked that they thought to use some of the most expensive land in the world as a bookstore. There are lots of people on the 6th floor. In the middle of the bookstore is a classy Starbucks store – and the book displays and the size and sort of books they sell are truly diverse.
Ever since Ginza 6 opened, I’ve spent a lot of time there whenever I visit Tokyo. Ginza 6 is more interesting and entertaining than any other place in Tokyo.
An addition of luggage while traveling is a nuisance, especially to someone like me who always carries around books written by me and my mother. I always make a resolution to just browse and read and never to buy anything, yet on my way out I am always holding several books. I’m helpless – they make it almost impossible to not buy something.
I think Tsutaya and Ginza 6 are both admirable. Tsutaya opened 8 unique bookstores in several cities, and Ginza 6 leased the whole floor to a bookstore. The number and the response of the customers are also admirable.
On the rooftop are trees and still waters. The children are playing barefoot and I almost forget that I am in a crowded city.
And then the dear memories come to me.
40 years ago, I was walking with my father and went in Matsuzakaya. The Wimbledon match in London was on TV. You couldn’t watch an international sports game on TV in Seoul then, and my father was watching the game with interest for a while. My father frequently attended an international symposium, and always took me with him probably because I spoke a little bit of English. I learned patriotism and leadership then.
I had thought my father would always be with me, that he would be always there for me. Now my father is gone like a mirage, and I am left alone here, looking at the new building standing on the old site.
