Last March, when the first Prada stand-alone shop opened, the store reported sales of 400,000 Euro in its first three days of activity.

Interior of Prada Store in Ginza

With those figures, it is safe to say that Prada Ginza is a qualified hit in Japan.

With the island nation just recovering the Asian flu which created havoc in a lot of the Asian countries, JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) is optimistic about the country's economic future.

American Chamber of Commerce in Japan president Lance Lee feels the same way about the country.

In a recent interview with the Nikkei Weekly, Lee said that "...personally, I'm very optimistic about the future of Japan. With a society of people with high literacy, a strong work ethic and a good habit of saving, no businessperson can help but be optimistic."

Like most foreign businesses which enter Japan, Prada is part of the entrepreneurial firms which are changing social dynamics and economic trends to identify market niches where they can command a competitive advantage.

Prada's minimalist style is well-attuned to the Japanese thinking.

The Ginza shop did not stray from the proven Prada formula of creating a very minimalist store, which can be described as 'almost stark' if it was not softened by its signature color Prada mint green.

Done in black and white with the Prada signature color, the shop is a statement to Prada's eye for details that borders perfectionism.

Items on the shelves are 'measured' to an exact distance between each other.

Display shelves are treated the same way, with specific merchandise that goes in each grouping.

Extending its modernistic approach to floor displays, mannequins are pure white and headless.

This stand-alone shop is just the first of the stores planned by the Prada Group in Japan. In June 2003, the company plans to unveil a 6-story structure in the Aoyama district of Tokyo.