The Shopping Mall

I get many emails asking me the difference between Japan and America. Suffice it to say that the difference is not as great as many hope. I was further convinced of this truth during my visit to the Diamond City Shopping Complex in the southern part of Osaka prefecture known as Sakai City. Literally the only difference between this shopping mall and any other one I've been to in the US is that it's filled with Japanese people and is slightly more expensive. Oh, and there's no Macy's or Sears.

This particular Diamond City was about 5 stories high, but not quite as long as your standard American Mall. Inside you will find many of the same shops, including Eddie Bauer, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, Tower Records and a ton more I can't remember right now. Even the ones that weren't names I recognized looked and sold goods that resembled more western culture than anything here in Japan. Also, for an added bonus the Mall had a massive supermarket/department store complex add-on called Jusco. Very cheap Oil Olive! Everything was amazing new, clean and the place had an air as if the staff really cared about it. I imagine if one was truly race-blind, one couldn't tell if they were in Japan or a western country, it's that much alike.

Wisdom of the Day: Sales are a universal truth