Japan's recession, the pundits say, is dragging on. More unemployment, less yen in the government's coffers, and people from Hokkaido to Okinawa tightening their belts another notch.

But amid all this, the rag trade struggles forward. New boutiques open, new magazines come out and exciting new designers make their debuts. Even if times are hard here, foreign designers, ever on the lookout for opportunities to expand overseas, have not shied away from a difficult market. On the contrary, over the last year or so, several have come in and opened new stores in Japan.

One such outlet that has recently opened is the St. John boutique, just off the main drag in Ginza.