ARANZI ARONZO: KAWAII STORES IN OSAKA. CUTE CHARACTER GOODS, JAPANESE BEAR & BUNNY DOLLS FOR SALE.
How does alt/Goth shopping differ in Tokyo and Osaka? Harajuku’s easy to navigate; as I explain in my map, it’s a straight walk down Takeshita Doori with several exploratory turns. The boutiques in Shinsaibashi, on the other hand, are spread out. It takes a lot of meandering to find the best stores, like h.NAOTO Gouk…
Black Gothloli bonnet: Innocent World, from Osaka (store photos here)
Punk top: h.NAOTO Blood, from Closet Child
Purple short plaid skirt: Peace Now, from Closet Child
Along the way, you’re sure to meet big, smiling kawaii characters — like this white bear.
We stopped by the Aranzi Aronzo merchandise shop. Inside, there were cute bunny and bear plates, toys, crafts and books.
These little tins with superhero pandas would make a great gift.
I’ll never get tired of Japanese kawaii mascots.
Later, we stumbled upon an obese hippie teddy bear… who reminded me of my fat cat, Basil Farrow! (Have you seen the latest photos on his Scottish Fold blog?)
Are you a collector of cute Japanese stationery or toys? I had an impressive Hello Kitty collection when I was growing up…
Japanese Word of the Day: Katsura = Wig
Song of the Day: The Shamen – Alone Again Or (Acid Goth post-punk?)
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OSAKA POKEMON CENTER, JAPAN: RARE PIKACHU TOYS, VIDEO GAMES & COLLECTIBLE MERCHANDISE, ポケモンセンターオーサカ
What’s one of the most popular attractions in Osaka? Not the castle, not the aquarium… but the Pokemon Center in Umeda.
The shop is not far from Umeda Station, and the yellow signs make it easy to find. The Pokemon franchise is both evil and genius. The motto, “Gotta catch ’em all,” means…
… that fans must keep opening their pockets for Pocket Monster merchandise.
There are several Pokemon Centers in Japan, and they’re always packed with visitors.
In addition to selling every type of merchandise (toys, home goods, cards, games), the centers have special events for children.
We saw groups of young people sitting on the steps outside, engrossed in their individual video games.
Can you recognize the little plush guy that Yukiro took home?
You can see more Japanese toy shops and Osaka photos in my shopping resource.
Are you a Pokemon fanatic? Who is your favorite character from the series?
PS: is anyone going to the Los Angeles anime convention, PMX this weekend? Look out for First Mate Naomi… she’ll be walking around and giving out La Carmina & The Pirates business cards!
Japanese Word of the Day: Tegaru = Handy, simple
Song of the Day: 13th Moon – Grave Dance
LA CARMINA
