Lady Drugstore

I decided to familiarize with my local drugstore, called Re-De-I (Lady). Seriously. As if men didn't need drugstores too. I've been dreading this moment. Precisely so I wouldn't have to wander down aisles of mysterious Japanese stuff, I brought with me a full bottle of shampoo and contact lens solution. I haven't yet run out of either. But, I forgot to bring soap/body wash, and the stuff I've been using here just sucks. So I gave in and went to Lady.

The moment I stepped through the doors, my eyes hurt. It seems that every package has to be in bright neon colors of pink, green, orange, and yellow. The whole jumbled effect is quite nauseating. But luckily, I found what I needed quite easily, since there were more than a few American brands. I found Dove products of all sorts, which I expected since I've been seeing the commercials. I also found Pantene hair products, but they were packaged completely differently than in the United States. I guess their Japan headquarters is independent or something. There was also tons of Nivea--they do a much better job of advertising in Japan than in the US. Here there is lots of "skin milk" and skin-whitening treatments under the Nivea brand, all advertised by a woman with gorgeous pale white skin. (I know "gorgeous" and "pale" don't often go together in Western vocabulary and image, but her skin really is gorgeous. Or else the advertisement wouldn't work.)

I was surprised to find that Shiseido is a drugstore cosmetic brand! Well, I didn't look closely so it may have been priced higher than the others--but it didn't look like it. Considering that Shiseido is an expensive department store brand in the US, I was surprised to see it ranking with the Japanese equivalents of Revlon and Maybelline.

I did not see Neutrogena. Too bad! What with their emphasis on health and science, I think they could do very well here.

Also, I picked up a bag of potato chips--first junk food since arriving, more or less. It was labeled as nori (seaweed) and salt, and in the packaging the chips looked like sour cream and onion with the little flecks of nori all over it. So I was half expected sour cream and onion, but the first bite was completely different! It was kind of disconcerting. But, I'm hooked. Nori-salt potato chips are amazing. And...different. And...just plain good.