Turtles, on the other hand, live longer than humans and are therefore thought to lead less hectic, more laid-back lives. In Kichijoji, Tokyo, a cinnamon-roll specialty bakery that opened for business in 1999 has been so popular that customers line up outside the door for up to 30 minutes on weekdays and an hour on weekends to make their purchases. Though time consuming, the process also serves as an effective sales device. The bakery is the first Japanese branch of a U.S.-based chain with stores in over 400 locations. Another business taking its time with things is a hamburger shop in the trendy Shibuya district of Tokyo.
Orders take about five minutes to complete.
A cooperative system of house buying, where prospective buyers form a union, make a joint land purchase, and take part in the houses' planning and design, is becoming increasingly popular. An emphasis on slowness is also becoming prominent in, of all places, the service industry. One notable example is tourism. A special express train service from Tokyo to Sapporo offered by East Japan Railway Co., complete with sleeping cars, was so popular upon its introduction in July 1999 that reservations were instantly booked to capacity. Although there were some empty seats during the winter off-season, for summer 2000 many of the trains are again fully booked.