Don Quixote

For today, let me tell you about Don Quixote.

Not a story about knights and windmills, but the large department store in Ota. It's likness can possibly be compared to Target or Walmart, in that it is pretty cheap and it has a bit of everything. However, it is not quite as large as either of those venues so... it is a relative comparison.

Anyway, given that there is nothing to do in Ota, most young people gravitate to the mall or to Don Quixote to hang out. Myself being a young person in Ota with nothing to do, I too have found myself there a number of times.

I explored Don Quixote thoroughly only recently. When walking through the Kids' Toys section, I noticed a short curtain to one side. Curious why there would be an "18 and UP!" sign nestled between the stuffed Rilakkuma toys and the Disney posters, I peaked inside. Naturally! Sex toys! Not just some discreet bottles of lube and DVDs on a high shelf, but literally everything you would normally expect in an adult toy store, including bondage ropes! I was really flabbergasted... I mean it was RIGHT NEXT to the children's toys, and the curtain out front wasn't even long enough to be noticed by anyone under the age of 6. I think I stood there for a minute, looking at the colorful packages, quite unable to comprehend the situation. Before my escape, I did notice some correlation to the children's department: Rilakkuma and Mickey Mouse condoms. What a disturbing image.

One thing I love about Don Quixote is that they constantly have their theme song/jingle playing on repeat throughout the whole store: "Don Don Don Don-Qui, Don-Qui-xoooooteeeee! [blah blah blah Japanese blah blah blah]. Don Don Don Don-Qui...". The first time I went, I thought the jingle seemed strangely familiar. The more I walked around, the more I was sure that I had heard the song before. Racking my brain, I realized that is was from playing the Playstation 2 video game, Yakuza. In this game, you spend a large amount of the time walking around Tokyo, and you can go into shops to buy things, including Don Quixote. Who said you can't learn anything from video games?

Cheers,

flabbergasted Baer