A Fangirl's Picture Guide To JE Shopping
Because I promised kochan-addict I'll make her one for when she's there. :D
Feel free passing this around anyone who may be interested, even though I took all these pictures while it was getting dark so I don't know how useful it will be...
First thing's first - Take the JR Yamanote Line to the Harajuku station and get off at whichever Exit (either Harajuku or Omotesando - they're both on the same street anyway). I used the Harajuku Exit for this guide so try and get out of that one. :)
Official map I took a picture of while in the station itself:
When you come out of the station this is the sight that greets you - Welcome to Takashita Doori, best most awesome street in all of Japan! GUARENTEED.
Now this is important - Takashita Doori is home to many, many really good idol stores. While the official JE store isn't on Takashita Doori itself (hence this guide), you should totally go take a look at the stores in this street, especially the famous one above the lingerie shop, since these stores have really awesome stuff (expensive, but awesome nevertheless) - stuff that the official JE Store doesn't have like keychains, stickers, Ohmiya kissing photos and so on. (....okay yes, one good reason to go is the kissing photos - it's not my fault the official stores won't sell them! this is probably valid for any kissing pictures out there *cough*Kinki*cough* so take my word on it and go hunting :D)
Anyway, as I said, no going into Takashita Doori yet. Instead, go to the entrance but instead turn *right* and start walking along the street on which the JR station is located (picture below) -
So now basically all you have to do is keep going up that road until you get to a bridge - here are the pictures I took on my way there so you know what to look for.
When you see this bridge, do not go past it - turn left just in front of it into the crossing street as shown in the picture above.
What you will see in front of you now is a sort of a plaza. Go a bit ahead and you'll then see an Underground Station - while I was in Japan it wasn't in use yet so I have no idea what line stops there nowadays. Anyway, this is the scenery.
Go stand right in front of the station and then promptly turn to the *left* - there's a small street crossing the one you're already on and that's where you should go next.
Keep going up that street for about a minute...
Aaaaand....
Congatulations, You're at the Harajuku JE Store! \o/
Last but most important steps -
1. Don't take pictures around here because the guards would not hesitate to throw you out even if you haven't entered the store itself yet. =_-;
2. If you're intending on buying *pictures*, take a form from one of the walls and fill out the details of what it is you're intending to buy. I'll add a scan once I find mine, but in the meantime - all you have to do is fill out the name of the group you'll be buying photos of, one form for each group, and then mark an X or / next to the number of picture you want + quantity. If you're buying anything else - Uchiwa, penlights, other randomly-displayed merchandise you can pick up (unlike photos) - just pick them up from their respective shelves and go wait in line like a good Japanese. :)
3. The line to the register is arranged in such a way that you will be going through *all* the photo-covered walls so you don't have to step out of line to see if there's anything you want - it's quite hard to explain without pictures, but you'll get what I'm saying once you do it yourselves.
4. The store is usually crowded as hell on weekdays(afternoons, mostly) and weekends - that's because all of the moe middle-schoolers aren't in school and instead are raiding Hey!Say! merchandise like there's no tomorrow. Best times to get here are on mornings, preferably not weekends (Saturday-Sunday).
5. **MOST IMPORTANT STEP EVER** BUY LIRON LOTS OF ARASHI MERCHANDISE TO MAKE HER HAPPY :D:D:D:D:D (Just not anything Dream-A-Live related since I raided the merchandise stands on the venue itself already~~)
I hope this helped you somehow, precious! Go get some stuff! And if you're wondering about the other JE stores in Harajuku (unofficial ones), they'd definitely have a wider selection of merchandise, albeit more expensive - Just go through all of Takashita Doori and you'll find most of them (the one I got you the awesome Koichi phone-strap is in Asakusa, also awesomely easy to find as long as you stay on the main street there [Kaminarimon]).
A photo of the store above the lingerie shop:
(They were playing Time Concert on the screens while I was there :Dv)
This is pretty much it! I hope you'll find it useful and good luck. ♥ ♥ ♥
Feel free passing this around anyone who may be interested, even though I took all these pictures while it was getting dark so I don't know how useful it will be...
First thing's first - Take the JR Yamanote Line to the Harajuku station and get off at whichever Exit (either Harajuku or Omotesando - they're both on the same street anyway). I used the Harajuku Exit for this guide so try and get out of that one. :)
Official map I took a picture of while in the station itself:
When you come out of the station this is the sight that greets you - Welcome to Takashita Doori, best most awesome street in all of Japan! GUARENTEED.
Now this is important - Takashita Doori is home to many, many really good idol stores. While the official JE store isn't on Takashita Doori itself (hence this guide), you should totally go take a look at the stores in this street, especially the famous one above the lingerie shop, since these stores have really awesome stuff (expensive, but awesome nevertheless) - stuff that the official JE Store doesn't have like keychains, stickers, Ohmiya kissing photos and so on. (....okay yes, one good reason to go is the kissing photos - it's not my fault the official stores won't sell them! this is probably valid for any kissing pictures out there *cough*Kinki*cough* so take my word on it and go hunting :D)
Anyway, as I said, no going into Takashita Doori yet. Instead, go to the entrance but instead turn *right* and start walking along the street on which the JR station is located (picture below) -
So now basically all you have to do is keep going up that road until you get to a bridge - here are the pictures I took on my way there so you know what to look for.
When you see this bridge, do not go past it - turn left just in front of it into the crossing street as shown in the picture above.
What you will see in front of you now is a sort of a plaza. Go a bit ahead and you'll then see an Underground Station - while I was in Japan it wasn't in use yet so I have no idea what line stops there nowadays. Anyway, this is the scenery.
Go stand right in front of the station and then promptly turn to the *left* - there's a small street crossing the one you're already on and that's where you should go next.
Keep going up that street for about a minute...
Aaaaand....
Congatulations, You're at the Harajuku JE Store! \o/
Last but most important steps -
1. Don't take pictures around here because the guards would not hesitate to throw you out even if you haven't entered the store itself yet. =_-;
2. If you're intending on buying *pictures*, take a form from one of the walls and fill out the details of what it is you're intending to buy. I'll add a scan once I find mine, but in the meantime - all you have to do is fill out the name of the group you'll be buying photos of, one form for each group, and then mark an X or / next to the number of picture you want + quantity. If you're buying anything else - Uchiwa, penlights, other randomly-displayed merchandise you can pick up (unlike photos) - just pick them up from their respective shelves and go wait in line like a good Japanese. :)
3. The line to the register is arranged in such a way that you will be going through *all* the photo-covered walls so you don't have to step out of line to see if there's anything you want - it's quite hard to explain without pictures, but you'll get what I'm saying once you do it yourselves.
4. The store is usually crowded as hell on weekdays(afternoons, mostly) and weekends - that's because all of the moe middle-schoolers aren't in school and instead are raiding Hey!Say! merchandise like there's no tomorrow. Best times to get here are on mornings, preferably not weekends (Saturday-Sunday).
5. **MOST IMPORTANT STEP EVER** BUY LIRON LOTS OF ARASHI MERCHANDISE TO MAKE HER HAPPY :D:D:D:D:D (Just not anything Dream-A-Live related since I raided the merchandise stands on the venue itself already~~)
I hope this helped you somehow, precious! Go get some stuff! And if you're wondering about the other JE stores in Harajuku (unofficial ones), they'd definitely have a wider selection of merchandise, albeit more expensive - Just go through all of Takashita Doori and you'll find most of them (the one I got you the awesome Koichi phone-strap is in Asakusa, also awesomely easy to find as long as you stay on the main street there [Kaminarimon]).
A photo of the store above the lingerie shop:
(They were playing Time Concert on the screens while I was there :Dv)
This is pretty much it! I hope you'll find it useful and good luck. ♥ ♥ ♥