Let’s continue our Tokyo travels…. with a guide to the new Shibuya Parco department store complex! Shibuya’s old Parco mall has been fully revamped, and now has a number of anime and manga attractions — including MewTwo floating at the mouth of the Pokemon Center on the 6th floor.

Read on for a tour of the new Shibuya Parco including floor guides with photos of Pikachu and Super Mario, the neon-lit food hall, and kawaii / Lolita stores like Angelic Pretty. (All photos by Joey Wong)

And I wanted to share a freelance writing win… I’m published by Eater! I wrote a comprehensive food & travel guide to Tōhoku, Japan, with photography by Joey Wong. My Eater piece introduces Tohoku, Japan’s Capital of Sake, Wagyu, and Sea Pineapples.

If you love sake & seafood, I hope you’ll enjoy my travel writing debut on Eater about my foodie trip to Tohoku, Japan. “A few hours from Tokyo by bullet train, the rugged northern region features Miyazaki-worthy landscapes, a coastline chock full of seafood, and some of the country’s most stunning cherry blossoms.”

Now, back to Pikachu and his brethren. Shibuya has gone through a number of reconstructions over the past years, especially around the station. The Parco department store was always one of my favorite spots in the area to see artsy and pop culture boutiques.

The re-opened Parco is bigger and badder than ever, especially on the sixth floor — which is dedicated to all things manga, anime, and gaming. I was greeted by a statue of Ryu from Street Fighter, at the Capcom store. (Anyone play the video game on Super Nintendo growing up? I did!)

There’s also an immense Nintendo Shop at Parco. Outside on the patio, you can pose with an 8-bit Super Mario and a question block! (Anyone been to the new Nintendo World theme park in LA or Osaka, or seen the Super Mario movie?)

Parco’s 6th floor has about a dozen design shops. In addition to fan favorites like Yoshi, you’ll find indie figures and accessories — like these heavy metal versions of traditional Japanese lucky cats (maneki neko), daruma dolls, tanuki and more. (Note the pentagram on the cat’s collar.)

I was tempted to take home so many cuties here…

Do you remember when I did a German TV show in Tokyo with “Mr Peen?” Looks like I found his chibi version at Parco. (Incidentally, the Kanamara Matsuri penis festival just took place; it’s a Shinto tradition in Kawasaki.)

“P size wa?” So many fab figurines, plushies, home goods, fashion and more to peruse at Parco.

The star of the show is undoubtedly Mewtwo, the psychic pocket monster. He’s prepping for battle in an incubation chamber at the entrance of the Parco Pokemon Center.

The Pokemon shop is one of the biggest, and has seasonal limited-edition items such as Halloween Pikachus.

Parco’s Pokemon Center has a sci-fi design and lights that made me feel I was in a spaceship full of Pokemon.

Fans can purchase pretty much any item imaginable, from snacks to toys and decor. I’m into the Pika-Pika pumpkin candy bucket on the right.

My hair matches with Gengar, the purple ghost / poison Pokemon with a sinister smile.

Gotta catch em all… Which is your favorite Pokemon?

If you can’t make to this store, there are Pokemon Centers all over Japan — including at Character Street in Tokyo Station (here are pics).

In the old days, Japanese boutiques banned people from taking photos inside. Times have changed, and you’re now free to snap away — and there are lots of Instagrammable displays like this one at the Shonen Jump store.

If you’re interested in Jpop and youth culture, check out Shibuya 109 department store nearby as well (it’s focused on young, trendy women’s fashion, and has a Sanrio shop and purikura).

There’s much more to see at Parco than just the 6th floor. Give yourself at least 1-2 hours to wander the entire complex, as there is plenty of Japanese design inspiration.

You’ll come across paintings amidst the industrial architecture, and windows with neon views of Shibuya below.

Parco’s outdoor patio walk is spectacular. A great place for people-watching, or hanging out with a coffee or glass of wine.

Parco’s stores and art exhibits are constantly changing, so rather than giving a specific floor / shop guide, I encourage you to wander around and see what’s new. When I was there, I saw this Astroboy statue and a photo area with an idol-type girl.

Parco has plenty of stores for street / urban fashion and goods. I came across a clan of Bearbricks.

These Bearbrick collectibles are designed in collaboration with leading street artists.

I enjoyed seeing “indie” critters at Parco, rather than the most famous mascots like Hello Kitty. Love the construction and design of this pastel horned fella.

You can also shop for sweet Lolita fashion at Parco’s Angelic Pretty.

The brand continues to be all about candy pastel sweetness.

Most of the Gothic and Sweet Lolita boutiques are in Harajuku, particularly in LaForet dept store (photos to come). However, you can find some frilled dresses and other alternative fashion in Parco.

Angelic Pretty’s Loli prints are often on the kitsch-bizarre side… like these animal detergent bottles, of all things!

I started this blog when Lolita style was thriving in Japan. It isn’t worn by people here as much these days, and many of the labels closed — but Angelic Pretty remains at Parco.

Make sure you stop by the Parco basement levels, as there’s a gigantic food / restaurant area! As with everything in Parco now, the neon design is on point.

Here’s a restaurant called Bugs Cafe that serves creepy crawlies like tarantulas and crickets. There’s also a drag queen Campy Bar here (but Yukiro says it isn’t very good, so I can’t recommend it!). I did enjoy the vegan izakaya Masaka with friends.

I stumbled across this horned (horny?) oni in Parco’s lower levels as well.

What do you think of the new Parco design? I’ll certainly come back to see the latest art and cuteness when I return to Tokyo.

But for now… I’m escaping the rain, and heading to somewhere warm and LGBTQ+ friendly. Check out my Instagram @LaCarmina to see where in the world I’m heading.

All photos Joey Wong — check out more of his Shibuya shots in this post. And please take a moment to read our Eater’s Guide to Tohoku, Japan!