I'm going to Japan!

[lilitufire.livejournal.com]

I'm flying out to Tokyo for 2 weeks, and wondered if any of you shopping goddesses had any tips on cool places to go shopwise, places to buy EGL books, for instance.

I'm a plus size, (appx US size 18) so if you have any advice in particular for larger women, given Japanese are tiny, that would be most appreciated.

What should I do? What should I see? Any favourite links?

Comments

just want to say..

[delicious-souls.livejournal.com]

you are SO lucky.

you should definitely go to Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Moi-Meme-Moitie.

you should take loads of pictures...hhe =D

[aitreni.livejournal.com]

As far as clothing goes, I don't think there ARE any cool places for plus-size women to shop in Japan... ^^;;; Quite a bit of gothloli clothing comes in *Japanese* plus-sizes but that's still only equivalent to an American M~L. What little I've seen that's larger than that is Not Cool. (i.e. for old women)

OIONE (Marui One) is the single best place in Tokyo for goth/loli stuff, with boutiques featuring almost all the major brands in the G+L Bible. Even if the clothes are too small, I'm sure you'll have a ball with the accessories.
http://www.0101.co.jp/onejuku/

For books, you'll do best at the visual indies shop Like an Edison. In addition to the G+L Bible, they sell a few lolita fanzines. They don't have a website, but this store is right around the corner and you can see Like an Edison from the door.
http://www.jishubanclub.com/
direct link to their map:
http://www.jishubanclub.com/images/map.png

And if you sew or like to make your own accessories, I recommend visiting Okadaya. It's a paradise for cosplayers, stage performers, and serious seamstresses. There are two buildings next to each other -- the big one has all the trims, notions, makeup, and wigs, and the smaller one sells fabrics.
http://www.sgj.co.jp/mall/okadaya/

I'm sorry to be pessimistic about clothes, but I hope these links help you anyway. m(_._)m

[himemiyadariram.livejournal.com]

Buy little hats and sell them on ebay!! *_*

[calliechan.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's been mentioned (didn't read comments), but ABSOLUTELY go to Takeshita street in Harajuku. While you're there, hit Richard's and Mari's Rock- you really can't miss them. Richard's is near the Seven Eleven, and Mari's Rock is towards the end of the street. Also in Harajuku is Laforet shopping mall- at the end of Takeshita street right after the Roteria, turn right and go straight until you see signs that say "Foret" or "Laforet" in script. You're looking for Laforet. They have Atelier Pierrot, h.Naoto, Putumayo and Angelic Pretty on the bottommost floor, Ba-Tsu at street level and Emily Temple Cute, Jane Marple and... one other one (^_^;;) on the fourth floor. If you speak Japanese, ask these store owners for directions to other shops in the area- they should know how to get you there. Or go to the store's websites and look up the addresses, then copy them down and ask a cabbie to take you and point it out.

As for plus sizes... I found stuff that fits, although it's a bit tight and some of it had to be altered, at Richard's and Mari's Rock. Otherwise, you'll just have to make do. I found my biggest issue wasn't making the clothes fit, but getting them over my chest, because they're made for Japanese girls with little to no cleavage. o_O;; Big issue with that at Black Peace Now. You just have to dig through the racks and ask if they have plus sizes- the salesgirls won't chide you or anything. It's against store policy. Not only is the customer right, she is a demi-god.

Hope I've helped. ^_^ Have a great time! Say hi to Tokyo for me!

~Callie

[kimako.livejournal.com]

I was a size 14 the last time I was in Tokyo (plus, I'm cursed with a 36-D chest) and finding egl clothing in larger sizes in Tokyo was impossible for me outside of purses, hats, and other accessories. You might be able to find things to alter, but since the clothing is so pricey it might be better to just stick to hunting for great accesories.

I totally agree with the person above me who recommended going to OIONE (Marui One). It's a tall skinny building with many floors and easy to find (well, as easy as anything is to find in Tokyo when you know very little Japanese and you're on your own - which was me the last time I was there) . They even have a "used" floor where you can find great deals on expensive items and they carry every Gothic Lolita brand as well as copies of the Gothic Lolita bibles.

Here's a few general Tokyo related links:
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/tokyo/top.html
http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/index_en.htm

I also recommend that if you want to go to specific stores such as Victorian Maiden (http://www.victorianmaiden.com) to just visit all their shops online and get directions since many places have maps.

Some fun things to do on your first time there could be spending Sunday in Harajuku, visiting Tokyo Tower and seeing a live show if you enjoy Japanese music. It's HOT there now so also remember to pack light cool clothing! Another tip - bring a few fold away duffle bags that you can easily pack and later fill up with all the goodies you purchased.