(Day 12) Time to Get Serious

The countdown clock is on until my departure time, which means the time to purchase is now. True, I’ve been purchasing all along, but if you know me, when I get serious about shopping, then things really start to happen. Now, some may find the Harajuku district irritating, juvenile, cheap, gaudy, etc, but I find there is no single place better to really be challenged in personal style than here. If you can manage to sift through the endless racks of clothes and glean a quality piece or two, it’s really something to be proud of. Once you get past Takeshita street and into the back streets, the possibilities are endless. Combine that with Aoyama, and I’m overtaken. So, of course, this is where I will be going today.

A good planning breakfast got me started.





Not only is the shopping pressure on, but so is the crepe pressure. No day in Harajuku can be started without a crepe in hand.



And so I wandered. I wandered down Takeshita street then past Meiji street and into the back alleys that run amuck with little shops and galleries for the arty birds of Tokyo. It was drizzly outside and so I had borrowed a giant sturdy umbrella from the Suzukis. Then, I decided to relax for a while outside a clothing shop:


Ahhhahahahahha, I can’t get enough of this picture. I also can’t quit pretending its me. I think it’s the turned-in feet.

I bought some awesome short pants at one of these backstreet stores and then headed down into Omotesandou Hills for lunch. This is the mall that reminds of a spa. On the bottom floor though, they have a convenience store and so I bought lunch and found a bench to eat at. After that, it was nothing but Aoyama in my sights.

I headed back to the Comme des Garçons flagship and looked around. Then I went to Prada, Miu Miu, 10 Corso Como, and then ended up back at CdG. I had fallen in love with a pair of patent oxford beauties that I just had to try on. I had the loveliest butch-cute sales girl help me out. She was absolutely delighted when I asked to try them on in Japanese and squealed, “Sugoi nihongo! (Cool Japanese!)” Hardly. But she was at my feet, working away to ensure the shoes were right for me. She even laced my foot up like my Dad did when I went ice skating as a kid. If the tab at the heel was accidentally tucked into the shoe, she was there in an instant, picking it out with the shoes on my feet. I love this Japanese service. When I went to the counter to pay, she asked how old I was. I told her and then she said, “I’m 23…SISTERS!” Ha ha ha ha. What? She then walked me out of the store and handed me my bag and said, “Number one most beautiful customer today.” I laughed and she said, “Really! So cute!” I’m so into these sales tactics. I will be back.

More shopping followed, at Gucci and then at the MoMA store to pick up something for my wonderful hosts. I didn’t realize they had cafés in luxury shops here…but I kind of want to eat at one now.


Bulgari chocolate? Umm, yesh preese.



In front of La Foret, they had set up the most wonderful display for Christmas – a Kanjani8 tree. How odd – and wonderful.









For a moment I thought maybe Kanjani8 themselves might be under the tree signing autographs of something and then I got all flustered and panicky. But there’s no way that life would make it so easy for me.



I decided to take the scenic route back to the train station and what I found in the back alley here was a completely bizarre and wonderful accident. The place that scores of females travel around the world to see, lay immediately in front of me. I had thought of visiting it in the past, but I was too embarrassed to even seriously consider it. Now, with it in front of me and the door wide open, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.



Pictures inside the shop are prohibited. Pictures of the shop are prohibited. Pictures of the outside around the shop are prohibited. Johnny has this thing locked up tight. When I was inside, I was bathed in the florescent glow and surrounded by pictures of Japanese hotties from the floor to the ceiling, brooding, smiling, looking sekushi (Japanese word for “sexy”), posing this way and that. WOW! Oh, they were fully-clothed. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here. Johnny’s, in case you didn’t know, is the entertainment company/stable for men, young and not-so-young, who are extremely hot and in the entertainment business. They are crazy-powerful and controlling of the images of their stars. I find it all quite amusing.

Since I was here and needed proof that I was actually here (for myself more than anyone else), I decided to buy some photos that they were selling. Of course, I bought some shots of my favourite, Nishikido Ryo.




You may have seen him on here before – ha ha.

I was sooo embarrassed when suddenly a group of 15-year-old girls in their school uniforms swarmed around me and started pointing and shrieking, “Ryo-chan! Kakkoi!! Kakkoi!” (Ryo is so cool/hot!) Urggg…I’m too old for this.

When I left, I tried to get a picture of the shop from the outside, all sneaky-like, but they have a guy standing out front to prevent this! This was all I got:


He totally looks like he’s gunning for me.



Okay, time for another crepe before I really haul my cookies back home. Last Harajuku crepe of the trip.





What a fun day. Not many pictures here today, but I don’t want to consistently bore you with the same sights and sounds. I’d like to consistently bore you with different sights and sounds.

So, do you want to see my shopping accumulations so far? It really is quite impressive.



Don’t worry – I won’t end up on Maury or anything from spending too many dollars. I seriously wonder sometimes if people worry about me. I can see why they might.

So tomorrow I will head off to spend a few days with the lovely lady that is my old friend Mayuko. This will round out my last few days here, so I’m going to make the most of it.