[mousepod]

Disney has been slowly testing the waters here in the States. The recent CD release of the Bossa Nova stuff is a good example (required listening for all swankers). I paid close attention to the merchandising going on in Japan this time around, and I think the fact that Tokyo is so much more youth and fashion conscious than any American city probably plays a big role in the Disney "coolness" factor. I would hazard a guess that more hip Japanese folks are aware of Disney's presence on the runways last season than us Americans - and that tends to filter down to the the stuff they get in the "regular" shops. Hell, I saw a $300 Dolce & Gabbana "Beagle Boys" t-shirt in the Shinjuku Don Quixote store. The merchandising going on in the parks here is a step in the right direction - retro-wear, cool music reissues thanks to Randy T... now it's a question of spreading the word. I try to do it with the 'pod... hopefully someone at the Mouse will get the message.