A Fukuokan's Notes from Sapporo

With a bit of money that I have saved through my non-smoking efforts, I went to some department stores and shopping malls in pursuit of bargain clothing.

After walking 15,000 steps and consuming a couple of chilled coffees, I came to a conclusion that there is no clothing to buy this summer. I was strangely calm in front of reduced-priced garments…which have never happened to me for my entire life. I used to get unnecessarily excited and buy clothes I would never wear. But this year, I calmly asked myself:  “Where do you go in this ridiculous piece? On mamachari? 10-km ride?” Actually nothing seemed worth my hard-saving money and nothing seemed to endure 10-kilometer cycling on my rusty mamachari.

After the fruitless shopping tour, I decided to get some towels remembering I haven’t renewed our bath towels for several years.  The towel departments were a much more exciting to me.  There were heaps of fluffy towels, most of which were made in Japan. I wish I could dive into the soft  heaps of towels.

The price range might be higher than ones you find at Muji or other “reasonably priced” stores, but I know Japan-made towels lasts longer and feel softer, which could offset their shortcomings, smaller sizes and thinner materials compared to Western style towels.

I got two bath towels (reduced to half price, 1,500 JPY each) at Hotman, an upmarket towel boutique by my definition.

The towels I bought are in fact made for babies (see the lovely bear on them), but it’s not a crime  that adult people whose skin is as delicate as babies’ due to aging use baby towels, is it? I also got four Imabari (a towel town in Japan)-made face towels (500 JPY each).

They cost 5,000 altogether, which I think much better way to spend money than puffing away. A reward for giving up smoking.

 …Why haven’t I thought about getting towels at sales for such a long time (nearly half a century)?

Maybe I have outgrown a period where I hope to look better with new clothing , and reach a stage where I could be happier with first floor of supermarkets  which are usually full of “practical” clothing, such as big knickers (some of which have incontinence care function),  belly bands, and five-finger socks.