*ciramisu ♥: Tokyo summary

Went to Tokyo for a few days, so this is a just summary! In-depth posts will come in the following days. The crowds at lot of places still seemed a tad empty.

I stayed at Ikebukuro, which is roughly a 15-minute train ride away from Shinjuku/ Harajuku/ Shibuya. There are actually A LOT of department stores (Tobu, Seibu, Parco, Lumine, OIOI) right beside the station and many shops around Ikebukuro. It's the 2nd busiest station in Tokyo and the world (the 1st being Shinjuku), with 8 different subway lines running in the station and an average of 2.7million passengers daily.

After landing and checking in, I wandered mostly around Ikebukuro. If you don't want to jostle with the crowds at Shibuya 109, a lot of gal brands have stores in Parco's B2F and B1F! Brands like:

- ♥ Liz Lisa (can never fall out of love with Liz Lisa ♥)

- ♥ Egoist (I'm totally in love with Egoist now! ♥)

- L.D.S.

- Spiral Girl

- Cecil McBee

- Ma*rs

- Flag-J

- Laguna Moon

- Love Boat

- Lip Service

- Rojita

- Emoda

- Snidel

- Titty&co

- Free's Shop

- Mercury Duo

- Murua

- ♥ Esperanza (loads of nice shoes! ♥)

And on the last day before I left, near the subway exit into Parco there was a Liz Lisa bargain corner/booth set up there, lots of things going for up to 50% off! Buutt, it was my last day, I had no cash left, and that booth did not accept credit card. The main store accepts card, but the makeshift booth didn't and I couldn't take the stuff, drag it to the Liz Lisa store in the basement and pay there :( So no more Liz Lisa for me :(

There were around 4 Matsumoto Kiyoshi stores within the vicinity of the station, and at the East exit there's even a Donkihote. If you want to get false lashes or drugstore cosmetics, go to Donki ♥ A LOT of items are discounted, and they stock a HUUUGE variety of goods. The store is packed like a storeroom/warehouse, with goods filling the stores from floor to ceiling. Totally cluttered and not for the claustrophobic~ Great place to explore. Some brands even have Donki-exclusive items, and some lash brands are sold only at Donki. A Donki post will be coming up!

Harajuku for Takeshita Doori mostly ♥

Clothes at Takeshita Doori are inexpensive and great! The quality is not bad either. I really should've bought more T_T At the end of Takeshita Doori is Meiji Doori, where there's a Forever 21 and H&M next to each other. Will do a post on Takeshita Doori soon~

Near the intersection of Meiji Doori and Omotesando Doori at around Laforet, (where the railings on the sidewalk start) a lot of photographers/magazines staff like to lurk/sit around I think? The two times in two days (one weekday and one weekend) that I walked past that same area I was approached by 3 asking whether I wanted to be a 読者 model or whether they could take street snaps haha.

Fancy Pocket has unbelievably cheap hair accessories. It's targeted mostly at junior high students I think, but I can wear some of the stuff! Will do a post on my haul (: Opposite it is SBY Happy Room, a store that sells a lot of gyaru items ♥

Shibuya for the Donki, 109 and Sentaagai. I actually didn't get to go around as much as I would've liked, as my arms felt like they were losing their feeling and gonna come off! (And with all the bags, no free hands to take photos either!) Even with a lot of the stores having 10~20% sales, lots of the clothing brands were still quite pricey.

This was all the stuff I bought that day (Harajuku+Shibuya), Liz Lisa was the last store I visited, I was carrying all the other bags and a tote bag when I was shopping in Liz Lisa. After that, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to go back. My arms and shoulders were in severe pain the following day^^

Shinjuku, unfortunately I only had ~2hours, not enough! (Went to Asakusa and Nippori before Shinjuku) The Donki here had lower prices compared the the Ikebukuro and Shibuya Donkis. It's also a more "tourist-friendly" Donki I suppose.

Shinjuku has lots of department stores (Isetan, Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi, OIOI, Keio, Odakyu, Lumine EST, Lumine 1, Lumine 2), the main branch of Kinokuniya (a bookstore, 8 storeys!), entertainment/red-light district of Kabikichou.