Seattle was whirlwind buying trip which had to include a little retail R & D and it did not disappoint. My friend Heather took me to Japantown which is the antithesis of slick and redeveloped. Parts of it have been lovingly preserved ,parts of it have never changed, and lots of it shows wear and tear. Teahouses, vintage drugstores, cutting edge Asian design, tourists, derelicts, oodles of washi tape, bonsai, a great display idea or two and I could not have been happier. Click here to read what Ibuki magazine has to say about touring Japantown in Seattle. And definitely put the gallery/shop Kobo at Higo on your retail radar if you like to explore cool stores.
