Japanese girls and brand bags

[senseiman]

Yeah, I can totally understand the need for a car if you are living in the countryside or a small town. But for the people living in cities it just seems superfluous.

Personally I think people who don't need them buying cars is much more destructive behaviour than people buying overpriced brand name bags. Cars are noisy, dangerous, polluting things that require huge amounts of land being asphalted to accomodate them. The only thing bad you can really say about designer bags is that they are overpriced.

 

[Eternal Wind]

I just dun think that wasting money to buy branded handbags are worth it...
Hmm...maybe I am wrong?

 

[Kama]

I wouldn't buy overpriced bag... XD I generally don't use handbags, so it's another story... XD

about the car... I live in a big city, and I don't have even driver's licence. I can walk everywhere, or take a bus/tram. So why should I? My parents has few cars, since my father has his own building firm. I only ride a car (with one of them), when we are going to family, or to the country.

 

[den4]

hee heee heeee...watching all the j-gals buying in the buying frenzy at the beginning of the year at their local or downtown depaatos...

also must say it is funny hearing about 8 hour long parking lots just to get out of the city of Tokyo for the weekend, when a train is so much faster and may even be cheaper (convenience may be another matter).....I was so glad I did not have a car in Japan....

 

[playaa]

Riding a bike, would you be looked at as "poor" or a "dork" in Japan? Just wondering before I go rent one lol.

 

[ashuri2]

my mother wastes her money on those darned bags. while i haven't had new clothes in months, she'll go buy a $200 bag for herself. <grrrrr>. truth be told, i never even knew what the purpose of pocketbooks were until i hit late teens, and even now i see them more as a menace to my happiness <i am forgetful and tend to leave them...> than something i'd willingly saddle myself with. i'm rather glad i don't live in a conformist society, because i rather enjoy having the ability to be myself without having to worry that all of society will jump on me for disturbing the harmony...as for cars, well, some of the problems seem to be materialistic more than anything else ^^;...i quite frankly don't need a car if i can use the subway, and sure, i may splurge occasionally on anime, but then again i get something out of it for myslef and not to please others, and i won't forget about what i bought as soon as the newest thingamajiggy comes out.

 

[neko_girl22]

Riding a bike, would you be looked at as "poor" or a "dork" in Japan? Just wondering before I go rent one lol.

bikes are everywhere, Playaa, don't worry! From school children to 90 year old Grandma's - no kidding! Actually older people on bikes are pretty dangerous, they swerve all over the place!

The cool thing is, unlike my country where it is illegal to ride on the footpaths, here they actually encourage/prefer you to.

 

[Maciamo]

Riding a bike, would you be looked at as "poor" or a "dork" in Japan? Just wondering before I go rent one lol.

Nzueda is right. Bicycle are used by everybody. You'll see many business people in areas like Nihombashi (Japan's Wallstreet) riding bicycles.

 

[senseiman]

Bicycles are extremely cool in my opinion. Like Nzueda says, Japan also has the benefit of being a very bicycle-friendly country which is great. Drivers here are much more courteous towards cyclists than they are in Canada and in the city you can ride on the sidewalks, which is also great.

 

[kirei_na_me]

So you can actually ride bicycles on the sidewalks? That is one really good thing I've heard about Japan. My husband has made comments before about riding bicycles on the sidewalks here, and I was always like, "um...you're not supposed to do that", but it never developoed into a "So you can ride bicycles on the sidwalk back home?" conversation.

That's nice to know.

 

[playaa]

Yep, good to know... New Koyo rents bikes for like 350 yen a day. So I am thinking I might use that to travel around the area, (close to the hotel) so I don't get lost.

 

[sayuri]

i really don't see why you guys blame japanese chicks for buying brand name bags. True they want to follow the trend(S in Japan) and they might not be as rich as the Hilton sisters (eventhough they try to look as rich as them), but they should be able to do whatever they want to with their money.
I know they really excessively LOVE Louis Vuitton BUT there is nothing wrong with that, i mean it's not like they were buying a bag made from...i don't know panda fur or stuff like that.
I myself love brand name bags (not really into LV tough) i have lots of Christian Dior bags (and i have to say, it does get on my nerves when i see teenagers that wear cheap fakes) BUT i mean, i do whatever i want to with the money i make (and them too) but that's just because i love fashion and there is nothing wrong with that. It's a lifestyle : i don't smoke, i don't drink, i don't do drugs, i don't go out-->i buy clothes (and shoes) with my money. Big deal! It's not like i'm hurting anybody. People should stop judging others.
Like, i'm not saying that Yasuko, 32, Tokyo, 12 Louis Vuitton bags, 7 Manolo's is right or that Fatima, 19, Riyadh, 3 hijab is wrong. I'm not going to judge them because of what they are wearing, or the influence their country has on what they are wearing.
I know you're all thinking "yeah they are spending all this money on useless stuff, when poor africans are dying of AIDS every day....", it IS sad, but hey, we can't think about everybody, we only live once, we might as well make the most of it....
I hope i didn't shock anybody with what i've just said (that wasn't my intention) i'm just saying that i'm tired of people always blaming other for stupid stuff : some blame others because the only thing they are interested in about Japan are mangas and animes, some blame others because they're too fat -hey i'm just giving examples, i'm not talking about you in particular... and now I'm blaming you for blaming other people (just joking )

 

[Keiichi]

350 yen to rent a bike? Sounds good. What if you want to go in a store (and not bring in the bike, of course) and leave it outside aside, what are the chances that it'll get jacked (say... in any Tokyo district)?

 

[Maciamo]

i really don't see why you guys blame japanese chicks for buying brand name bags.
...
I know you're all thinking "yeah they are spending all this money on useless stuff, when poor africans are dying of AIDS every day....", it IS sad, but hey, we can't think about everybody, we only live once, we might as well make the most of it...

I agree with what you said. It's just a matter of how people use their money. Usually girls/women who "buy 100.000yen bags every two months" do not have to worry about buying a house, a car, a new PC every 6 month ( :sorry: just being sarcastic on this one to show that people's priorities vary).

These girls buy those expensive stuff while they are young, which is a good, as I prefer see young girls that are well-dressed than old hags with the same LV bags (which interestingly doesn't happen much in Japan, contrarily to Western countries).

Most of the time, they still live with teir parents while working (so they can save on accommodation and food), while in individualistic English-speaking countries, people want to leave their parental home as soon as possible (like 16 or 18, esp. in the UK), and buy their home as soon as possible (again, esp in the UK) and therefore cannot afford to waste money on luxury products.

If they do have enough money, most will either buy a car or travel, while Japanese would rather buy brand clothes, eat at expensive restaurants and also travel, but for short-period (like 5 days) in luxury hotels or tours, rather than as backpackers for one year. If they go abroad for a year, then they will usually choose the expensive "ryugaku" (stay and study at private language schools in a Western country). It's just a matter of how you want to spend your money. I am not surpise that so many Japanese are worried (不安) about the future, as many of them lead a lifestyle requiring a more steady flow of money, and wouldn't be satisfied with their house and car, if they had to give up eating out, buying brand clothes or paying for expensive hobbies (eg. golf, ski, theatre, massages, nail-art, eikaiwa..., considering that all of these are much more expensive than the average in Western countries).

 

[playaa]

Yeah thats also a question, what's the chances of bicycles getting stolen in Tokyo if I were to go into a store?

 

[Maciamo]

Yeah thats also a question, what's the chances of bicycles getting stolen in Tokyo if I were to go into a store?

Low as long as you have a locker (they all have), and it is a cheap bicycle. Much higher if it's a nice and expensive mountain bike, as they are rare in Tokyo.

 

[playaa]

Oh, I see.. That takes care of that problem.. I think I will be doing the bicycle thing in tokyo then.

 

[sayuri]

Most of the time, they still live with teir parents while working (so they can save on accommodation and food), while in individualistic English-speaking countries, people want to leave their parental home as soon as possible (like 16 or 18, esp. in the UK), and buy their home as soon as possible (again, esp in the UK) and therefore cannot afford to waste money on luxury products.

I mostly agree with what you are saying, BUT i think that the UK example wasn't the best one to give.

ALL my british friends still live with their parents (ok, they all live in London, maybe that's why, rent's too high), they keep spending their money, they are the worst to me. I used to work in Harrods (OH MY GOD! it was sooooo tempting ) and every single person i worked with, kept going to fancy expensive clubs, buying expensive things and were as materialistic as me(i admit it....) - by the way, i'm not only refering to the Harrods staff (which have a killer pay!) but also the other people that i've met and that made less money than we did.
The difference between japanese girls and british girls is : british girl have Burberry's bags, and japanese girls have Louis Vuitton bags (just kidding....eventhough it IS a fact, Burberry's is EVERYWHERE in London!).

If someone was to be blamed it would be british girls, because it is true that some of them live on their own, but that's just because a majority of these girls have kids at a young age and therefore get the right to have their own council house. They get pregnant at 16 and then get allowances, council help, tax exemption and stuff like that, but still, they keep spending their money on Burberry's garments (or they go on a massive shopping spree in Topshop ).
Like i said before, they can do whatever pleases them with their money, i do too, but if i had a baby, i would still try to find a job, and would not rely on any help to buy clothes for myself (obviously i mean council help). They are all single mums that had sex and then their boyfriend left them. They have no ambition but still, manage to go out, have sex again (didn't they learn their lesson?) , and get the baby a Dior bottle, a Gucci dummy and baby carrier....

Obviously i'm not talking about ALL the british teenage single moms, but i was just saying that i didn't quite agree with what you said. And from what i've seen, a lot of american teenagers have babies too....

Anyway, i still agree with you when you say europeans want to be independent really soon (which is my case) but that doesn't mean that i don't have a good time and never spend my money on what i want. I was just saying that we should do whatever we want to do and nobody should judge us for that (especially not because of the way we dress....)--> eventhough it seemed like i was judging british girls (which is not true) i was just saying that, true, i don't agree with what they do, but i'm not going to judge them or say anything about what they do. I don't really care anyway to be honest.

And talking about people who follow trends in their country : have you seen a lot of french teenagers without a pair of puma trainers? have you seen a londoner without AT LEAST one pair of Motto jeans(girls i mean)?Or a british boy that i some point wasn't wearing the notorious Beckham mohican haircut?(You might think you can't compare with a Vuitton bag, but i does cost a lot of money to go to Tony&Guy all the time....)

 

[Maciamo]

Hi Sayuri,

First of all, I'd like to know where you are from, as you appear to be (Northern) European or American from what you said.

If someone was to be blamed it would be british girls, because it is true that some of them live on their own, but that's just because a majority of these girls have kids at a young age and therefore get the right to have their own council house. They get pregnant at 16 and then get allowances, council help, tax exemption and stuff like that, but still, they keep spending their money on Burberry's garments (or they go on a massive shopping spree in Topshop ).

I suppose you are referring mostly to lower class girls (let me remind you that money does not define classes in Britain, as people like the Beattles or Beckham remain lower class even after becoming millionaire and knighted). The examples you cite are apparently very brainless and irresponsible girls. I doubt it can define "British girls" in general (I don't mean all, just "in general").

And talking about people who follow trends in their country : have you seen a lot of french teenagers without a pair of puma trainers? have you seen a londoner without AT LEAST one pair of Motto jeans(girls i mean)?Or a british boy that i some point wasn't wearing the notorious Beckham mohican haircut?(You might think you can't compare with a Vuitton bag, but i does cost a lot of money to go to Tony&Guy all the time....)

Puma trainers, Motto jeans ? Really no comparison to LV. I mean, brands are already something like 50% more expensive in Japan than in Europe because it's imported, and a normal LV wallet cost 50.000yen (500US$). How many Puma trainners and Motto jeans do you get for the price of that wallet ? A Japanese friend of mine (in her 20ties) has bought a 250.000yen (2500US$) bag last week, and she also lives by herself. Regarding shoes, the average Japanese girls I know have like 10 to 20 pairs that cost on average 15.000yen. And I didn't see those they had already thrown away after 1 year. I frankly don't think there is any comparison in Western countries, except among super-rich Californian daddy-girls.

 

[sayuri]

Hi Maciamo,

you are totally right about the price comparison between a pair of Puma trainers and a Gucci bag (well in this case, Louis Vuitton ) but my point was that regardless of the price of the garment you buy, the fact is "it's trendy, it sells". The trend in England being Burberry's bag, in France Puma or in Japan Louis Vuitton, it makes no difference, everybody buys it because it's "fashionable". I know the cost of life in Japan is higher than in most countries, but i assume they make more money than we do over here. It's still no excuse for spending such amounts on accessories but it's just a fact.

When refering to british girls, obviously, i wasn't refering to all of them, but i was talking about the ones that have the higest purchasing power in England (as the notorious "office ladies" that buy LV bags in Japan). Obviously, they might not have the same needs or standards (like you said a LV bag costs more money than a pair of Motto jeans) but that doesn't change the fact that they still spend a lot of money. What makes it worst is that at least japanese girls are "older" (they are in their 20s and 30s right?) but i'm refering to teenagers (girls who are barely 20), so if a 16 years old has 5 Burberry's bags (and real ones, not ones from Sheperd's Bush Market...) imagine the amount of money she will be spending in a few years?

But anyway, i hope you got my point,'cauz i got yours, i still agree with you. Anyway i'm the type of person that doesn't really like sorting people into different categories (especially not according to their nationality) but i was just giving my opinion.

To answer your question i can't really say "i come from this country or that coutry" as i've lived in many coutries in my (short) life (i'm 21), i have a french passeport (eventough i can't really say i'm a "real" french citizen....i've only spent 6 years in France in my whole life) and i'm mixed anyway

 

[mdchachi]

Yeah thats also a question, what's the chances of bicycles getting stolen in Tokyo if I were to go into a store?

If you're talking about a rental bike, it will likely be equipped with a small lock that prevents it from being ridden. Easily breakable but enough to dissuade the casual "borrower."

Chances are small but I would guess bicycles are the most common thing to be stolen in Japan. They're also sometimes impounded when parked illegally so you might think it's stolen when it's actually not.

 

[Maciamo]

you are totally right about the price comparison between a pair of Puma trainers and a Gucci bag (well in this case, Louis Vuitton ) but my point was that regardless of the price of the garment you buy, the fact is "it's trendy, it sells".

Got your point !

I know the cost of life in Japan is higher than in most countries, but i assume they make more money than we do over here.

Actually they don't. Well according to statistics, salaries in Tokyo and London are vey similar and both disproportionally high compared to the rest of the country (more than 2x the country's average). Japan's GDP/capita might be higher than most European countries (my stats date back of the time when the 1 euro was about 100yen, now it's around 130 and it went over 140 for a few months, which would raise EU salaries by 40% !), but at PPP (purchasing power parity) it is in the EU average.

What makes it worst is that at least japanese girls are "older" (they are in their 20s and 30s right?) but i'm refering to teenagers (girls who are barely 20), so if a 16 years old has 5 Burberry's bags (and real ones, not ones from Sheperd's Bush Market...) imagine the amount of money she will be spending in a few years?

I was referring to friends of mine who are in their 20ties, but teenage Japanese girls also crave for brand bags, and when they can't afford it and their parents don't pay up, some do not hesitate to sleep with 40 year-ol men in exchange for the bags they want (have you heard of "enjo kosai" or teenage prostitution, which plagues Japanese youth ?).

To answer your question i can't really say "i come from this country or that coutry" as i've lived in many coutries in my (short) life (i'm 21), i have a french passeport (eventough i can't really say i'm a "real" french citizen....i've only spent 6 years in France in my whole life) and i'm mixed anyway

Sounds very much like me. So do you also have problem deciding what's your mother-tongue ? French, English ? What's your connection with Japan ? Have you ever been there ?

 

[ashuri2]

I was referring to friends of mine who are in their 20ties, but teenage Japanese girls also crave for brand bags, and when they can't afford it and their parents don't pay up, some do not hesitate to sleep with 40 year-ol men in exchange for the bags they want (have you heard of "enjo kosai" or teenage prostitution, which plagues Japanese youth ?).

how bad is the enjo kosai problem in japan? i've heard references to it but don't any actual facts... :?

 

[yimija]

expensive bags & so on..

Who cares ?
- if I dont eat proper food
- if I dont look out properly about my health
- if I live in a miserable flat, preferably with rats around...
- if I dont get good schooling to my kids
- if... and so on

As long as I can show off with my gucci, yves saint-laurent
or else, BAG !!!!

 

[ashuri2]

hmmm...this reflects sadly on human kind in general...it doesn't matter cause we could all blow upselves up any second, or the abused earth could just stop working on something...i'm gonna go practice some escapism and watch some anime. -_-;;