Shopping in Tokyo Station

If yesterday was all about Buddhist temples, nestling in the tree covered hills of Kamakura leading down to the Pacific Ocean, then today was about a different side of Japan. It was about shopping. We chose today as a shopping day as it rained over night and first thing,  we woke this morning to a lovely cloud swept sky, pictured below. We decided to go shopping at Tokyo Station. 

The last time we were in Tokyo, the revamped Tokyo train station had just been completed. It has been restored to its original plans from 1914. During the devastating fire bombing of Tokyo in 1945, which killed more Japanese people than the atomic bombs, yet is relatively rarely reported on, Tokyo Station's roof and third floor were destroyed. The station was patched together temporarily and that restructuring lasted 60 years! But it was decided the station should be restored to its original design and now the roof has domes on top of it as it originally did 101 years ago. We saw it from above today in a glass lift. It was too crowded for me to get a photo. 

The shopping mall however is below the station. We sought out the kitkat shop on arriving. The Japanese love kitkats, the name sounds like the expression for wishing good luck in Japanese so kitkats are given as good luck gifts before exams or tests or even before journeys. They also come in a myriad of flavours from green tea to rum and raisin to wasabi to strawberry cheesecake. Today we bought ginger, apricot, chilli and raspberry flavour ones. They are exquisitely wrapped - not at all like the Kitkats back home. Below is a photo of a kitkat display. 

Part of the shopping mall is called character street comprising of shops of children's and TV characters like Hello Kitty, Snoopy and the Moomins. There was a shop dedicated to the bear rilakkuma - it means relaxed bear - that my niece Lucia loves. 

Another thing I love about Japan is the exquisite fruit, often given as gifts and you'll see why in a moment. I took the photo below of 15 identical strawberries, identical in size, shape and colour. They are carefully displayed in a box, each one protected from being bruised. They smelt amazing but at the equivalent of £10 for the box of 15 they are mega expensive!