Estnation at Roppongi Hills, Tokyo

Estnation, a beautiful boutique/mini-department store at the Roppongi Hills shopping mall

Modern lines at Roppongi Hills

Beauty products at Estnation

I am not entirely sure why I took such an instant instinctive liking to Tokyo. There were obvious things I love like the very glam fashion and beauty stores. Although many of the shops sold quite basic classic clothes, so much attention had been paid to the displays and the store interiors that everything looked fresh and somehow very Japanese - even though most of the brands sold in shops I visited were American and French. Now I understand why Uniqlo picked Ines de la Fressange for a collaboration, because the Japanese seem to love that sober French navy, grey and white look.

I also think I loved the order of all things Tokyo. The tidy queues, the rules obeyed perfectly, the no-smoking-on-the-street signs, the incredibly clean metro system. This is so obviously not South East Asia, where I tend to spend more time because of its proximity to Hong Kong - Tokyo is much more like Holland or Germany, where often convention is not seen as weakness but as a strength to build a successful society. Maybe Tokyo simply reminds me of home and the values I have grown up with. 

In any event, I am already plotting a return - I am thinking a girls shopping trip is in order. Husbands can put a damper on such things ♥