Installment 6: Exploring & Johnny's Shop Craziness

Installment 6: Exploring & Johnny's Shop Craziness

EXPLORING
Today I explored Takadanobaba, which is where I am staying. I went to the various used cd stores and bought a sweatshirt finally. It's been surprisingly cold here. I also found a cute tea shop that had nice stuff inside. I just took my time and explored. It was exciting and relaxing at the same time. Mellers was doing school stuff again and I don't want to slow her down, so it was good to go around.

When I was on my way home, I called her and she had snuck back into her own place by climbing in?!?!? ahahahah Mellers is so classic ahahaha. She was using the computer and I asked her for directions to the Johnny's Shop. I didn't want to put her through waiting so I was gonna go myself. She drew me really good directions and off I went to the Johnny's Shop in Harajuku.

JOHNNY'S SHOP
How to get there: Harajuku station - Omedesanto exit - cross the street to the Snoopy Store. Walk right until you pass a chocolate cafe place. You'll see the bridge on your right side, with girls lined up. ahahha that's the line for the Johnny's Shop. It's pretty rare that there is no line.... The front of the line is right in front of Meiji-Jingumea station right by the bridge. To get to the actual shop you go through the lane beside PLAYHOUSE. Apparently at 4pm they give out blue tickets/vouchers that I think give you priority in the line. THEY DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. CASH ONLY.

Stood outside for a little more than an hour and it was pretty cold. The Johnny's staff member started talking to me and could tell I couldn't speak Japanese that well. So he started talking to me in his broken English and I used my Japanese and English. kekeeke...Sorry Ko, my verbs are probably not that good, but I'm trying. He asked me about Toronto and comparisons to here and where I've visited.

I also started talking to some girls, Ayako and Mayu, behind me. They are Kat-Tun fans and loooove Jin. They also went to the February NewS concert in Yokohama because that's where they live. Ayako's english was pretty good, although there was a part where they confused tv drama with drummer on tv ahhhahahaha. They were even doing the drumming action lol. Finally we were going inside and Ayako and Mayu were helping me figure out the order form.

The official pics were numbered all over the walls. You use a separate sheet for each group you are ordering from. You check off the group's name. There are two sheets. 1-800 and 801 - (i forget what the end number was) I looked around and couldn't find News anywhere and was really disappointed. Ayako said they were probably upstairs. I saw uchiwas and asked some girls how to get them and they said upstairs. They started to talk with me and I found out they are Arashi fans. We talked about Hana Yori Dango too. They asked which groups are popular in Canada, etc.

When I finally got upstairs HOLYMOLY craziness! There were TONS of News photos. Offiicial photoshoots and concert officials. They each cost 150yen but once you count them all up it gets dangerous. I started choosing things without bothering to count. 97 pictures later...geez... they aren't all for me ahhaahah The biggest disappointment was the calendar was sold out! Sorry Chris! I don't know how we can get it now...T_________T There were aslos Johnny's Jr. Official pics, but I didn't know what you wanted. I was able to get uchiwas though...yay!

Ayako and Mayu left before me, but they said goodbye and told me to email them. They are really cute. Called Mellers and went back. Ate dinner and counting the pics made me sleepy, so I slept. Woke up when Mellers came back. We talked all night long...seriously...we talked till morning....so we slept in. Sorry this installment is late..kekeke. I need to go find a bank. I have no money on me right now.

Wish me luck.

-Sam

originally written: Apr 6, 2007