Japan Diary Day 2

Update! I have a computer!

Day 2 - Tokyo
Wednesday

 Day two saw us (me) waking up too early to actually do anything. Nothing really opens in Japan until about 10 or 11, and with the winter morning light I kept waking up around 6 or 7AM.

Thankfully, Sekaido, our number one destination for the day, opened at 9.30AM. I think we probably grabbed something to eat from the nearby combini (and then probably left it in our bag for the day) and went on our way.

Sekaido is an arts supply store of a proportion that I can't really describe. It's six or so floors of pens, paints, papers, frames, books- it starts with pleb stationary on the ground floor and moves up through the ranks of different artistic disciplines. We got there just after it opened and Thali was ready to leave just before Marui Annex opened at 11AM. I picked up a couple of pens and a notebook and mostly just followed Thali around as she hunted down her wishlist.

We moved onto Marui Annex, which delightfully is directly next door. I think Shinjuku is one of my favourite spots in Tokyo, I just generally really enjoyed it but I especially really liked Annex. Probably because we were there early on a Wednesday, the entire building was very quiet and the shopping staff were just really pleasant.

We browsed a bit, but we both knew our final destinations; Angelic Pretty and Jane Marple. Jane Marple happened to release a design that Thali really liked. She decided to pass on it, and bought a bow clip instead. We then headed over to AP, where I bought.... a bit. I walked out with a pair of shoes, a coat, and some accessories. I also picked up the most recent catalogues, I guess I just really like catalogues. My bag was ridiculous, and in the end I couldn't bring it home- I do already have one I bought home from a previous trip though! We also picked up some post cards at FEWMANY. The Imai Kira section (non postcards) was quite picked over (I blame my friends who came in November) but received a restock later in the week when we passed by again.

Thali went back to look at the JM skirt, said no. Found two other skirts she really liked at Lowry's Farm, bought them. We went downstairs and got our tax back. We went back upstairs and Thali bought the skirt. She got a Christmas shopping bag, which the shop girl made sure to mention. I made her bring it home.

 After that small dillema, we decided we desperately needed food (that food from the combini? Still in a back pack. Uneaten. Of course). We found Eat More Soup and Bread and decided nothing could be better on such a cold day. For the first part of the trip, I was a bit anxious about eating and walking, so we ended up starving by lunch time a lot. For people who like food we were really bad at stopping and eating it. Re-energised, we then hit up Closet Child, Maiden Clothing and Okadaya.

Shinjuku CC was probably the luckiest place for me over the whole of the trip. I found a dream dress, Maiden Ribbon Jacquard and also picked up a cute Shirley Temple regimental stripe dress- I was overjoyed to find a striped piece in pink! And both at very good prices. I've since altered the ST piece, since it was tiny, but you'll hear more on that at a later date. Maiden Clothing wasn't too far from CC, so we decided we might as well have a look- it was a bit of a bust though. I imagine it might be good if you like older or punkier stuff.

Okadaya is a dream, and my one goal there was to buy fake flowers. Achieved, we had a look at fabrics but decided since we were thinking of going to Nippori, we skipped buying anything for today.

Thoroughly exhausted, we made our way home and picked up dinner and dessert from the basement of one of the big department stores in Ikebukuro. I became readdicted to Kagome fruit and vegetable juice, and I 100% attribute it to not getting as sick as I could have, more on that next time, haha. We happily found a Takano kiosk there, and got dessert! We'd intended to go to their cafe but had ended up feeling a little too intimidated. I'm sad we didn't! Since these were delicious, and the fruit was particularly good. I guess it's something to save for next time !♥


 Places of interest:
Sekaido
Marui Annex
FEWMANY
Angelic Pretty
Jane Marple
 Eat More Soup and Bread
Closet Child
Maiden Clothing
Okadaya
Takano Fruits Parlour

Day One