12/4/2004

HOCUS POCUS/ Magic does a reappearing trick
….Japan certainly needs some magic, but customers rushing into shops like Magic Land and into a growing number of magic-themed restaurants and bars may not be exactly what economists had ordered.
The signs of a “Magic Boom” are all there: Local magic trick makers such as Tenyo, based in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, are reporting their briskest sales in decades; department stores have started stocking tricks again (with some even deploying magicians to distract kids while their parents shop); while at least one major family restaurant chain, Bamiyan, has started offering magic goods-making it possible to pick up magic tricks 24 hours a day.
There’s a lot of headscratching going on concerning the current mania. Given Japan’s decade-long doldrums, maybe people need to be surprised, or to see the impossible happen.