Essay Another day, another new shopping mall By Jennifer Matsui	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
今日もショッピングモールがオープン 東京周辺では毎日のように新たなショッピングモールが誕生しているが、 3月下旬、六本木の防衛庁跡地に「東京ミッドタウン」がオープンした。 もうけ主義の開発業者が作り出したこの施設の中で、唯一の救いと言えるのが、 サントリー美術館で展示されている江戸時代の宝物の数々ではないだろうか。

Seldom does a day go by that doesn't herald the opening of yet another retail temple devoted to the gods of shopping, where the faithful go to worship the almighty designer label and overpriced tea salon. It seems like only yesterday that I followed the crowds into Omotesando Hills, window-shopping along with tens of thousands of other drones, looking at everything on display and feeling my spirit crushed because I will never know what it's like to wake up and start my day in a tiara.

And just when I thought I had found inner peace without the aid of retail religion, along comes yet another newly opened shopping center with all of the familiar enticements of luxury and convenience. Naturally, this one is no different from Tokyo's other shopping centers, all uniquely designed to frustrate the visitor with their maze-like layouts, where going from A to B requires the skills and stamina of a Sherpa guide.

Surrounded by all this, I suddenly fear earthquakes less than the fashion disaster of my own making. I realize that if there was an earthquake and all this concrete and glass were to come crashing down on me, my dying breath would be a prayer that no one notices how cheap my shoes are.

Tokyo's new Midtown shopping center, located on the former site of the Defense Agency, is yet another addition to Tokyo's retail jungle. But as far as shopping centers go, it's certainly not the worst of its kind.

The curved footbridge, where cars instead of carp can be viewed below, and other distinctly Japanese touches are improvements over the usual bland, pre-fab American-style shopping centers that appeared during the bubble era. Its architects have clearly made an effort to create a sense of harmony with the existing neighborhood.

And herein lies the problem. Midtown's seamless inclusion into the Tokyo landscape gives rise to a mind-set that defines "community" and "neighborhood" by the flagship stores bearing the name of a multinational corporation. All this conformity is just another step along the way to creating a society regulated by greedy developers.

At some point, I was probably standing on the exact spot where George's bar used to be — a tiny watering hole on the outskirts of Roppongi famous for its Motown-themed decor, and its ageless Mama-san. It's hard to exactly pinpoint the precise location of George's since the wonders of development and "progress" have destroyed every vestige of the past, burying it under a million tons of reinforced steel and concrete.

Ironically, the only life within the Midtown mausoleum can be found among the centuries-old treasures on display at the Suntory Museum. Here, visitors can enjoy a welcome break from the rigors of mindless spending. The current exhibition of Edo period treasures, ranging from exquisitely painted folding screens to lacquer incense holders, is a beautiful yet sad reminder of a bygone age before the connoisseur gave way to the consumer.

In contrast to the dead relics of the present, these artifacts remind us that real beauty possesses the beholder, rather than the other way around.

Shukan ST: May 11, 2007

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