A Fukuokan's Notes from Sapporo

Softbank Hawks won this year’s Japan Series Sunday a day later than my prediction.

Then from Monday, local supermarkets and malls started a special “Let’s celebrate our Hawks’ victory” sale.

 In hope of finding a warm set of pyjamas for my husband at discounted price, I went to my local Daiei, which once owned the baseball team.  I assumed the supermarket would be packed with savvy madams hunting for good bargains, but there was no such lively atmosphere—no crowd throwing whatever they see into their shopping baskets. Rather, it was quieter than usual.  I went round all sections, and found there were very complicated house rules: 1. If you are a point-card holder, you will get some extra points according to what you buy;

2. Actually some discounts were offered but the terms and conditions were applied —basically  the less necessary it is, the more discounted it is;

3. some food, which is not very necessary (eg. potato crisps or ready-to-eat pouched food) were sold at JPY81 (following the manager’s number).

  When I finally got the pyjama at 10% discount, my pedometer counted 10,000 steps.  My gain was JPY 298… Should I have done some works at home, such as folding envelopes, enclosing something into direct mails which pays me a bit of money, instead of scavenging around?

Meanwhile, department stores in the city centre were very crowded with having-time-and –money people (a bit older than myself), according to an evening local news. They grubbed some Fukubukuro (eh… pre-packed sets of unsold or unpopular goods, which usually contain at least one item you never use in your life), scrambled for carts filled with bags, scarves, and socks sold at specially reduced price.   I thought…even if Japan went bust, they wouldn’t stop going to this kind of events….

because they’re made for flocking to sales.  Scary thing is, I confess, I felt a bit envious of them!