/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>10300530
>>>/trv/
Japan general

keep in mind comiket is in May next year, not august.

>>10300530
Also since this is here and someone might ask as well, I go about 4 times a year going again for comiket next week.
>>Good places to eat that are not tourist traps (other than themed cafes)
Asakusa has good shit, themed stuff look at golden gai bars, shibuya has some too. Figure out what you like Harajuku is meh for eating at.
>>Best places to shop for lolita/Jfashion other than brand stores and Closet Child
harajuku, COSPLA, etc
>>Cute themed cafes that are actually worth it
None that I recall in Tokyo, Osaka has some good ones with all you can drink beers same with sapporo
>>Good places to buy collector's items and goods
Anywhere not animate or the radio tower building
>>Is Tokyo Disney worth it if you've already been to Disney Sea
No
>>Are there any events that are worth hitting up in the next few months/year?
Reitaisai is in march this year usually in May/October, same with comic1 being shifted, World cosplay even in nagoya, Osaka's cosplay street festia, etc
>>Different areas of Tokyo and what to do in each
depends what you like, Tokyo is a prefecture not only a city. Too much to list, Use japan-guide.com or cheapotokyo for breakdowns of areas
>>Good places to see related to our hobbies
huh? cosplay? harajuku, weebshit? loko for anywhere with bookoff.
>>Best places to get legit weeb shit/cosplays/merch and not get ripped off.
Osaka DenDen town, Sapporo, Sendai, Nagasaki for chinese knockoff stuff. Learn what "second hand" is and shop there, often you can get things that were resold from. pachinko parlors or bought and resold later for 1/3-1/5th the price.
>>If you start out in Tokyo is it worth going to other cities/getting a JR Pass?
Depends where you plan to go, day subway passes are 600 yen and take you all over. If you plan to go to Kyoto for whatever mentally insane reason you have, get the JR pass as a round trip ticket is ~225 bucks JR pass is 255. Day passes for Tokyo proper are 1600 yen for JR lines.

>>10300540
Thank u

Hey OP I’m going in January and have a huge spreadsheet of a ton of themed cafes, maybe we can share some places?

>>10300536
Yeah, but that's a little too general. Last time this thread was on EGL related shopping places and a lot more stuff geared to our interests than the trv has had.

>>10300540
Good to know, thanks anon.

Radio Kaikan is good for the official stores like Good Smile and Azone for new stuff but the private stores seem potentially dodgy.

I may skip the cafes unless there are any anime/pokemon ones at the time I care about.

I was thinking of Disney to try some different stuff but Sea is so great I wasn't sure if Tokyo Disney was worth.

Considering staying in a really small place with my friend, but it's private and in Shinjuku near Shin-okubo station and Golden Gai so the location is pretty ideal.

I'm considering going to Hokkaido for an overnighter but it may be a pretty expensive trip dd-on, I've just always wanted to go.

While I was in Osaka I stayed on the edge of DenDen Town and I agree it was a really great place to shop, but I think the shopping is better in Shinsaibashi for anime/EGL stuff (found a lot of good doujin at the Mandarake there, CC and AtePie shop are there, etc). DenDen's anime goods were sort of the same stuff you could pick up anywhere and had less rare finds, I think it's much better to go there if you're into the arcades and retro game shops.

I’m thinking traveling to Japan in autumn 2020.

Do you think that Tokyo Olympics affect in prices after the whole thing is over? I have got the impression that the olympics is a huge deal for Japan and they are expecting it to rescue the economy.

Another thing I’m worried about is the state of Airbnb laws. We are traveling as a group of five friends and last time we stayed in Airbnb apartment with no problems. I didn’t really tought the legal issues then. All the travel guides are warning about airbnb so I’m starting to get worried.

>>10300939
>I may skip the cafes unless there are any anime/pokemon ones at the time I care about.
Really the reservations, fees per hour, half hour, or 15 minutes stacks up. I don't find much past walking past them unless they are good. Osaka has far more reasonable prices in this regard. Best advice for Tokyo is go to nakano broadway then a bit to the west. Should find a good chunk there over where JOJO DIO bar use to be, bar and grill beacon is hidden by kanda station would recommend.
>disney
It's filled with chinese and japanese, remember japan gets 30mil a year. I go about 3-4 times a year for work and conventions like Comiket/JUMP, reitaisai/Comic1 and some other shit like golden week, and for thanksgiving it's pretty bad all the time

>Private
Golden gai is packed and kinda small fyi, you can have a blast there just realize it is a tourist hub of sorts. To get away and have a calm bar experience. Look up Sound Bar Pure's in asakusa, tons of nice places around there and sensoji.

>hokkaido
DO NOT DO A TRAIN, the shinkansen stops around Hokadate and then you must get on a slow train after. It takes about 8+ hours, just do a cheap ANA round trip to Chitose for 100 bucks. If you want snow and mountains google Ome and Oku-Tama station, you'll get your fill.

Kamakura has a bamboo forest, old town, giant steel buddha, and beach that squid girl was based off of(?). Very nice and better than Kyoto IMO when paired with the shrines, temples, and caves on Enoshima island. Nikko and Kawagoe will get your old town shit satisfied.

For cosplaying in Japan, unless you have something specific Idk how to answer. Just don't wear it on trains if you got a petty coat on, understand some bars will turn you away, and be aware of drunk businessmen. Feel free to ask away, I generally help in the /trv/ thread but glad to help here if it's related to the board and such

>>10301015
I worry that prices may stay higher than they were after the Olympics but no way of knowing how it'll go. Planning to go a couple months before myself and they're already seeming a little bit higher

I'm finding a lot less airbnbs in my searches than when I last went, but some do say specifically that they are compliant with new laws so hoping that's true. Maybe a private room (you can get them for large groups) in a hostel may be another option.

>>10300993
I will hands down take the stuff in osaka over akihabara any day. Way more what I expected everything to be like, shops aren't selling all the same shit, cosplay stuff is by far 10x easier to find and isn't premade shit or custom orders only.

Strongly would recommend osaka for finding things.

>>10301015
Japan gets a shit load of visitors, understand that the main bulk of tourists are expected to do the Tokyo->kyoto tourist route, if you stay away from there you would probably be okay. I would avoid +/- 1 month around the olympics, I was there for the rugby world cup. Aside from places like HUB and obvious spots like Golden Gai, Sensoji, and normal tourist places being a bit more busy wasn't too bad. I'd never do Tokyo during the olympics, that just seems like hell.

>Another thing I’m worried about is the state of Airbnb laws
Airbnb is fully legal, it's just that hosts MUST register their home for airbnb and get a license. They can't list without it and can't host more than 180 days per calendar year, if it's on airbnb it's fair game to stay in. People are grossly misinformed on the rule changes. Also private rooms in hostels are pretty cheap, APA's are nice and around 60 bucks

>>10301040
Most places cracked down on the people buying a house then stocking it full of beds and leasing it for the whole year, insurance companies tightend up

Just weigh hostel private rooms which are often really good and hotel levels fine with social areas down stairs, vs business style hotels.

Never do capsules as a tourist, capsule style hostels are gender separated and usually around 20-30 bucks more aimed at tourist who may leave around 11am not out by 9am, hostels will often hold bags where capsule hotels will tell you to use a coin locker

>>10301039
That's great to know, I hadn't considered domestic flights and was thinking of getting a week's JR pass. I want to go skiing so somewhere with mountain resorts for a night or two is the plan. And yeah trains seem like a whole day of travel so I may get a plane, even if I can't convince my friends travelling with me to come.

I wore subdued lolita last time and had no issues, no one even really stared, though I don't notice that kind of thing much anyway. I heard people have had trouble finding the small shops like maiden clothing before, so do people usually google maps that shit or make themselves a map/route plan in advance?

>>10301048
If you want to go Skiing look up the Niigata-Nagano JR pass. It's flexible over 14 days(good for 5 days), usable on limtied express, local and Shinkansen routes, is about 150 bucks, and can even be used for the Narita Express(40 bucks). I'd suggest a bit past matsumoto or Yuzawa.

Yeah I just mention it because it is possible and best to suggest it rather than someone find out the hard way.

What I do is use Google sheets to mark out my days then put "want to go" flags on google maps and walk to those places. If there any cons you have questions about feel free to ask away, sometimes they can be confusing.

>>10301045

The new Airbnb laws basically removed any Japanese Airbnb listings/homeowners who didn't have government ID numbers that complied with the new homesharing laws back in summer of 2018. Not sure how much it has changed since then but the regulations were supposed to reduce scams or poor quality accomodations as well as prevent people from turning their homes into businesses the way Airbnb caused that in a lot of European cities.

>>10301052
it's still easy to get a license to host airbnb, most people just don't want the insurance, tax, and other BS that comes along with it so they mostly dropped it. Kyoto is one place that outright bans it during parts of the year

>>10301053

You can find affordable basic hotels in Kyoto pretty easily (I was there for 2 months living in a dorm for work but when I initially arrived stayed at a small local hotel.) and in Tokyo I was in one of the APA hotels and it wasn't more expensive than my Tokyo Airbnb would have been had it not been autocanceled because of the new laws at the time. APA hotel in Kobe was shit and smelled of smoke though. Public and indoor smoking being prominent is one of the few things I hated about Japan so if you're sensitive to that pay more or look more diligently for a non smoking room or place for sure.

Even if accomodations aren't dirt cheap the other stuff like food is so cheap that it's easy to budget for a trip I think

>>10301054
I often stay in Kyoto, and do the Amazing pass to get back and forth. Kyoto doesn't really open up till around 9ish anyways and closes around 6-7. No reason to stay in kyoto IMO when osaka is right there.

I generally do hostels because it's a non issue, but eh guess some people can't mentally do it. Realistically after accomidations 45-50 dollars a day will do you very well for all the dishes, train pass/suica refills, musems and beer you could reasonably want

>>10301015
Airbnb in Japan requires you to send a copy of your passport when you book lodging. The host should email the photo to Airbnb but half the time they don't and sit on your info for no real reason. It's weird so I skip that site altogether

Consumption tax went from 8 to 10 percent as well which applies to dine-in orders, hotel rooms, clothes, souvenirs etc.

Some upcoming pop up anime/band/sanrio cafes: https://www.dangonews.com/popup-cafe

And Artism market events for lolitas, the next ones are in Feb and March: http://artism.jp/

Are there any places where lolita is welcomed? Or any particular places that lolitas frequent?

>>10301210
You might run into some near the stores, but you'll look weird anywhere you go regardless.

>>10301210
Obviously around any of the department stores that sell lolita/altfashion (Laforet, Marui etc) you won't be quite as out of place, although I never saw any other lolitas around outside. I think what other anons have said about them dipping in and out from the train is true. Ikebukuro and Shibuya backstreets, etc are probably fine too. Also if you're going to go to Cat Street I would wear something casual without petti, it's just way too crowded. Same with Akiba.

>>10301015
Depends how soon after the Olympics finishes that you are going, I think? I just got back from Japan and got there about a week after the Rugby World Cup ended and noticed the pricing for AirBnB was considerably higher (and much harder to find places that weren't booked even looking 6 months in advance) than when I had been the previous years before.

I think there was a crackdown on AirBnb not that long ago cos Hotels were moaning it was taking money away from them, but in saying that 2 of the 3 places I stayed this time were full buildings with tons of rooms all being leased as AirBnB rooms, so I don't think thats worth worrying about. One of the places I stayed had 2 Queen beds in a room and cost me and my partner about $10ea a night. The place was spotless and not a shoddy building that felt like it was going to collapse, and the hosts were amazing as well, so I really don't think that would be something to worry about!

>>10300530
Axes Femme has cute loliable blouses but you can find it at stores like Hard Off or random second hand shops. Hard Off tends to have a much larger selection but I’ve seen BTSSB dresses for 2000 yen at second hand stores

>>10301076
Hotels and other stuff are going to scan your passport anyways. it's a non issue since they really can't do anything with the passport unless it's physically there, hence why if you lose it you report it asap.

>>10301210
They are welcome everywhere just realize most people will wonder wtf you're doing. No one really cares all that much, you might get mistaken for being a maid worker for handing out shit to weebs and just got off work, that's about it.

Harajuku is the "showoff zone", you can walk around there fairly easily without any issue. Akihabara down to Zushi is the same, you'll be fine just don't bring your petticoat poofy dress onto the train at 8am during rush hour or stay in the womens car if you do.

>avoid olympics
>is going during the olympics

As I am stuck with what is going to be pain, do I have any hope of wearing lolita whilst I'm in Japan? I'm not sure if a light op + hoopskirt would really be that much hotter than wearing a pair of jeans, as I've never had to deal with weather over 30 before.
Also, any tips/japanese hair products for dealing with hair during the humidity? My hair is frizzy enough as it is, let alone added heat

>>10301587
Where are you going, I've done cosplay in august for comiket so ask away. Some info like what you're dressing like/for, and what cities you'd be in would help.

>>10301572
What are some secondhand stores that sell jfash? I’ve never been to a secondhand store in japan so they just sell a little bit of everything or does it depend on the store?

>>10301436
You can wear lolita to any of these places and it's fine. On Saturdays and Sundays you'll usually see plenty of lolitas hanging out in places with lots of jfashion shops.

I'm very interested in going to a con there. I'm going to stay in Osaka on February-March and I wanted to know if anyone knows a con in Osaka, Kyoto or anywhere near.

I’ll be in Japan in January. I’m looking for recommendations for aesthetic cafes in Tokyo and Osaka other than the obvious ones (Qpot, Aoyama flower market). I’m not really into kawaii/cutesy ones like maid or character cafes. Any recs?

Last time I was there I saw some Japanese (I think) lolitas in Marui Annex and tourist lolitas around Harajuku. I wore it in Disneyland but I don’t think I’ll bother bringing any this time. It takes up too much luggage space and I found it kind of a hassle when travelling.

>>10301617
Reitaisai is in Shizuoka this year, you'll want to head up there in all honesty. Shit's fucked for the olympics

willer bus has a 3 day pass for 100 USD, worth it imo

>>10301705
Cafes as in themed bars or just sit down teaparty shit? I know a few but some are bars where you just chill with other cosplayers and shit

>>10301706
I mean tea party shit. I’m interested in bars too but didn’t think that’s really relevant to this board.

Where's the best place in Tokyo to buy old fashion & craft magazines? 80's and older. I have really hard time finding information in english.

>>10301908

I know they're mostly new fabric and stuff but maybe Nippori fabric town? They may have vintage or secondhand/specialty shops?

I'm heading to Japan in Feb, but I want to do some online shopping first (I have some figures and merch I want to buy off Amiami). Is there any shopping service recommended for shipping to my airbnb? How would I go about asking my host for package pickup details?

Went from Tokyo to Hiroshima last October.
Tokyo people seem a bit colder than other people, but I guess that's what happens when you have lots of rude tourists to deal with.
I mostly wear toned down classic or oldschool with low poof. Didn't have any trouble fitting onto offpeak trains that way. Didn't travel on any peak hour trains because of the congestion and the rate that women get groped

>>10301587
although a hoopskirt would help keep cool, I'd honestly recommend just dressing cutely but without taking up too much room (like going pettiless). japan's already packed as-is, and the olympics will probably make it 10x worse anon. if you wanna brave the massive crowds in a coord more power to you though! I'm rooting for you.

>>10301738
Tea party? ehh, My advice is look around kanda station. I only do bars because they aren't like what you think of in the west. Most bars I go to are closer to the tea party shit back home just offern nomihodai to stay afloat. Unionically queen mays from steins;gate, yes it is real google it, is the only place I know for tea shit.

>>10301908
Asakusa, Kanagawa kinda works but idk. Asakusa people seem to be more willing to help and have old shit.

>>10301909
Never buy secondhand worn stuff in Japan, I strongly advise against it.

>>10302100
I would not buy online to amiami if you are going to be in japan, often you can find the stuff on amiami way cheaper if you don't mind a slightly "used" box. Seriously my 300 dollar Yuuka figure was 85 dollars because I was fine with a dent in the corner.

Amiami, animate, and mandrake are all duty free but i would suggest against them. If you have a specific genre I can tell you some specific stores to visit for best prices. For airbnb you'd say you are getting luggage shipped and need them to hold it, then send them a copy of the info.

>>10302164
Osaka> tokyo imo for shit. Tokyo I just feel like human cattle.

>>10302191
You can buy cool pads at uniquo and they work well enough, just depends what you wear. My dress and wig are enough to be hot as shit, I just dip into a lawsons "looking" for things, and dip out

>>10302218

The person was looking for crafting and sewing books, not clothes.

And Japan is well known for having secondhand/thrifted items with very high quality for low prices.

>>10302226
>And Japan is well known for having secondhand/thrifted items with very high quality for low prices.

Oh I know, wasn't saying or implying it did so not sure where you got that from. What I was going on about was that given the prices to make most japanese dresses/outfits work would generally be just as much as ordering a one newly made. I guess if you are a penny pencher it's cheaper, but I've found refitting something from a second hand shop costs about the same time/money

>>10302218

Can you kindly shut the fuck up? You clearly have no experience traveling in Japan from a jfashion perspective.

For one, secondhand shopping in Japan is fucking amazing depending what you're looking for.

>>10302229

Most people buy everyday clothes off the rack and wear them as is. Unless it's pants and you aren't Asian, or unless you're fat or very tall without being skinny, Japanese clothes don't require any more issues fitting to yourself secondhand than the stuff you'd get at the store new.

But none of that is relevant to anon's question about where to find older books for crafting and stuff. Since you seem to sew/tailor things do you have reccomendations for them for that?

>>10301598
Are you specifically looking for lolita or other altfashions? Maiden clothing seems to have more goth/punk as well as lolita, closet child varies depending on location

>>10302218
Thank you! I'm looking mainly for gifts for friends including fanmerch and figures
> Love Live! (original not Sunshine)
> Promare
> BNHA
> KNY
> FGO
> Re:Zero
> SAO
> Gochiusa
> Fruits Basket
> Yona of the Dawn
My friends have pretty basic taste as you can probably tell. They're not huge collectors, so mostly nendoroids, figmas, and prize figures are good for them, though one has scales from Native for original characters. Any recommendations? Also for doujin , if you have any!

>>10302240
Not sure what you are talking about since I spend half the year in japan . Though feel free to correct me on how hip/bust sizes aren't the same given whatever you are on.

>For one, secondhand shopping in Japan is fucking amazing depending what you're looking for.
Yes I agree, but the key phrase is "depending what you are looking for" j fashion stuff isn't a standard so you may get whatever or you may get great shit, second hand has no real common standard.

>>10302243
Sadly I don't I like most people I know just touch up shit bought off aliexpress. I know that sounds dumb but most people in japan do the same exact thing. I really don't know anyone who makes their own cosplay. I just know areas where I get shit touched up or fixed, most of which are by ROX in asakusa.

>>10302255
Sure thing
> Love Live! (original not Sunshine)
The official store is right at akihabara, 2nd floor you can't miss it after the escalator
> Promare
> SAO
> BNHA
Liberty anime across from Carls Jr, you'll know it when you see it just know the elevator exists.
> FGO
Literally anywhere, there is no way to talk about good fateshit
> Re:Zero
Find KFC go up a few floors to some anime shops around there forget the name but it's right area. Most the re stuff I find there it's by COSPLA

Sorry the rest I don't follow too much so I don't know exactly

Understand that most good gems you need to walk to the back of the store for the stairs. So if you see something on ground floor realize that to get to some of the good shit walk to the back and see the elevators

>>10302277
Woops sorry Akihabara station, electric town exit.

This building they do themed shit all the time, keep in mind your passport can get discounts/tax breaks

>>10302246
Both I suppose, there is a specific thrift store that I just thought of, I remember a long time ago someone said they found a rare ish listen flavor sweater at a secondhand store.. I don't remember what the name was though.

>>10302277

if you know your sizing and how it compares to the brands you want, buying secondhand in japan is pretty easy. thankfully, i fit in everything.

Going to Comiket for the first time, I know cosplay has photo areas outside, but can you wear costumes inside? I'm presuming no but if anyone else has any insight I'd love to know.

>>10302329
Yes you can just enjoy hell

>>10302329
I just ment it as a general "I can walk inot akihabara get a chika cosplay 1:1 for me just then


>>10302338
meet up is at red saw, feel free to ask away I try to help organize it

>>10302277
Ooookay but you realise people are talking about like...actual fashion not just cosplay? You don't sound like you ever frequent places like closet child etc. which are standard recommendations for most jfash shoppers from this board (who generally tend to be into lolita, or like the sort of girly stuff from axes femme) and you also don't seem like you know quarter-shirring and other features that allow sizing variability are really common - in lolita fashion particularly.

>>10301738
There was a mook that came out last year (I think?) that covered Tokyo cafes with unusual interior designs. Pic is table of contents; you could google and see if any of them suit your taste.

Tir na nog - cafe in the afternoon, bar at night. I visited when it was called Iron Fairies and the decor was AMAZING, not sure how much of that the new management has kept: https://www.tirnanog-ginza.com/

Zikkai - cafe in afternoon, bar at night, gothic library aesthetic: https://www.zikkai.com/

Chamber of Raven - spaces range from gothic to more classic / rococo style: https://www.raven2015.com/

Most of the luxury hotels offer afternoon tea, which changes each season, so your best bet there would be to check out their websites and see which one catches your eye.

>>10302229
Trick is to find things that don't need to be refitted. I found really unique pieces in Shimokitazawa and a few other random second-hand shops that were very unique, more casual/otome but there can be some really good affordable shit.
And the smaller, less touristy area Closet Child locations have good stuff.
I have yet to find hard-off stores or similar second hand stores that have much actual lolita though. I feel like the people who find dresses for 2000 yen go to more out if the way locations or sones in smaller cities I haven't had time to visit my last couple trips.

Has anyone shopped in the newly renovated Shibuya Parco? I just looked over their floor plan and in addition to the pokemon center and nintendo store I plan on visiting they also have ETC, AP, and Candy Stripper. I've heard some AP stores have staff that is more standoffish than others (which I can understand when 90% of foreigners come in just to gawk/take pics).

Thanks!

i'm probably overthinking it, but for anyone who has actually purchased items at an IRL AP/BTSSB/other jfash store in japan - whats the norm when it comes to buying/picking up items when there's only one on display? I know AP and most other jfash stores only have one of each style/colour out at any given time - if i want to buy some items, can i just take them straight to the counter or do I need to tell the shop staff i want to purchase it so they can get a separate one from out the back or something? i know this sounds silly, but i don't really buy from 'boutique' style stores where they only display one so im not familiar with whats normal and i don't want to mess up their display and seem rude if i'm meant to ask!

>>10302474
This is actual good advice, thank you for being knowledgeable

>>10302676
You can do either. If you pick it up and bring it there will be slightly less confusion than pointing.

>>10302676
Just point or hold it up to a shop girl and say "kore onegaishimasu" and they will either take it to the front or pull it from the back. Go up to the till if that's all you're buying or keep looking. The really small stores pretty much all operate like this

>>10302676
if they are on a display rather than on a rack, you should go get someone and take it to the display. if it's on the rack, usually it's for try on only and they have to go get the new one. they might ask you if want to try it on first, or ask if you're aware of the different styles or colorways. in person, it's really obvious what they do and don't want you to touch in the store. if you are worried, just ask, the staff are there to help.

>>10302683
>>10302686
>>10302692
thanks to all of you for your help, i appreciate it!

this is a random sc i found from 2 yrs afo

>>10302676
There is a 99% chance the shop staff will immediately walk over to greet you when you enter and stand beside you the entire time. It's rare I touch items with my hands. They handle items for you and compliment your choices. I don't like it and prefer secondhand for the peace and quiet, but some items I like to purchase new, like socks or tights.

Going to Chiba (Urayasu specifically) in October for roughly 5 full days. My main stop is Tokyo Disney Resort/Sea which I'll probably do for at least 3 days so I don't miss anything, plus all the extra Halloween stuff.

So far I've decided to do these extras but looking for generic weeb 'must do!' extras and I'm going to look at some Jfash secondhand shops as well if I can find some in the area.

- Taito Station arcade
- Gundam Statue + Round 1 arcade
- Tokyo Joypolis
- RobotRobot in Chiyoda (first I'd heard of this used anime shop!)
- Otome Road (maybe, haven't decided)
- Nakano Broadway

Aside from that it's just wandering the area to see the sites and stumble across things that look interesting. Playing ichiban kuji as well if there's anything good.

Also trying to find out where the hell these Disney gem pushers are located. I see video of them constantly but no one ever says what arcade they're at.

>>10302937
oof that was kind of what i was a bit anxious about, i hate that in stores here in australia already and my japanese isn't great so i guess i'll have to prepare myself... thanks though!

>>10302971
Don't stress out. If you're a tourist there is no pressure to use conversational Japanese. You could say "one piece", "socks", "black", "off white", etc and they'll probably get the gist and do their best to help you. If you're they're to spend money they're happy to help you. And you don't have to see them again. They'll probably walk your bag to the door after you pay and bow when you leave. It's common for many businesses.

>>10302977
*there

>>10301598
Secondhand shops are everywhere in small towns. Just walk or bike around and you’ll see a bunch and hard offs too

>>10302971
Once they realize that you don't understand what they're saying to you, they tend to back off, at least in my experience. Do be prepared for them to walk you to the door with your bag, rather than handing over your purchase at the register. It totally threw me the first time it happened!

Also: either learn the words for your favorite colors or install a translate app on your phone that will let you pull up the Japanese word quickly. I once spent 5 minutes doing a ridiculous pantomime with a Meta salesclerk because I forgot the word "kuro" and couldn't properly explain that I wanted the item I was holding, but in black.

>>10302683
I'm glad it was helpful! I didn't suggest it because it is technically a themed cafe, but the best afternoon tea I've had in Tokyo was actually at Swallowtail Butler Cafe. It was quite elegant and didn't have that kitschy feel that a lot of the themed cafes give off.

>>10300567
I'd love to see your list. I think we should have a cgl sticky for every time this thread pops up

>>10303047
Agreed, that would be really nice.
I think someone had a google map with a lot of J-fashion pins as well. I have one but it has a lot of doll/figure stores and all the Evangelion stores too

>>10302474
I'm the person that originally asked, thank you so much! This is the kind of thing I was looking for.

I visited Iron Fairies before and I'm planning to again - I did not realize it changed names. Hopefully it didn't change too much. I checked the menu and the drinks I like are still there, and its nice they do online reservations now.

>>10302669
yes parco was incredibly packed and overwhelmed. ap was very small, nintendo line has a 2 hour wait, and the new pokemon center is all "shibuya graffiti" themed products which IMO are really fugly

overall honestly a 0/10 i would not go to parco again. my friend who lives there insisted we check it out and i would say it was a waste of 2 hours.

>>10303224
Thanks for the info but man that sucks. Did you happen to go right after it opened? I'm hoping that some of the hype will have died down by the time I visit. Based on your info my new game plan might be to ignore the clothing stores and just head straight to the nintendo store and pokemon store (to look at the mewtwo set up) first thing in the morning on a week day and then get out. I was not impressed by the graffiti themed products or the swarovski crystal themed items when I looked at the website.

The first pokecenter we are going to is the Osaka one so I might end up doing the majority of my shopping at that one and just pop into other ones to see what their exclusive product is. Managed to snag a reservation at the pokemon cafe in osaka too.

Also was wondering if people had food recommendations for Akihabara and Shibuya that aren't themed cafes? Those are the two areas that I'm planning on spending a few days where I don't have a schedule planned out. Just shopping and wandering around.

>>10302937
This is an interesting claim. Over many years of shopping in Japan as an obvious foreigner this has happened to me maybe two times. I often shopped in tourist areas too. I preferred shopping in Japan to my home country for exactly that reason, because staff almost never bothered me in Japan unless I asked.

>>10303244
if you check the Nintendo JP store twitter (https://twitter.com/N_Officialstore)) you can see them updating the waiting times for the day

Fun things to do in Osaka or Kyoto?

>>10303044
Just as a note, I'm not the person going on vacation, I'm just thankful to you for giving out good info. So much posted on here is just aggravatingly incorrect. You can always say color names in katakana (ie "burakku") if you get stuck btw

>>10302937
>>10303379

Same but I think it depends on the shop. Everywhere else I'm usually left alone but with burando stores I think I only ever encountered one specific AP store that didn't have someone trying to follow me around. And it's 50-50 whether they try to talk to you even if you don't understand Japanese. There are the usual AP girls trying to point out matching accessories, and then there's the Meta shopgirl who just chattered nonstop before, during, even after I already finalised my purchase.

>Good places to eat that are not tourist traps (other than themed cafes)
YOSHINOYA, Meat Punch in Tachikawa
>Cute themed cafes that are actually worth it
not in Akihabara for sure
>Good places to buy collector's items and goods
akihabara back streets, ignore radio city and shit near the station. Nakano Broadway is a gold mine.
>Is Tokyo Disney worth it if you've already been to Disney Sea
fuck disney sea
>Are there any events that are worth hitting up in the next few months/year?
depends on when youre going, summer festivals fuckin rock.
>Different areas of Tokyo and what to do in each
Tachikawa is chill but still city style, odaiba if you got $$, akiba is fun for a lil while but its a tourist trap now....
>Good places to see related to our hobbies
Nakano and Akiba
>Best places to get legit weeb shit/cosplays/merch and not get ripped off.
see above
>If you start out in Tokyo is it worth going to other cities/getting a JR Pass?
thats iffy. depends on where you wanna go

>>10303379
Ayrt, I wish they would leave me alone. Brand shops always hover and chat, though it is obvious I'm foreign, but not a tourist. Secondhand shop staff always ignore me and it's nice to shop quietly.I

>>10303454
>disneysea on my list
what’s wrong w disneysea

>>10302338
I went to the last comiket (C96) and cosplayed there. Yes, you can wear as you go through the booths, but you cannot set-up/pose in there. Circle members selling things are also sometimes in cosplay.

Also, be aware that they really want you to come in regular street clothes and change in their dressing rooms when you get to Comiket. It costs ¥1000/day to cosplay and you get a little color-coded comic/rules guide that doubles as your ticket to re-enter the dressing rooms afterwards. Similarly, they have a cloak room your can store your larger luggage at but it costs like ¥500/day.

>>10300530
Not gonna answer all of the op questions, just ones I have experience with.
>Good places to eat that are not tourist traps (other than themed cafes)
Really depends what you like or want to eat. Like, are you opposed to western-style places? I found some great places with craft beer the last time I was there.
>Is Tokyo Disney worth it if you've already been to Disney Sea
Have you been to Disneyland in California or the Magic Kingdom in Florida? If so, then I'd say don't go, because its more or less the same as the American parks.
>Different areas of Tokyo and what to do in each
I highly recommend going to Enoshima in Fujisawa. Really cool place a lot to see with good food and awesome sights, if you don't mind walking.
>Good places to see related to our hobbies
I don't know people opinion on cosplay studios, but if you've got a good camera and a friend (and are bringing costumes to Japan), maybe look at places like Haco Stadium, Booty, or Studio Ao. There are also some that will charge you and let you dress up in their own cosplay stuff, but I don't really like that.
>Best places to get legit weeb shit/cosplays/merch and not get ripped off.
Not the best judge of cost/quality, but it seemed like Acosta had a lot of decent cosplay stuff?
>If you start out in Tokyo is it worth going to other cities/getting a JR Pass?
Really depends where you're going. If you're just staying in the general Tokyo area, then no; a re-loadable Passmo/Suica card will get you most places easily. But if you're planning to go to multiple other big cities, then it might be good though you'll want to look at fare costs to make sure.

>>10303793
Awesome, thank you anon! I would hate to have to change out of a costume just to buy stuff, so that's great to hear.

>>10303860
My pleasure! When it doubt, just follow what the crowd does. The only thing I would probably be wary about in the actually halls is things like bags and props. It's gets pretty crowded in the exhibition halls, of course, so I'd also advise to just be conscious and courteous if you have anything large on or in tow. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Japanese women don't wear Lolita outside of conventions and a small subset of fashion streets. If you avoid Pettis and super short skirts you can wear anything as "casual" as Japan has a lot more otome in it's casual looks than the west. Also make sure you cover your decolletage up to your collarbone and absolutely do NOT think about showing cleavage unless you want people to think you are a Russian prostitute.

>>10303429
Be prepared for mega rude tourists in Kyoto. I swear I saw more tourists there than in Tokyo.

Does anyone have some good budget estimates for a week in Japan? I plan on going to Disney and know I'll be blowing a bunch on weeb and jfashion, so typical Japan budgets aren't super helpful for me

>>10303429
Seconding >>10304462 Kyoto was extremely disappointing to me. I'd recommend going to Nara and see the deer over Kyoto any day. Osaka is fun, there's Nipponbashi, Shinsaibashi, and Dontonbori near all together and lots of pachinko and weeb shit in Nipponbashi if that's your thing. Shinsaibashi/Americamura is where to go for Lolita.

>>10304503
Seconding this. I know a vlogger couple that went to Disney for a week and they budgeted about $100 per person, per day in food/spending money due to Disney prices.

What I'm thinking about doing is putting a set amount for a food budget per day and then setting aside separate amounts strictly for each thing I want to do. When I run out of that set money, that's it. No more purchases no matter if I go back a second time or not.

For example: $35 per day for food. $75 for the Round 1 Arcade visit. $300 for Tokyo Disney souvenirs. $50 for Taito Station arcade. $100 for the Pokemon Center.

>>10304503
Stick with the "usual" food budgets unless you're planning to do heaps of themed café trips, Disney is easy as you can look up ticket prices. Set yourself a budget for "things you're specifically looking for" based on known market prices and then "things I might buy if they appear" - an example for lolita might be that you have a day to shop in Tokyo and you're planning to hit up your favorite brand stores + 3 closet child locations. If you know there are 2-3 new releases you will definitely buy if you can try them on and they suit you, that might be ¥90,000 already especially if you plan for matching items. But maybe you're also looking for wardrobe fillers like socks, hair accessories, blouses and shoes, so you then need to decide whether you want to buy those second-hand or new and budget accordingly - e.g. most blouses second hand will be half or less than half the price of a new blouse, so you might budget ¥20,000 for blouses which will allow you to buy more if second hand, less if new. And then there may be a wishlist item that you'll definitely buy if you see it, so add money for that as well.

>>10304512
I’m heading to kyoto for a couple days only and spending a week and a half in Osaka because theres so much stuff to do there. One day is dedicated to nippombashi, shinsaibashi, dotonbori, and ebisu bridge
I’ll add Americamura to the list, thank you! I wanted to go to CC and Angelic Pretty but I didn’t check where they are yet

>>10304503
If you’re going alone, that’ll bring down the price a lot. Theres hostels and some homes where people rent out their guest room for like 2000 a night with free coffee and tea

Thirding Kyoto being so full it's not even fun, I enjoyed Kamakura much more. In general, the things I enjoyed the most were:

* tokyo: swallowtail café, pokemon café, sensoji, ikebukuro's otome road.
* outside tokyo: disney sea, kamakura, hakone, kaiyukan aquarium.

>>10304652
Kamakura isnt near Kyoto its near Yokosuka

>>10304642
AP, BtSSB, Atelier Pierrot, CC, Maiden Clothing, & so on are all within a few minutes walking distance of each other

>>10304655
I'm not saying it's near Kyoto, I'm saying it's a much better alternative for the traditional japanese vibe.

>>10304503
I was there for a week last month and saved up $4000 to include my hotel, shopping, food, and any tickets I might need.

>>10304664
In Osaka? I’ve been to the LaForet location and i know those are all in the same area
>>10304666
Ah sorry I misunderstood. I heard lots of good things about Kamakura but havent been. Its a beach area so i wont go until the summer

>>10304683
Kamakura is a gorgeous place. The great Buddah is so busy with tourists it may not be worth the entrance fee unless you're really interested in it. But the beach is really nice and you can rent windsurfers in the summer and apparently the leaves there in the fall are really nice shades or red as well. There are some good little cafes and mom and pop restaurants as well as second-hand kimono shops too.

Anyone know of any seasonal stuff to do in October?

>>10304438
Have you even seen jp lolitas or their social media, anon? They tend to get out and about a bit

>>10304683
Yes, in Osaka.

>>10304818
There are seasonal afternoon teas/buffets/food sets but most require reservation in advance. Disney & USJ has a Halloween theme. There’s usually Artism market (indie brand market)

>>10304503
I don't buy a ton of shit normally, so take this with a grain of salt and maybe add a bit more or less for yourself but, during my last trip I spent two weeks in Tokyo and I think probably spent (ignoring my flight and hotel) like maybe $1000 or so, which includes my subway/rail fares, food, souvenirs, tickets to more normie/tourist-y stuff, etc.

>>10302371
Lolita is cosplay. You don't wear your lolita dress to work, normal social shit, etc. It's cosplay

>>10304918

Oh okay so you're actually retarded.

>>10304882
Those are walks down cat alley in Harajuku almost always, MAYBE some shots in denden town, or that one weird place in niigata.

No one actually wears most shit idolized in japan for any reason outside a convention, show they are putting on, or photo shoot. Sorry don't know how many times you've worked, visited, or lived in japan but that's just how it is.

Only thing anon you are replying to is wrong about is the cleavage part, no one really cares. I don't care about social media or whatever, I'm talking about IRL

>>10304818
A lot of places have very nice autumn leaves, but it's not the same as, say, sakura season. Halloween themed everything is around in October - pumpkin, taro , and sweet potato were the main flavours I saw. It's less spooky and more one giant costume party.

>>10304952
Sakura season you can fake easily as being in seattle and the right parks. Seriously it's not hard, I did sakura con and took pics and people were like "wait u still in japan? thought work was over!". Because I didn't post obvious giveaways like cars, signage, or shops.

Halloween sucks dick unless you know the right circles to be with or do meme shibuya

>>10304438
In Tokyo and occasionally other cities I’ve seen a fair few lolitas outside of harajuku and definitely not trying to pass off their outfits as casual. Granted, some of them could be Chinese but in my hometown theres a large Chinese population and a lot of Chinese lolitas wear taobao, while all the girls I saw in japan were wearing brand.

>>10304985
The few lolita I've seen in cities are either coming home from a bar, wearing to pick up something to resize shit etc.

Most active lolita/j-fashon you see is not japanese I found out, most girls who do that wear are doing it who are non japanese native. If anything gyaru is far more popular for actively going out and doing fashion life style changes. I can't count how many I've seen in Fukuoka, let alone nagasaki and osaka.

>>10304922
Idk what you are arguing all about but to an extent western lolita/j-fashion, is basically cosplay at this point there isn't any arguing it here. If you've been to japan for any length of time over a day that wasn't secluded to maids handing you cards in harajuku, ikebukoro, akihabara, shibuya, you know this. It's a non thing, because most girls who do that shit only do it for the stigma, money, and attraction to incel/pervy old me; unless that is what this board wants to attract. You have to be a complete crazy cat lady shut in at this point not to understand the japan you hype it up to be is complete fitction. Shibuyameltdown is a great example of this.

Not trying to shit on japan and say you should abandon your hobby, but realize the west has weird shit when it comes to "do you do japan", most the shit is a shell shock unless you spend only 1 week in tokyo star struck and do some specific events. Just realize the whole "grass is this way and greener here" isn't always true.

>>10305008
I live in a city that you haven’t named and it’s not uncommon to see Lolita going out and doing things. In my area we have few gyaru, but we have a lot more general gothiness and Korean styled stuff. Perhaps, because it’s not your lifestyle, you don’t see them around the places you hang out. Japanese lolitas aren’t too wild for Akihabara and honestly most of the stuff you named is normie/lame, so I wouldn’t take your advice too seriously. Obviously Japan is just another place, but getting my Lolita kicks in a small city has been easy because our area still has an active community.

>>10305008

Idk who you think you're replying to but all I meant was that you're stupid if you think street fashion is the equivalent of cosplay. I never said it was normal or accepted in Japanese society or whatever or anything about maid cafes; just that it's retarded to say all lolita is cosplay because that comes from a place of ignorance and if you don'tknow what you're talking about you really shouldn't pretend to be an expert.

I've lived and worked in Japan; I'm not someone who thinks it's all akiba and anime. I'm also not any of the anons who were previously talking with you on the subject so I wasn't arguing about anything. Just pointing out how obviously unaware you must be if you think

In general you sound like a scrote who knows nothing about lolita and jfashion if you think it is all cosplay and the fact that you are connecting other weeb shit to lolita when many western lolitas aren't even especially interested in Japan beyond jfashion just shows how ignorant you are .

>>10305019
>I live in a city that you haven’t named and it’s not uncommon to see Lolita going out and doing things.
Which I've been from Asahiwaka to Nagasaki so I'm not sure where one.
>Obviously Japan is just another place, but getting my Lolita kicks in a small city has been easy because our area still has an active community.
Sure it does I wasn't saying it didn't exist so not sure why you implied that, again I said MOST, not all. There is an active scene in many places, though I do still know most for going out for some reason not being daily social lime light shit.

>>10305022
> you think street fashion is the equivalent of cosplay
it is when a foreign person comes in expecting some other place to act how they act for a specific time period to fulfill that role.
>I've lived and worked in Japan;
Where because again going off my times in Tokyo and Kansai prefectures along with Gifu, and a few other places your words seem foreign. Feel free to correct me I am just not sure specifics since I am naming them and you aren't.
>In general you sound like a scrote who knows nothing about lolita and jfashion
The fact you use this line makes me think you don't know what you are talking about either, again I didn't devolve to name calling I just pointed out what I have experienced over the past few years in japan.
> if you think it is all cosplay and the fact that you are connecting other weeb shit to lolita when many western lolitas aren't even especially interested in Japan beyond jfashion just shows how ignorant you are .
I think how westerners perceive lolita/jfashion culture in japan vs what it really is day to day, is so far disconnected that it basically is cosplay at that point. I never said it was cosplay, just that the disconnect of it can be seen as it.

>>10305037
aw forgot a pic

>>10305019
>I live in a city that you haven’t named and it’s not uncommon to see Lolita going out and doing things.
Which I've been from Asahiwaka to Nagasaki so I'm not sure where one.
>Obviously Japan is just another place, but getting my Lolita kicks in a small city has been easy because our area still has an active community.
Sure it does I wasn't saying it didn't exist so not sure why you implied that, again I said MOST, not all. There is an active scene in many places, though I do still know most for going out for some reason not being daily social lime light shit.

>>10305022
> you think street fashion is the equivalent of cosplay
it is when a foreign person comes in expecting some other place to act how they act for a specific time period to fulfill that role.
>I've lived and worked in Japan;
Where because again going off my times in Tokyo and Kansai prefectures along with Gifu, and other places your words seem foreign. Feel free to correct me I am just not sure specifics since I am naming them and you aren't.
>In general you sound like a scrote who knows nothing about lolita and jfashion
The fact you use this line makes me think you don't know what you are talking about eitherway, again I didn't devolve to name calling I just pointed out what I have experienced over the past few years in japan.
> if you think it is all cosplay and the fact that you are connecting other weeb shit to lolita when many western lolitas aren't even especially interested in Japan beyond jfashion just shows how ignorant you are .
I think how westerners perceive lolita/jfashion culture in japan vs what it really is day to day, is so far disconnected that it basically is cosplay at that point. I never said it was cosplay, just that the disconnect of it can be seen as it.

Again not saying it doesn't exist just that in the fashoin it is done at cons in the USA/EU, often it is quite it's own culture and thing. Feel free to keep doing it, I just don't ever see it .

>>10304899
I’ll look for their addresses and see if its close to where I’m staying. Thank you!

>>10304952
>>10304899

I prefer the autumn leaves to sakura anyway so that's nice to know. Especially the Halloween bits.

I'm not going to party or anything so seeing the Disney parks and trying some of the local chain Halloween food is my idea of fun. That and UFO catchers being stocked with seasonal prizes.

I'll be going the first week of October so hopefully the weather will be alright.

>>10300530
I believe Artism Market is in March, might be fun to go to.

why tf do weebs always whine about what foreigners wear/do in japan. japanese people will not accept foreigners regardless.

Lgah this thread has been taken over by incels.

>>10303244
The initial opening hype has died down already and it should be easy to find a time to go when it's not busy

>>10304982
I actually really enjoyed Halloween but was in Osaka rather than Tokyo - I travelled with one friend and we did all the shopping, ate all the themed things, went to a bunch of places with pretty autumn leaves and took photos, and then went out in Osaka where there were millions of people milling around in costumes. No annoying trick or treaters, house decorations etc - just a giant costume party.

>>10305067
There is no fall foliage in Tokyo/Kyoto until late November. You may be able to take a day trip to a mountainous area if you want to catch some in October, but early October may be unlikely unless you go to Hokkaido. The weather is usually rainy in late September, which may or may not clear by early October, and it will be warm.

>>10305396
Thanks for the heads up! I wouldn't go out of my way to see the foliage.
How warm are we talking? When I checked weather info it said early october was usually in the low 70sF. Which is perfect to me.

Is Sorridere a good brand to buy bags from? I like one of their little totes but I'm not set on purchasing yet.

>>10305521
It really depends on the year. Sometimes you get a long summer and it'll be in the 80s(F), sometimes it's nice and cooler.

>>10300530
I'm planning to go to Japan in 2021 just because I want to avoid the Olympics stuff next year. I'm really excited to go look around Tokyo since when I last went to Japan I only went to Osaka and Kyoto

>>10305069
I'm missing it by one day, I'm mad but my flight deal was great so I can't complain too much.

>>10303224
that sucks. I wonder if there happens to be any special release items left at the parco shop.

>>10305074
because normie Japanese people generally dress better than the average weeb.

>>10303788
The wait time for any ride is much longer than rides at any American amusement park. Almost all the rides have you waiting over an hour sometimes two. Even for popcorn you gotta wait 20 minutes. Disneyland was nice but theres nearly nothing in disneysea other than 2 rides which had 155 and 80 minute wait times. Star tours is severely nauseating and the monsters inc. ride kept braking really hard and randomly which was annoying and nauseating too. Disney merchandise was overpriced too and all the little shops on the sides were nothing but gift shops that had 1600 tiny keychains and 6200 sweaters

>>10306437
> 2 rides
so you missed all the others or...

>>10306439
The rest weren’t appealing

>>10301051
what region is this picture in?

>>10306437
Did you go on a holiday weekend during school break or something? It’s not normally that bad. Going on a day with low attendance just requires a little planning. All the rides/attractions are listed on the site, and it’s Disney so of course it’s not going to be cheap. The shop outside (Bon Voyage) is also Disney so it’s the same price. This sounds like you being salty and creating your own problems thb.

>>10306447
That’s your own fault for going then

>>10304918
I wear brand to both of my jobs.

>>10306593
>anon states they didn’t like disney
>another anon asks why
>never answered so I answered with my own experience
>gets questioned why
>gets told its my own fault
Imagine answering a question and a bunch of dipshits say its your fault for not enjoying waiting 2 hours to go on a ride. Go eat shit

>>10306663
Just don’t go on a crowded day then. I’ve never waited more than 20min for a ride

>>10306437
Let me guess, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Tower of Terror? Of course they'd have the longest wait times. That's like trying to ride Pooh's Hunny Hunt in TDL.

>>10306737

People there really love Pooh for some reason. Tomorrowland and Pooh's Hunny Hunt had longer lines than the fastpass lines. The only thing with a longer wait the day I went was photos with Mickey and it was a regular Monday.

>>10306735
>dont go on a crowded day

>>10306742
It's because of the trackless system probably. Only ride in both parks that operates like that, plus the cars bounce along with Tigger.

>>10306855
Disney’s website shows which days are busy, Disney has an app that shows wait times for each ride

>>10307008
I have that app and went on a Tuesday still overcrowded

>>10306999
I went on because i grew up watching those episodes and the effects were incredible so that ride was pretty much the only good thing there

>>10307019
I went the week after golden week on a weekday it showed as not busy on the site and it was fine. Guess you were just unlucky but I never waited more than 15-20 minutes max. Disney Sea was very worth it for me. Great merch, snacks and nice atmosphere and cast members. It's not worth it to everyone but it was to me.

>>10303429
Replying to myself because i went to kyoto recently and holy shit it sucks

does anyone know if you're allowed to cosplay at Tokyo Disneyland/ Disneysea? I would love to do sunsetdragon's cookie design or a school uniform of a character

>>10308554

Many people do nanchatte or lolita. I disneybounded at tokyo Tokyo Disney but not in lolita.

>>10308554
You can cosplay during October, which is new. From what I read before you could cosplay during October but only on select dates but it seems like now it's for all of October? They also have cosplay days.

>>10308554
>school uniform of a character
Lots of girls come from school or twin with their uniforms and weebs typically buy theirs online like bodyline and wear it and they’re all acceptable

>>10308565
do you have some photo examples? i'd love to see them.

>>10308628
so it would only be October I could dress in that cosplay? I was honestly planning to go to Tokyo Disneyland in April

>>10308741
https://soranews24.com/2019/09/04/tokyo-disneyland-disney-sea-announce-cosplay-rules-allowed-characters-for-halloween-2019/

You can do lolita or nanchatte with the ear headband, but I doubt they'd let you do the full costume you posted.

>>10308741
Also not the anon you asked for pictures but here's a quick collage of things that seem to be acceptable outside of designated cosplay times.
I mean you can try to wear the costume you want but be prepared for them to ask you to change clothes.

Going to Japan for New Years! Does anyone have any tips on hitting up stores during the fukubukuro rush? I know I want to hit up both 109 and Pokémon Center, heard that Poke should be prioritized?

>>10308741
Not that anon, but these outfits are fine for usual non-Halloween days

>>10306437
FastPass not an option?

>>10310739
Not always. I only had a couple and didn’t want to buy more

>>10310740
>buy fast pass
They’re not free in japan..?
They’re free at the US parks

>>10310742
Not that anon but Tokyo fast pass is free. You can get one after you've used one, but I'm not sure if there's a cap on how many you can use daily

Anyone have suggestions for good Halloween collab merch shops? Going to Tokyo Station for the Pokemon Center (hopefully PokeCafe if I can snag a reservation) and I'm not sure what else is there that might have special Halloween only merch.

>>10310742
My Japanese friend gave me them and I saw a booth for fast passes so i thought they were for sale oops

>>10306437
>>10310740
>>10310791
Bruh. I got bad news if you think a 1-2 hour wait for a ride is bad.

Disney World? Wait times of 3-4 hours and that's not even on the new Star Wars rides. That's Pandora and Toy Story.

>>10310794
Oh jeez that’s scary. Why don’t people just do back to back fast passes? That’s what I do. Then again i don’t know if all rides have them.

>>10310794
Thats what showed up on my phone for toy story too so i didnt even bother

>>10310817
Disney World at least has a time cushion. You can't book a fast pass that overlaps the 1 hour time window you have to ride your first ride.
That and with vacation packages/Disney hotels you can book 60 days ahead of time while pre-ordered tickets are 30 days. I know Toy Story, Pandora, and select Magic Kingdom rides booked out pretty much as soon as the 60 day window opened.

With Tokyo Disney I think they have a similar time cushion/restriction for fast pass. Plus you have to manually walk to a kiosk to get one.

Whenever I go to Disney sea I structure my day loosely on this guide, it really helps
https://www.disneytouristblog.com/1-day-tokyo-disneysea-plan/

>>10311317
Thank you for the guide!

>>10310739
>>10310742
They are free but unless you have your phone's home locale set to Japan, you can't use their fastpass app, only the paper ones.

>>10302669
I visited this AP store while wearing lolita (so they know I'm a customer) and I can confirm the staff are indifferent. While I was browsing the store, there was only one shopgirl, who spent my almost my entire ~5 minute visit chatting on the phone with someone about what sounded like non-work matters. The stock was also worse than AP Harajuku.

The ETC store was no better or worse than their standalone Harajuku store.

>>10305576
Prices in fall/early winter (November/December) still seem pretty reasonable from my Googling around.

>>10312450
I had an ETC shopgirl yell at me for taking a streetview photo of the outside of the store with no people in it, so just the window display and door. I can understand and know it's not allowed inside the store but it was a little much.
I did go in after because they're one of my favourite brands that i have a lot of stuff from but didn't like their current collection enough to buy anything that time. The girl followed me around the entire time as well.
I found the AP Laforet shopgirls were really nice, polite but not annoying and asked me if I wanted to try on a dress I'd been eyeing.

>>10310872
was at tokyo disney the other day - they just make you wait 2 hours after getting each fast pass to get another, so by the time its 10 or so (the earliest time to try for a second one) the popular rides are already out of fast passes - i managed to get 3 at disney sea but they were all pretty late in the day/not for soaring or toy story lmao

>>10313709
Yeah from what I heard with Tokyo Disney you have to race to get your fastpass first thing when you get there. Then just use the time gap to get your 2nd/3rd/whatever picks.

By the time I get there this year (still odd to say that, happy new years!) the Beauty and the Beast section will be opened so maybe everyone will be flocking there and the other places will be less crowded. Sort of like the Star Wars effect.

>>10312450
I love AP at LaForet. The shopgirls are really nice and they’ve helped me a lot in the past

Recently checked out some shops in Osaka. The shopgirls at AP and Leur Getter were really nice and helpful.

I was briefly in Kyoto AP and the staff there seemed nice too. They were all helping another foreigner trying on multiple dresses. We got some death stares in Kyoto Btssb haha.

Any suggestions for Ikebukuro or Harajuku?

Harajuku
>Liston Flavor
>Bodyline (out of curiosity to see the physical store)

Ikebukuro
>Game St. Tropez
>Round 1
>SEGA
>Animate
>K-Books / Book Off (maybe)


I'm iffy on popping by Harajuku (trying to find more to justify it) but I'd love more to do in Ikebukuro.

>>10317662
Swallowtail in Ikebukuro. Depending on how much time you have, I'd just wander around for a bit... there's a shit ton of stores along otome road.

>>10317699
Definitely headed down otome road. I found a few more places since posting that.

>>10317662
>>10317702

I'd pop by Harajuku just for that iconic shot of Takeshita Doori (you know the one, the end towards the train station with the archway that everybody takes photo of).

If you like girly Disney stuff I'd also put one spoon princess and Alice on Wednesday on Harajuku's list.

As for Ikebu:
Ikebu has a new-ish Capcom cafe and Q Plaza. Sunshine City has Namco Namjatown in it, a planetarium and an aquarium featuring seals swimming in the sky (it's just a concave transparent aquarium you can walk under, when you take photos the sky becomes the background).

>>10317713
Okay that aquarium sounds pretty fantastic. Adding that to my list. I'm not really into Capcom titles aside from Ace Attorney but it sounds like a good way to take a break and grab my friend some merch so adding that as well. Thank you!

Where can I get doujin other than toranoana? Particularly new releases from winter comiket

>>10317819
Mandarake, K-books, surugaya, lashinbang

Does anyone know if I can just buy the limited goods at the Capcom Cafe without having to eat there?

>>10320721

Yes. Cafe and shop are different areas.

Well, except the items that only come with the meals, eg coasters, placemats, that one monahun kitty water bottle that everyone was apparently nuts over, etc.

>>10320739
Thanks!

Does Maxicimam have a physical shop?

>>10320897

address is listed on their fb. Le Ponte Bld.1F 1-14-2 Jingumae Shibuya Tokyo

Where would I be able to see a schedule of when the annual BTSSB/AP fashion show/tea parties are in Tokyo? I’m planning a trip later this year and want to go to one, but I want to make sure I book the right dates to fly out.

Any suggestions for the Tokyo Station area? I'm planning on starting there and going to Akihabara but right now all I have is the Pokemon Cafe (hoping for a reservation) and DX shop, and the Character Street inside the Tokyo Station with the Pokemon center there.

Looking for just neat stuff to do, food to try, or weeb stuff.

>>10321861
Baby TP is usually last Saturday of October, sometimes 1 week earlier

AP TP is first Tuesday of December

Sometimes there are random smaller parties, no way to predict those

If you want to be absolutely sure of the dates, you should wait to book 2-3 months before when the events are announced. They usually keep those schedules but you never know when they might try to mix things up. Either of those times of year are nice to visit Tokyo at any rate.

>>10323289

We had a similar problem when we snagged Pokemon Cafe reservations last year, we ended up doing only half a day instead of trying to find things to do there.

Nihonbashi is walking distance nearby, you can look if they have anything you'd be interested in when you go. There's some nice temples if that's your jam, there was a festival they lit the streets up for when we went.

>>10323442
Glad to know I'm not the only one at a loss. I figured if nothing else I'd go in the morning if I could get an early cafe slot and just shop a bit before heading to the cafe then go from Tokyo Station to Akihabara Station and spend the rest of the day since it's just 5 minutes up the line.

Might have to save Ikebukuro for another day because I have a lot I want to do there and I don't think I could do all three stops in one day. My schedule is going to be packed as it is.
Hopefully I'm not crazy trying to do all this, if anyone wants to chime in?
I'll be near Toyocho Station (in Koto) with free time Mon-Fri.

Mon - Tokyo Disneyland
Tues - Tokyo Disney Sea
Weds - Toyocho Station to Ikebukuro
Thurs - Tokyo Station to Akihabara
Fri - Ikspiari, Diver City (easy day)

Days may vary depending on the Pokemon Cafe and jetlag.

>>10317662
Harajuku is worth it for the back streets and Laforet. If you’re in a hurry then avoid the main street and head to Urahara.

the scrote in here derailing like japan isnt the capitol of secondhand fashion in the world

i buy all my designer shit from secondhand japanese sales and sizes are fine if youre an active person and if youre into cosplay of all things you shouldnt need to pay someone to make alterations for you

most lolitas i know where it all over the place whenever they can and that is true of a lot japanese lolitas as well if you read their forums, there just obviously arent many of them

>on topic
tokyo fashion expo is happening in april, might be worth checking out. there are a few different exhibitions going on that weekend

>>10323642
That seems doable. I was comfortable going to two areas per day, and then sometimes another location in the evening for drinks, etc. (though most nights I was wiped out and desu got an early night at the hotel)

I am curious what draws you to Ikspiari and Diver City on Friday? Those malls don't look very interesting to me t b h.

>>10317662
Seconding this. Takeshita street is a tourist trap but Uraharajuku is full of interesting shops and restaurants.

>>10325020

Meant to reply to >>10323712

>>10325020
Ikspiari has the Disney store in it and Diver City has the Gundam statue and a huge Round 1 along with Joypolis/Leisureland, an amusement center with a lot of UFO catchers.

Gundam Cafe is getting a remodel

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-01-28/gundam-cafe-in-akihabara-to-expand-to-4-times-current-size/.155855

>>10317662
If you're into jfash, you can walk past closet child on the way to Sunshine City (which also has an axes femme store)

Would anyone recommend wearing lolita for most days of a 10+ day trip to Japan?

>>10331247
damn, if you do, I applaud your dedication.

desu, it just depends on what you want to do on your trip and how much you're willing to pack.

If you do, maybe plan to bring an empty luggage (like those luggage sets that includes a larger and smaller size) or budget aside to buy another one in Japan because you might under estimate how much shopping you end up doing (or plan to mail stuff back home).

>>10331255
I was planning to pack enough for half of the trip, bring an empty suitcase and shop second hand for more to wear on the trip. I also plan on shipping things back between travel locations if I don't want to carry too much.(mostly shipping the souvenirs for others back so I dont have to carry them all the trip)

Right now I am budgeting around $400/day for food and shopping. Most days I plan to walk around and sight-see or go to cute cafes.

>>10331266
If you’re okay with people brushing and bumping into you, and the occasional stare depending on where you go then go ahead. As long as you bring comfortable shoes.

>>10331247
If you’re visiting cute cafes, I recommend dressing up a little. Recently returned from Japan and visited many cafes. I was impressed how well put together the patrons were. Felt like I had to step up my game after a couple cafes. Casual or otome stuff will suffice. I wouldn’t want to knock things over with a huge petticoat.

Sightseeing - just wear what’s comfortable. Depending where you go crowds could be thick.